So, while surfing the net in an effort to stay relevant {okay, really, just to pass the time, but it seems so much more sophisticated to say: “stay relevant”}, I came across an article on Yahoo about the USDA allowing U.S. grown chickens to be shipped to China, processed, and then shipped back to the U.S. for consumption.
The article states that the USDA has made assurances that they will make sure the process is 100% safe {imagine me rolling my eyes right now}. In addition, the USDA plans on doing 100% testing on poultry shipped back from China.
Here’s the thing: First, why do we need to send our food across the world to be processed and then back again to be consumed? That seems crazy. Second, as the article points out, if “we can’t safely leave chicken out for the length of a family picnic, how can it be shipped halfway around the world and back with no ill effects?” Good point, Yahoo, good point. Third, is labor so cheap in China that it is worth the resources to ship the chickens across the pond, process them, ship them back, and still offer them to the American public for $2.00/lb?
The whole article kind of left me shocked. Am I the only one concerned about this?
~Mavis
Update — You may also be interested in reading this article as well. {Thanks Gail}.
Jillbert says
Time for me to find a local farmer from which to buy chicken. Or to go vegetarian. Seriously, I don’t want meat that is processed in China and shipped back here. Gross.
Nancy R. says
Seems monumentally stupid and ill thought to me. I don’t believe the 100% testing is accurate, and no on-site testing coupled with the fact that this chicken won’t be labeled as from China gives me more reason for concern.
Tiffany says
BIRD FLU!!!
Lisa says
You’re not the only one.
The entire idea is ridiculous. The chicken will be much less fresh, I just can’t imagine how old it would be traveling to China and back! I don’t stick to the “only buy American” but in this case, keep the chicken here. You just don’t send fresh food to a foreign country for processing, and then send it back for sale!
If this happens I will assume we will see stickers saying “US Processed Chicken” on the packages in the stores. I’ll buy those!
This reminds me of my old trash company. They sent our recyclable milk jugs by ship to China to process for recycling. How much fuel is used by the ships, when the point is to reuse, recycle and not waste resources?
Sandy Morris says
Your assumption about them labeling the chickens as processed in the US or not is erroneous. We can’t even get them to label a food product as Genetically Modified, or get them to agree on what the term ‘Natural’ is supposed to mean. What makes you think they will label the chicken as processed in China?
Rochelle says
I am appalled! Absolutely appalled!
…and speechless…
squeege says
look what they did with the chinese drywall now u want them to process our chicken who’s brainstorm is this?
Carol says
Right??? Well said!
Adrienne says
What a joke. Can’t say it really surprises me though!!
Kate says
EW. I would absolutely “buy US only” in this case. That is DISGUSTING and it’s stupid, to boot. Thanks for keeping ME relevant. See? You did your duties!
cindy tessier says
There is so much ridiculousness going on in the world. I’m from Canada and this type of thing goes on here too. To me it doesn’t make sense to create jobs in foreign countries when the unemployment rates are so high domestically. What, we can’t process chickens in our own country??? We can’t manufacture clothes or potholders, or watches here??? It sucks being them, but we need to buy locally and support our own economy.
Christine says
I too am from Canada and we buy our chicken, eggs & milk from the USA (due to the lower costs) but if this happens – ya I think I will just buy my chicken from Canada. That’s just gross!
Jenifer says
There went my happy Monday.
I am thankful there is a local “gentle” farmer (farm raises all meat free range, organic and slaughters humanely) albeit, for a 1.5 lb chicken it is $15. But I rather spend $15 on a small healthy & happy raised chicken than take the risks of what might be happening overseas.
Nicole says
Wow. What is this going to do to the price of organic!! There will be a greater demand I’m thinking.
Dianna says
I am so disgusted with the thought of this. This is a huge game changer for me. Can you imagine eating out? So many restaurants would choose this product as a way to save money. We do try and only eat out once a week but this makes me rethink even my one meal out a week. I am so grossed out.
Kristina says
If you actually read real news stories, you will find that American poultry producers are slaughtering the chickens here and sending them over to make chicken nuggets out of. This is with the blessing of many American chicken farmers, unlike what a lot of your Facebook readers seem to think (too bad about the American workers, though). They are trying to open up trade in China for their product. My impression from the news stories I read (NY Times, AP wire) was that there is not really a net profit gain from doing the processing there vs the US, but it’s worth the effort to massage the Chinese government to allow American meat imports (a huuuge market, China).
Personally, I think it’s a program pregnant with disaster and generally a really terrible idea.
That said, as a person involved in ag, I grow weary of folks going off half-cocked about “news” stories they’ve found in editorial (i.e. opinion) pieces. Yes, it’s a bad idea, but don’t repost just the inflammatory information — that’s just irresponsible to your readers.
Sorry for the rant (I really do love your blog), but it seems like folks increasingly mistake opinion pieces for news. To be fair, many news outlets encourage that behavior (hello Fox and MSNBC!), but I think it makes us poorer decision-makers both as consumers and voters when we abdicate responsibility for our own opinions to a few editorialists. (OK, rant over. Carry on.)
SweetGracey says
i understand what you’re trying to say, but what makes me wonder more is that WHY NOW and WHY CHINA? when China has just gone through another fiasco on Bird Flu, why would anybody send their chickens there to be processed and sent back to them when China it self has been having problems with bird flu?
Kristina says
Bird flu transmission is from live birds to humans living in close proximity to the (live) birds, in whose populations many new viruses begin. This is how bird flu makes the move from birds to humans — proximity. That’s why you hear about avian flus making the move to humans in Asia, because of the prevalence of home-grown poultry there (transmitted through mucus from coughs, etc, just like human-human transmission). It has absolutely nothing at all to do with processing already dead chickens. None. Which, of course, still doesn’t make it any better of an idea to process chicken nuggets in China.
Becbeq says
I had the same understanding – that the chickens would return as “processed” (cooked/frozen) chicken meat products. I’m still really, really, really against the idea. I mean, look at the fiasco that happened with chicken jerky dog treats from China. How many cases of kidney failure were attributed to those?
Leanna says
I guess more people will buy from Zaycon that way. 🙂
Carol says
No, Mavis, you are NOT the only one concerned about this issue. I’m lucky in that my grocer stocks chickens raised and processed by Amish farmers. That way the meat is local and I hope compassionately processed. This article you saw points out some of the worse business decisions ever made.
Jess says
Meat processing in the US is bad too. Read Slaughterhouse. Disgusting and completely eye-opening. And there’s no way the USDA will inspect chickens processed in another country when they barely inspect meat processed in our own country, despite meat being stamped USDA inspected. It’s a complete joke full of people who work for agribusiness and don’t give two hoots about consumers.
Teri says
I have an uncle who raises “meat” chicken with multiple chicken houses. He sells his birds to a very well known national chicken company (I don’t remember the name). This company keeps the breasts, then ships EVERYTHING else to China. And I do mean everything. From the wings to the feet, from the “innards” to the intestines. He said it was a practice the company has been doing for years.
Kathy says
Terrible, terrible idea. If you can’t trust a country with the and food and milk they feed their children, how can you trust them with processing chicken for country they are in competition with and don’t really like?
Sheila Smith says
Agreed
Lauren says
I’ve already written to my dog food manufacturer about this. I can control what kind of chicken I buy for my consumption, but unless pet food producers will be required to disclose from whence their chicken originates, I am concerned about my doggie. We already have little control over the contaminants that can be in the food that is U.S. produced. The USDA is lax enough in its inspections of food processed here – God only knows what will happen to the “China chickens.” Trade, schmade – we deserve better protection than this!
Kaycee says
The easiest way to avoid all of this mess is to not eat chicken at all. Whether the chicken is slaughtered in the U.S. or in China, the standards are alarmingly low.
Sheila Smith says
OK this scares me on many levels. Just bought yeast from GFS. Made in Mexico when I got home. Seriously ~ do we do anything ourselves in America anymore?
Bonnie Vonnegut says
Yet another reason to do local and organic buying. And does the gvt think we do not have people here needing jobs? Dispicable
Cecily says
Just because its local and organic doesn’t mean it’s humane. Organic chicken farms can keep the chickens packed into cages, unable to move and lying in their own feces. All they need to be organic is to feed them organic feed. Sooo sad 🙁 Make sure it says free range and/or humane certified. Think of the chicks!!!
Cecily says
I think I’ll stick with my Humane Certified Foster Farms chicken. I know it’s from here since they guarantee it to be in the store within 48 hours of processing and at around $1 a pound for whole chicken it is affordable.
Mari says
I was buying dried Cranberries last week here in New Zealand. I am an avid package reader and first thing I read is where something comes from and where it is packaged. I was horrified to fine on 2 brands that they were ‘grown in USA’, ‘processed and packaged in Thailand’. 3rd brand, thankfully, was a product of Australia.Need I say I brought the Australian ones. They were dearer too.
I agree, I would not buy meat processed in Asia as their food handling and preparation is not up to the standards we have here. But you do need to be aware that meat (beef, pork, lamb and venison) is sent all around the world as refrigerated cargo, but processed and packaged and as carcasses. But to me the thought of poultry being sent chilled, processed and then re chilled and sent back and sold as fresh, is appalling. I watched a program on TV of a production line in China in a poultry factory and it was shocking. All open on tables swilling in blood and liquid. OK everyone was in ‘surgery garb’ but the floor was slippery and slimy and it was very messy. Don’t let the Govt allow it. Please as it will have a knock on effect here in NZ.
Becka says
My comment is similar to the one Teri posted above. I worked for a school food service program before I retired. The frozen food storage facility where we stored our frozen food was about 95% full of frozen chicken parts waiting to be shipped to China. Apparently Americans prefer the white meat for the most part so the local producers ship the rest of the chicken to China for consumption over there.
Matt says
This is especially bad considering each container ship creates the same amount of pollution as 50 million cars. Another reason to source and buy local as much as possible:
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/apr/09/shipping-pollution
andi says
thanks for the info – just forwarded it on to my pastor – it’s scary……
Tina says
You can’t even donate blood if you’ve been out of the country but they want us to eat something that’s been to a country where their on citizens walk around with mask covering their faces. I’ve been thinking about getting my on chickens now I’m going to think even harder.
Mari says
I agree with you completely. It’s very scary.
pat says
Just another example of how the people in charge of our government have lost their minds!!!
Crystal says
Zaycon it is!!!
Mary says
Can anyone suggest a company like Zaycon for upstate New York? I will be looking at packages more carefully. I am disgusted also!
Jo says
It makes no sense to any of us, because we are smart and practical. Some agreement is profitable to some company, and we as consumers will pay the price. Horrible bad idea.
Quiltstack says
Some of your readers have it correct ~ the US will be shipping (I’m assuming frozen) chickens to China.
The USDA will NOT be checking the processing on site, as the chicken will be cooked, and made into other items, such as Nuggets. Furthermore, because the meat is cooked/processed, it will not have to state anything about China. The USDA figures if it’s cooked, it’s safe.
Amazing how idiotic our government is.
Mindy says
First, GROSS. Second, IDIOTIC. What the ??? One more thing to make me want to move to an island and only eat what I can raise and grow. Did I mention gross?
Emily says
Thanks Mavis, I will be using this in my journalism class tomorrow. With middle schoolers the gross factor pays off.
Mavis Butterfield says
Ha. Very true.
Sherry says
This is beyond lunacy. The June FDA special report says that China imports to the USA ten to fifteen percent of all food eaten in US households. Not to mention 60% of veggies,80% of seafood, 50% of medical devices, 80%of the active pharm. ingredients in medicines. Country of origin labeling (COOL) is not applicable to the chinese processed chickens because the meat originated in the USA. Proposed FDA regs- let the companies police the foreign processors….Does anyone remember any of these lovely Chinese stories: toxic vinegar, glow in the dark pork, tainted buns, exploding watermelons, bean sprouts contaminated with antibiotics, rice contaminated with heavy metals, mushrooms imbued with bleach, pork dosed with banned stimulants, and that tasty melamine milk? And I am gonna trust them with chicken? I think not. No chicken nuggets, thank you. I would love to know WHICH companies are going to make that handshake, and avoid them like the plague. Our gov’t is NOT doing it’s job to protect the food chain. =(
Erin M says
Mavis, you are not alone. I have been reading about food for just over a year. GMOs, food from China, Monsanto, chemical additives, raw milk being illegal, people charged and fines for growing veggies in the front yard…etc etc. The upside is, I got so angry at Monsanto last fall, I completely changed how I eat.
My Meyer Lemon you were admiring, was the beginning of my eating local crusade. I want to locally grow things that travel too far to my plate. I have heard that avocados are impossible to get fruit off in this area…..but mine is about 4′ tall and looking really robust, so we will see. I have ginger planted in the garden. I will post when I dig it up!!
Erin
Mavis Butterfield says
Erin please send me a link when you do. I would love to see the pictures. 🙂
Barbara says
This is just another , ” What the….” moment for me. Thinking about this and I’m wondering what is the plus for the American consumer? I’m shaking my head at 3 in the morning.
Kathleen says
Mavis,
I had the very same thoughts you and many other people had. I am shocked and will be reading my labels even more diligently than before.
On another note, love your blog !
Thanks,
Kathleen
Olga says
Here in Cleveland, I was very surprised to learn that Heinen’s, one of the nicest upscale groceries, gets their beef from AUSTRALIA! Not as bad as China, but really???? Another reason to read the labeling, ask where it comes from and buy locally organic and free range.
Kathryn says
I am grateful to be eating from Farmers Markets and learning how to can, including meat. Maybe a garden will happen in my future, too.
Vanessa says
I recently read Fat, Sugar, Salt: How The Food Giants Hooked Us by Michael Moss and it was quite eye-opening. Money talks in our government including the USDA. The large food manufacturers go in with their almost endless supply of money and their experts and are able to win the USDA over. If they think that sending chicken over to China to be processed and then have it sent back to the US will in any way help them gain a profit they will fight to do it. Just this year I stopped buying chicken nuggets or other processed chicken meals and have started to make my own. It’s much healthier and my children don’t seem to miss the store-bought food.
Ernie Krueger says
Some time ago, I bought a 64 ounce bottle of Apple Juice. It was labeled as the store brand. I assumed it was from the USA. The label gave no indication of where it actually was produced, just all the usual label info. It wasn’t until I was half way through the second bottle that something caught my eye. There in small print, in the plastic, above the label (not part of the label) was imprinted “Product of China” I complained to the Customer Service person and said, “We have to import apple juice from a foreign country when we are noted for our countless orchards in the USA.” I told her I think of bird flu and birds in the apple trees in China and then wonder how clean are their apple processing plants. I also bought a 32 ounce bottle of honey. It was clearly labeled “100% PURE US GRADE A FANCY HONEY” Again, the neck of the bottle, above the label told the truth “PRODUCT OF USA ARG TURKEY CA” Your chicken story tells me that not only do we have to read the labels,but we also have to search the container for clues of product origin. I wonder if people who are working for the FDA actually deserve their oversized paychecks. I think I will start a Consumer Food Warning Group and call it Ernie’s List. If the product you wish to purchase, isn’t on Ernie’s List, don’t buy it. That might be such a monumental task, it may be just easier to suggest READ THE LABEL AND THE CONTAINER
Vicki says
Yet another reason for becoming a vegetarian, which I get closer to each and every day … and by vegetarian, I mean local, buying at farmers markets and freezing/canning to last until the next growing season. This is just appalling – so many in this country need work, and yet we’re sending more and more overseas to a country that doesn’t even meet the minimal standards that are enforced in this country.
Rebecca says
I know I am late to the comments on this one, but I feel the need to point out also that there will not be any USDA inspectors in Chinese factories. So if I am China, I bring over the “good” frozen American chicken and sell it out the back door to my Chinese customers who may even be willing to pay a premium for it knowing that it is safer than locally sourced meat that might have bird flu, etc. Then I substitute cheap, maybe infected, who knows what may or may not be wrong with it chicken – process that all up and ship it back to my “non-friends” in the US. Since China has already stated that US inspectors will be banned from their facilities in-country, we are counting on a country that has never been a close ally to be too honest to engage in any of these types of scenarios. I call BS.
Cecily says
According to the CDC you can’t get bird flu from eating chicken