The New York Times has published an analysis today of foods and goods uncovered and/or rejected by the FDA (that 'we inspect less than one percent' agency...) by country.
The winners?
India and Mexico:
At a time when Chinese imports are under fire for being contaminated or defective, federal records suggest that China is not the only country that has problems with its exports.
In fact, federal inspectors have stopped more food shipments from India and Mexico in the last year than they have from China, an analysis of data maintained by the Food and Drug Administration shows.
Stats, resources and links below the fold...
So, what's going on here?
According to a graph put together by the NYT, based on FDA data, here are some stats:
Country | Shipments Turned Away | Most Frequent Violation |
India | 1763 | Salmonella |
Mexico | 1480 | Filth |
China | 1368 | Filth |
Dominican Republic | 828 | Pesticides |
Denmark | 543 | Mislabeled candy |
Vietnam | 533 | Salmonella |
Japan | 508 | Missing documentation |
Italy | 482 | Missing documentation |
Indonesia | 460 | Filth |
Carl R. Nielsen, former FDA Director of the Division of Import Operations and Policy: "The reality is, this is not a single-country issue at all, What we are experiencing is massive globalization."
What we are experiencing is massive globalization.
The F.D.A. database does not necessarily capture a full and accurate picture of product quality from other countries. For one thing, only one year of data is available on the agency’s Web site, and F.D.A. officials declined to provide more data without a formal Freedom of Information request, a process that can take months, if not years.
In addition, the F.D.A. inspects only about 1 percent of the imports that fall under its jurisdiction. So the agency may miss many of the products that are contaminated or defective.
[snip]
An F.D.A. plan to revamp the way it inspects imports, called the Import Strategic Plan, was completed in 2003, but shelved because of budgetary constraints, several former F.D.A. officials said.
http://www.nytimes.com/...
What to do? Aside from contacting your Congressperson to ask questions about the FDA's budget and WHY the Import Strategic Plan was SHELVED (and when it will be UNSHELVED???).
As suggested in my last diary:
Buy local wherever you can:
here's a link to Farmer's Markets by U.S. State.
here's a link to Farmer's Markets in Canada.
here's a link to Farmer's Markets in Great Britain.
here's a link to Farmer's Markets in Australia
Buy proven foodstuffs where you can't buy local:
here's a link to diaries by tag=FDA or tag=China or tag=Pet Food Recall
And a link to my last Pet Food Recall Diary for links and resources.
And buy FAIR TRADE everywhere you can:
Speaking of chocolate (a subject dear to my heart), here's a table of chocolate products that are not produced by child slave labor [1]
chocolate, diamonds, coltan...
Here's a website from the Mandela Project about conflict products:
The Inventory of Conflict & Environment (ICE)
Some hat tips:
philinmaine offers a way to get free chocolate and tea, along with links to two great programs (Sustainable Harvest and Equitrade) in this thread.
rona discusses the climate change benefit of eating locally on this comment.
And here's the link to the NYT story from today.