This story looks at news that Americans may have been drinking apple juice made in China, from rotten apples, for years.
85 per cent of the apple juice consumed by U.S. residents is imported, with the vast majority - 367.2 million gallons in 2012 - imported from China.
I thought North America grew plenty of apples for fresh fruit as well as other uses. I had no idea imports of apple juice were that high. Or were happening at all, for that matter. I haven't been reading the labels, because at our house we try to avoid processed juices anyway, preferring fresh fruit. And we do try to source that as locally as possible, given that our area is not known for agriculture, aside from the canola crops.
The news was broken by the independent-minded 21st Century Business Herald, which sent reporters to a region of the country known for its fruit groves and fruit-juice manufacturers. They found three of China's leading juice manufacturers purchasing rotten apples and pears from farmers unable to sell them for direct human consumption.
The news item has apples as its focus, but mentions pears in passing as well.
The Chinese government has shut down two of the plants in question. They have been operating with big government export subsidies, but apparently with little oversight until recently.
The primary health risk in rotten apples is the persistence of a toxic mould.
Oh well, just a little toxic mould in rotten apples. Nothing to be concerned about.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is so unconcerned about this possibility that it allows domestic apple processors to establish voluntary controls to monitor the mould.
Because we can't have regulations preventing the import of possibly contaminated juice now, can we?
In 2011, for example, 51 per cent of Chinese food processors and packagers failed food safety inspections, ...
That's only half, what's everybody worried about?
... chronically under-funded and under-staffed U.S. food inspectors lack the resources to capture many, if any, of these potentially tainted shipments.
... statistically speaking, it's almost certain that most Chinese apple juice is never inspected ...
And with sequestration, and shutdown, there's going to be even fewer inspections.
The article seems to be downplaying any risk to the consuming public. It makes no effort to determine if any illnesses can be linked to the apple juice. Still, one has to wonder.
Drink up, America!
Mmmmmm, good!