For the last two years, Congress has banned chicken imports from China. This year, agriculture giants like Smithfield, Tyson and Cargill have been lobbying Congress to lift the ban. They want to process poultry in China because costs are lower there (as are standards), import the chicken back here and sell it for a heftier profit.
In 2009, over 600 shipments of food from China were blocked from coming into the U.S., including fish, cookies, candy, crackers, juice, tea, canned and dried vegetables, and spices.
The reasons for rejection weren't reassuring: contamination with melamine or banned chemicals; pesticide residues and unsafe additives; and conditions inspectors described as "poisonous" and "filthy." Recently the Chinese government announced that food poisoning cases in China were up 40 percent from last year.
If you don't want to eat chicken processed in China, contact your representatives in Congress and voice your opinion about maintaining the ban on imported poultry products from China.
Wow, I had not heard anything about this. But it doesn't surprise me in the least bit. Production and manufacturing of just about everything is moving to China! Even our dog food!
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