I was recently stunned by some disturbing news



about the "Hostess Twinkie" snack cake. It turns

out that the deliciously sweet and tasty staple

of the baby boomer generation is no longer All-

American. "Can you believe that?" It turns out

that along with many other non-traceable imported

additives, it now contains a really wholesome

sounding ingredient called thiamine mononitrate -

a product that comes from petroleum. Chinese

petroleum to be precise. Produced in Chinese

refineries and repackaged in Chinese factories. "

Is anything sacred anymore? Do you think we

could get an RDA from the FDA on that important

non-nutrient?"

As it turns out, my ignorance of such matters in

all likelihood parallels that of the typical

American consumer. It seems we've simply been ?

asleep at the wheel?. While most of us have been

snoozing, the Chinese have gradually chipped away

at the world's industrial and manufacturing

markets gaining an ever-increasing share of

production and profits. Ingenuity, quicker

product delivery and lower prices have all

contributed to their remarkable growth. Now, I'm

certain it's been a win-win situation in many

markets, but I can't help expressing concern when

price and production capacity begin to compromise

or threaten food safety and consumer health.

The recent and tragic events surrounding the

contamination of pet food was a much-needed wake-

up call for most Americans. It exposed the

startling reality of a food system at risk and a

bureaucratic infrastructure that's ill equipped

to provide the necessary checks and balances for

food safety and quality assurance. In the

current state of poorly regulated and inspected

food additives and products, we can be assured

that the more we outsource, the less control we

have over quality or safety.

A recent headline remarked, "if you pop a vitamin

C tablet in your mouth, it's a good bet it came

from China". Not surprisingly, many of the world?

s vitamins are indeed now manufactured in China.

Statistics also show that during the past ten

years, China has captured an estimated 90 percent

of the U.S. market for vitamin C. Additionally,

it supplies America with the bulk of its vitamins

A, B12 and E, while quietly driving nearly

everyone else out of business.

Chinese pharmaceutical companies have also taken

over much of the world market in the production

of antibiotics, analgesics, enzymes and primary

amino acids. According to industry estimates,

China makes about 70 of its aspirin and 35% of its

acetaminophen (Tylenol).

Fortunately for everyone, most of China's

industry is highly skilled, self-regulating and

consistently producing high quality products.

However, the lower tiers of Chinese industry are

quite a different story. Many factories are

dirty with older machinery and have no system for

regulating sanitation or quality. Inspectors

have little interest in public health or safety

since many either work for the same company they?

re inspecting or they're employed by the city

governments which are in fact, part owners of the

companies they're allegedly "regulating".

The big problem for consumers, who may wish to

avoid certain products from sources known to be

risky is that, at present, U.S. laws don't

require food and drug sellers to label products

with the country of origin of ingredients, which

makes it impossible for consumers to know where

food or supplements are coming from, not to

mention which factory produced them. I think it?

s fair to say that proper nutrition and food

safety is difficult enough for us consumers when

the system is working properly. What makes it

easy for the bad guys is that we Americans tend

to take an awful lot for granted by assuming that

everyone is doing their job properly to protect

us. But, how can we expect quality control when

so few distributors and manufacturers know the

true source of their ingredient.

While it may be a little too late for the "

Twinkie" we can only hope that our members of

Congress will finally take the necessary action

to put proper controls in place that will ensure

the safety and security of our vulnerable food

supply.

Copyright 2007 Harry Monell. All rights reserved.

Please feel free to share the entire contents of

this article with your friends or post it on your

site as long as it is left intact with all links

unchanged, including this notice.