That’s nice, but I don’t really care.

Just like the fraction of a percent of food imports that get inspected.

Most folks are more concerned about who will win American Idol! AAagghhh!!!! (As Lucy would say)

We will still need to be proactive, read labels, and if the info isn’t on the labels, call the companies and ask for proof of the COOL of their ingredients.

I am quite sure that if we have enough horsepower to get COOL enacted by Sept 2007, that we will create a momentum to get other food reforms passed.

We will also vote with our dollar! I would bet very few of the posters on this blog will but ANY food items from China!

Was just looking through the site on COOL that Kristi posted, and found this:

http://www.ams.usda.gov/cool/Q&A.htm

“The Farm Bill amended the Act to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to issue regulations by September 30, 2004, to require retailers to notify their customers of the country of origin of beef (including veal), lamb, pork, fish, shellfish, perishable agricultural commodities, and peanuts beginning September 30, 2004. The 2004 Appropriations Act delayed the applicability of mandatory COOL for all covered commodities except wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish until September 30, 2006. The law defines the terms “retailer” and “perishable agricultural commodity” as having the meanings given those terms in section 1(b) of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act of 1930 (PACA)(7 U.S.C. 499 et seq.). FOOD SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS ARE SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDED AS ARE COVERED COMMODITIES THAT ARE INGREDIENTS IN A PROCESSED FOOD ITEM.”
(caps mine)

I’m reading this to mean that kibble products would not be covered by COOL even if it IS enacted.

Crap.

You can ask questions of these companies or USDA/FDA until you are blue in the face, and still never get complete, unambigious answers.

All we can do is try.

You are correct - those questions could and should have been answered less ambiguously.

Let’s put it that way: Tyson is ‘on probation’; I need to find out more about their China connection and several other things.

Until then, they’re off the list (and it looks as if I will have access to free-range, totally American chicken, therefore the issue is not that urgent for me right now).

Thanks!

I hope you don’t take my rant as being critical of you——I thought your exchange with the Tyson Food person was very good.

I just can’t help but try to make others aware of what the BIG 4 are doing to agriculture.

Besides for all that,remember when they said that the melachickens were owned by small chicken farmers, and they then amended that to say the chicken farmers were growing chickens for a big company?

Tyson foods has what they call a “vertically integrated” business, in which they contract with chicken farmers to provide them with chickens.

So, guess who probably sold the melachickens to us unsuspecting consumers? Tyson! And— Tyson is one of the big 4 meatpackers that has control over the USDA and FDA, and uses that control to put family farms and ranches out of business!

THAT is why USDA/FDA wouldn’t give out the name of those that sold melachicken! Remember they did give out the name of the smaller hog growing company in Calif? And the fish hatcheries? But not the big transnational conglomerates!

Sorry about the rant, but this is one of the sore subjects with us family ranchers.

Notice how he changed the subject on you, He just said they do not buy wheat gluten or rice protein concentrate from China!

He also basically refused to answer what pet food companies bought their product. I am sure it can’t be that big a list that he couldn’t tell you.

“Additionally, Tyson requires a pure food guarantee from its ingredient suppliers.”

Besides for that, I sure would wonder what a pure food guarantee would guarantee? We know that China doesn’t mind at all mislabeling, so why would they mind signing a “pure food guarantee”? If they did so and worry about honesty, they probably had their fingers crossed behind their back.