Food Made In China - Your thoughts?

[UZZ30]

Over recent times Ive become more and more aware of how China has become the main producer of consumer goods from clothes to cameras and Televisions, but lately the quality of food made in China on the shelf at supermarkets is quite a worry.

Just about every time I pick something up off the shelf, food related, my first thoughts are where is it made?

If you look carefully, its quite frightening in my opinion at the amount of food made in china and other Asian countries, Some people may not care about this issue, but I certainly do and avoid buying anything from those places - Instead I look for alternatives Made In New Zealand...
However the other issue is a LOT of products state "Made from Local and Imported ingredients" which is again gets me thinking, well where did those "important products" come from?

Some of you might think whats the big deal? Well it comes down to the quality control standards of Chinese products. Most clothes and other electrical consumer products made in China and other Asian countries are made cost effectively and most of the time have small defects you can find, some are better than others, some are damn right appalling.....

..So when it comes to food, Id find it very low the chance the quality control is any different as at the end of the day its just a product to them which they don't eat... so for all we know they could be using the cheapest of materials to manufacture foods, using dangerous chemicals and what not which over periods of time can cause cancers and other undesirable illnesses while the person eating the food months after it was made, shipped half way around the world is completely unaware its a potential health risk through dangerous chemicals being used ...

The worry I find is when you see examples of the poor quality control standards not being met. On the news recently a man was found importing Chinese made fertilizer I believe it was which was not registered or classed as a safe usable chemical for treating crops - For all we know it could be deadly, just because it was cheaper to buy.

On a article I read today " ......Then pets began dying and, beginning in March, dozens of products were recalled because they might contain melamine from China, an industrial chemical." It might be pet food but it has to be same quality as human food, so you just don't know what would go on with the manufacturing process of these Chinese food products.

Also makes you think where do fast food products come from? My guess to cut costs china or other Asian countries.

Above I have a poll with related questions to this issue, please put your comments in to share your opinion on this issue...

[AE86less]

The thought of substandard chinese food hadn't even crossed my mind

There have been some shockers from there:

Babies dieing all over the place from a powdered milk food that had zero nutritional value.

Something like 30 Spaniards died from using chinese toothpaste that contained a poisonous ingredient - the Chinese reply? "You aren't meant to swallow it".

[pc]

From what I have seen the Asian way of doing business goes a little along the lines of "if you can get away with it, it's ok" So I can imagine that importing food from China without our government regulating the quality, is going to end in tears.

[Lloyd]

OMG! IN THE SKY! ITS PARANOID-MAN!


Food is food. I'm not sick/dead so it cant be that bad

[rollaholic]

i think its a valid concern, actually. just because one person has not experienced any problems doesnt mean there are none to be found. i hadn't considered the idea that food on supermarket shelves would be coming from china. dont know why not... will have to pay more attention.

i would have thought anything being sold here would have to meet local standards though?

[Lloyd]

Its not like China is the only place that does this, or that they have just started doing it.

[AE86less]

No, but you might remember that we now have a freetrade deal with them?

[Lloyd]

So?

[AE86less]

There is going to be a lot more Chinese made goods coming into the country. As well as the obvious risk of "More goods = higher chance of flawed/ dangerous products", there might be a chance of less care being paid to the screening of each product as volume increases or something along those lines.

I'm not saying that it's only the Chinese who make faulty goods (or any other unintentional implication) by any stretch, but I will be taking more care from now on. The knowledge that the boss of the company which made the product had been caught would be very little consolation to me if I was dead (it would be if I was just sick though ).

[Lloyd]

Jst out of curiosity I thought I'd see if we had any food made in China in the kitchen. First thing I grabbed was Eta Peanut Butter - Product of China.

More stuff made there than you'd think, and its not all going to kill you. The stress of thinking about what you're eating is probably worse for you

[Bling]

Last time I checked theres no NZ peanut butter. But if you pay ~$1 more you can get australian stuff over Chinese haha, bargain!

[AE86less]

Jst out of curiosity I thought I'd see if we had any food made in China in the kitchen. First thing I grabbed was Eta Peanut Butter - Product of China.

More stuff made there than you'd think, and its not all going to kill you. The stress of thinking about what you're eating is probably worse for you

Agreed, no one has said that there is something vicious lurking in every single chinese product, but will you concede that there may be a product here or on it's way here that is potentially harmful? and that given China's track record there is a greater chance of it coming from there?

[Lloyd]

Most likely, though the chances are fairly minimal

[sergei]

I try not to buy Chinese made (mainland at least) they make crap because they can get away, and because we buy that crap.
To make China stop making crap is not to buy crap.
I tend to only buy non Chinese stuff unless there is no choice (shame on you NZ for not trying to fill the market and promote quality over quantity).
My GF was complaining (she, unlike me has not been here for very long) for 1) Lack of good quality clothing 2) Lack of good styles 3) Too expensive, see in Europe there is no problem finding a high quality product that is actually affordable.

Good example are shoes, I can't find shoes that will last more than 3 month for under $100. In Europe it is possible to find good looking shoes that will last you years for same price as you find Chinese crap here.

I am actually happy to pay twice as much for product that is of high quality and not has been artificially inflated (price wise).
Retailers charge arm and leg for high quality stuff not because it is much more expensive to make but because of stupid people buying Chinese shit, so high quality becomes luxury, hence expensive.

In fact in Soviet Russia there was "global" quality control (before "perestroika" anyway) and substandard good were never make to shelves in first place (as they were rigorously tested).

What NZ need is a standard committee that needs to approve every single product that will hit the shelves in NZ.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Quality_Mark_of_the_USSR

But with so much crap sold in NZ it is impossible.

[Alex B]

So was Lada under that quality mark?

[sergei]

So was Lada under that quality mark?

Bugaga Compare to fiat it was not much worse at the beginning at least.

[Akane]

I tend to try to avoid mainland china made stuff unless I absolutey cannot find an alternative, but I do buy stuff from Hong Kong tho, much safer. And I prefer Hong Kong stuff over NZ made stuff. Don't get me wrong I'm not trying to rubbish NZ stuff, NZ has some nice stuff like Manuka honey and a variaty of sauces, but for instant noodles and soy sauce and authentic chinese seasoning, it's the only way.

[EVL20V]

China make fake eggs, as not enough to supply the huge population. And dont bother buying supplments/medication etc as its 99% of the time bogus. Shit swept off the floor and brick dust even.. its true! $%^@# asians

[Voodoo]

here in aussie id rather eat au/nz food over chinese after ive seen reports of what they get away with (human waste used on veges in some cases etc) , unless like akane said, its noodles /spices etc

[Snoozin]

Last time I checked theres no NZ peanut butter. But if you pay ~$1 more you can get australian stuff over Chinese haha, bargain!

Worth it. Kraft peanut butter is by far the superior product in the peanut butter world.