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Farm Kitchen:  Ewww... Be sure to check your food labels, girls!  |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 07 2011 : 10:13:44 PM
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Hi girls -
I know I've been a bit out of the loop lately - it's just been extremely stressful and hectic here over the past few weeks. I miss all of you SO much, and try to take a quick sneak peak on MJF as often as possible. Hopefully things will calm down very soon. Please know, though, that you've all been on my mind and in my heart! :)
Which brings me to the point of this post...
Last night, my son and I were at the grocery store. Juicy Juice was on sale, and since I like to stock up on bottled juices for the winter in case inclement weather inhibits my ability to get out to the store, and since Juicy Juice is 100% real juice (albeit made from concentrate), I grabbed about eight bottles of some of our favorites, and proceeded to the next aisle. While I was conducting price comparisons for pasta, I heard my son exclaim, "Product of CHINA??? Do you really WANT this, Mom?" He proceeded to show me the Juicy Juice bottles. Sure enough - right there on the top front of the bottle, literally burned into the plastic where it should have been obvious, and yet barely noticeable due to the color of the juice inside, there it was - "Product of China." We started searching some of the bottle and only found that the juice is "distributed" in California. Ewww... Geeeeez!
Now, if any of you are familiar with the environmental issues in China, as well as with the issues with baby formula and dog food - and children's toys, for that matter - imported from there in recent years, then I am sure you, as I, are not at all interested in putting ANY type of food that is made there into your body or those of your loved ones. I was so shocked and absolutely fuming. The reasons why this bothers me are vast, but I'm sure all of you will have similar concerns and frustrations about this whole thing, too.
Nevertheless, the company definitely wasn't hiding the fact that these juices were a product of China, but they sure weren't loudly proclaiming it on the Juicy Juice labels, either. Ergo, my son and I proceeded back to the juice aisle and replaced every single bottle. Yuck. I'm so grateful my kid caught that. Honest to Pete - it was branded right on the front of the bottle in little letters, but if my son hadn't noticed, I probably wouldn't have caught it myself.
I'm usually a diligent label reader, but now I will be even moreso. I am absolutely blown away by this whole thing. Absolutely blown away. I just thought you all should be aware of this as well.
Just be sure to check those labels, girls. Check those labels.
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
www.papercraftingwithnini.myctmh.com
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Annika
True Blue Farmgirl
5602 Posts
Annika
USA
5602 Posts |
Posted - Sep 07 2011 : 10:32:41 PM
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Well thank goodness your son caught it! I'm getting more and more worried about food sources these days. I just want to buy up a few hundred acres of land and grow EVERYTHING myself! I don't mean this racially, but the country of China is so unscrupulous about its products.
It's frustrating that you have to watch so carefully, but it is so worth the effort if you want to have any idea where your food came from.
I hope that your home and life regain a semblance of peace soon.
Hugs
Annika
Farmgirl & sister #13
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. ~Leonardo DaVinci
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2011 : 04:07:09 AM
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Well, that is news to me!!! I am going to start looking more closely!! Who would have thought??? Thanks for the tip and the reminder!!! And so glad that you are "checking in"! :-)
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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Heartbroken farmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
604 Posts
Annette
rio vista
Ca
USA
604 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2011 : 05:31:13 AM
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Ewww is right. With five kids in the house, we drink TONS of juice. I always bought jucie juice too. Ugh. I never noticed the little brand either. My FIL fired me up on buying as "made in the USA" as much as possible, years ago. Thanks for the heads up!
I haven't been on mjf much lately, either. Things are terrible honestly, but oh how I miss it! I was really missing you Nini, so loved seeing this post! Hope things slow down a bit for you over there! Huge (((hugs)))
The tears I shed then, watered the flowers I harvest now.
www.broken908.blogspot.com
http://forums.familyfriendpoems.com/broken908
"The aim of education is the knowledge not of facts but of values."-Dean William Ralph Inge |
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Mini
Farmgirl in Training
27 Posts
Cheryl
Kentucky
27 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2011 : 08:10:27 AM
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I don't have little ones (my kids are grown and one escaped!) so I don't buy the juice, but yeah, watch all your labels. One of the biggies is "Product of USA" which means, in a nutshell, it may have been grown here but was processed in China.
Try finding canned mushrooms that aren't from China, it's impossible.
I read something just recently that said almost 80% of the food we serve in our homes comes from either China or Mexico these days, and that unless you grow and gather, milk, slaugther and can 100% of your own food there is no way to avoid it. And it's been happening for years, it's been only recently that it's come to light.
Cheryl |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2011 : 11:09:37 AM
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Oh, Cheryl - isn't that just horrible?! I just learned that all Del Monte canned fruits are apparently made in China, too. And another friend says to watch for the "Product of Guatemala" labels, too. Eghads.
Does anyone know if there is a website that is collectively organizing information about food products made in China or out of the US? I would like to have more information, for sure!
Thanks! And hugs right back to all of you, too - hopefully things will be calming down here after the weekend. I need a break! LOL!
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
www.papercraftingwithnini.myctmh.com
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buffypuff
True Blue Farmgirl
1183 Posts
Claudia
Deer Park
WA
USA
1183 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2011 : 11:37:50 AM
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Thanks Nini...I haven't been looking as I should, but what you said made me start looking. There are many sites if you google food products made in USA. The following will give you an idea of many things made here. There is a tab for food...first made in USA is Pepsi. Anyway...thanks for getting me started in my quest of USA products. http://www.madeinusa.org/nav.cgi?data/food
Buffypuff/ Claudia ~ Farmgirl Sister #870 @}~~
"God sends no one away empty except those who are full of themselves." DL Moody
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momshopsalotta
True Blue Farmgirl
232 Posts
Connie
Hertford
NC
USA
232 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2011 : 11:43:14 AM
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| I have wonder of the government knows this as they provide vouchers for Juicy Juice for recipients of WIC., This feeds pregnant women, infants, and small children. Does the government know or does it just not care? Hummm!! Are there any farmgirls that work for WIC or for health bureaus that could check this out for us? |
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Tapestry
True Blue Farmgirl
1223 Posts
Cheryl
Wisconsin
USA
1223 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2011 : 1:01:34 PM
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I'm a city girl and recently my hubby picked up some t bones on sale at Festival foods. Lo and behold when I went to prepare them I found on the label A PRODUCT OF MEXICO. I told him please do NOT buy any meat from Mexico. After the swine flu and seeing how they mistreat livestock on a news show about a yr ago I do not want to eat anything grown or raised in that country. My feelings have nothing to do with race and everything to do with sanitation/humane treatment of livestock and also allowing our farmers to make a decent living. I wonder if we begin asking to speak to store managers and complaining about where they're getting their goods if that would help? Maybe write to the corportate headquarters?
Happy farmgirl sister #353
Look for rainbows instead of mud puddles 
http://www.Tapestry2u.Etsy.com
http://tapestrysimaginings.blogspot.com/ |
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laurentany
True Blue Farmgirl
3259 Posts
Laurie
Patchogue
NY
USA
3259 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2011 : 1:01:48 PM
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Nice to "see" you Nini!- Miss you around on the farm but totally understand how busy life gets! Thank you so much for opening up our eyes...never would have thought that something like Juicy Juice was made in CHINA!! OMG! My 11 year old daughter drinks a fair share of juice and as you said- with the history that China has with things such as baby formula,toys etc- I'm definately not willing to take any chances. Thank you again for this post! So glad I saw it!
Smiles,
~Laurie
"Little Hen House on the Island"
Farmgirl Sister#1403
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.. |
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FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2011 : 1:10:40 PM
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Yeah, I'm a bit bummed about this, especially since I just bought 2 new bottles at Meijer. I've always bought Juicy Juice since Violet turned 1. We "cut" it down with half water, but still. Guess it's back to the drawing board. She likes herbal tea so maybe I'll just make my own "juice"...
Musings from our family in the Bluegrass http://sweetvioletmae.blogspot.com/ |
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DeborahLee
True Blue Farmgirl
85 Posts
Deborah
Starkville
Mississippi
USA
85 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2011 : 1:26:27 PM
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I've been watching out for this lately and it's alarming how many of the food items (even items such as toothpaste) are from China. What's really impressive is that it was your son that read the label closely---sounds like you trained him well!
Deborah
Professor, librarian, writer and farmgirl! |
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vmfein
True Blue Farmgirl
247 Posts
Valerie
Dale City
VA
USA
247 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2011 : 6:02:00 PM
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Earlier this year my husband and I went to a baseball game and from one of the sponsors we received a paper made american flag. On it the flag said it was made in china. even bibles are now made in china, which I find ironic since they are hard pressed on religious people there.
Farmgirl Sister #2619
http://www.etsy.com/shop/vmfein |
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Nanniekim
True Blue Farmgirl
206 Posts
Kim
Arizona
206 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2011 : 7:05:26 PM
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I noticed that on bottles of applejuice I was buying for my grandchildren. The only brands that didn't say Concentrate from China or Argentina were Tree Top and Langers. I agree, we need to take a good look at labels.
Kim |
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buzzn bee
True Blue Farmgirl
1061 Posts
Deborah
Muncie
Indiana
USA
1061 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2011 : 10:54:12 PM
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Ninibini,
Hug your son for us farmgals. That is the kind of info
we need to be made aware of. I am ashamed to say, I have
never noticed the label before. I contacted my daughter
with the information, and wow! was she ever upset.
Thank you for opening our eyes and helping us to be
careful as to what we serve our families. No more
Juicy Juice for us.
Blessings to you friend!
Deborah
Buzzn Bee |
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FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
Posted - Sep 09 2011 : 07:28:50 AM
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I went home last night and looked at both my bottles of Juicy Juice--neither of them say "product of China" anywhere--on the label or the bottle. The label does say "distributed in California" but other than that, there was no other reference other than Nestle being Swiss.
So...should I assume that these are not a product of China?
Musings from our family in the Bluegrass http://sweetvioletmae.blogspot.com/ |
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Dusky Beauty
True Blue Farmgirl
1108 Posts
Jen
Tonopah
AZ
USA
1108 Posts |
Posted - Sep 10 2011 : 5:59:23 PM
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It always pays to read labels. On the other end of the spectrum (some good news, for a change)I found a delicious jam made in Giza, Egypt at my Dollar Tree store. I don't normally pick up foreign made food, but the ingredients read like a recipe: "Strawberries, sugar, pectin" and that's it. You so rarely see packaged food made properly anymore so I took a chance on it, and my GOSH it's good.
"The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way it's animals are treated." ~Gandhi
http://silvermoonfarm.blogspot.com/
"After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.” ~Will Rogers |
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Karrieann
True Blue Farmgirl
1900 Posts
Karrieann
Northeast
Georgia
USA
1900 Posts |
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Dusky Beauty
True Blue Farmgirl
1108 Posts
Jen
Tonopah
AZ
USA
1108 Posts |
Posted - Sep 11 2011 : 11:27:12 AM
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Sometimes, if they are silly enough to get the distribution bar code from their home country. Most of the chinese made food you find on Wal Mart is distributed by some american company, hence an american country of origin code.
"The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way it's animals are treated." ~Gandhi
http://silvermoonfarm.blogspot.com/
"After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.” ~Will Rogers |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Sep 11 2011 : 1:08:50 PM
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Oh good gravy... I just took a look at that snopes article... Thank you for sharing, Karrieann. Can't these corporations just buy from American farmers, process it here and sell it to our families? I mean, let's think about this for a minute: We buy from China (or Guatemala...or India...or east outer Mongolia, for Heaven's sake). Okay...their food is probably grown in a polluted environment. I'm sure we're not getting grade A from the start. Then they process it in their plants, breaking labor laws (but who cares, right, because it's cheaper), and although the corporations insist these companies follow strict health codes, let's face it, our people and pets have gotten sick on more than one occasion in recent years, so their adherence to these rules is questionable. Then they package it (more money) and ship it overseas (more money). Then it's got to go through customs with tarriffs or whatever the heck else it's got to go through (more money), then it goes to a huge distributor (more money). Then that distributor sells to middle men (more money) who in turn sells it to corporations (more money), who in turn ships it to their distribution centers (more money), who in turn drop it off at our grocery stores (more money). Am I understanding this right? Then we've got less than fresh, questionably healthy, foreign-produced foods, grown and processed under questionable conditions. THEN we buy it (and it's not cheap to us, I'm sorry), consume it, we get sick (sometimes), and the cost of health care skyrockets. And, using the Juicy Juice as an example, I'm supposed to pay $4 a bottle - give or take - at full price for this??? This is cheaper and good for us??? These corporations have really got a racket going, don't they? They package it in lovely bottles, put heartwarming commercials on the air that play upon our sense of health and goodness, and then sell us sub-par products. I don't get this at all!
I can't help but think how every autumn we go picking apples at a local orchard. Apples are abundant, everywhere and have fallen and are rotting on the ground. I'm sure these aren't the only orchards in America - and food is literally rotting on the ground!!! Couldn't these corporations just buy these apples from the local American farmers, process it in localized regions and sell locally to the consumer? Then we'd know what conditions they're grown under, there would be US government regulations make sure it's handled and processed properly, we would have "fresher" food, our people would have jobs, our growers would have income, they could still pay to have them distributed, and voila - we don't transfer our wealth to other countries, and our health improves. I'm willing to bet that same juice would cost us $4 a bottle (probably less, but we'll stick with the same price), but at least we'd be boosting our own economy and sharing the wealth internally. And I'm willing to bet that any American who is offered the option of buying American vs. imported from China will choose American and be willing to pay a little bit more for it (although, again, I'm not so sure it would cost the consumer as much in the long run). You figure: better quality, more product confidence, jobs, no transfer of wealth... Wow. Pretty crazy thought, huh? Is it really that hard? Really?
I know I am oversimplifying, but I can't help thinking the way I do. This is nuts. NUTS.
I had a friend email me recently to say, "Well, that's the way it is nowadays. We just have to deal with it. Get over it." Of course, she was a lot nicer about it, but that was the gist of the email. When, I ask you, did we become such a complacent society? When did we just accept things that we know aren't good for us instead of change them? Since when do Americans cower like puppies with their tails between their legs and just do whatever we're told without question, without making waves, without standing up for ourselves and what is right, and instead of trying to bring about change for the better? I'm just so aggravated. SO aggravated.
This friend also went on to say that pretty much everything we buy is made overseas, but we don't have a choice. She said organic is too expensive, and most of us either have no land on which to grow food, or no time to dedicate to so doing. REALLY? I think we have lots of choices, actually. Okay... I'll give her that organic is expensive... But can't you buy local and fresh as often as possible - maybe even can or freeze at home? I'll give her that a lot of people don't own property... but can't we start gardening co-ops in our towns and cities? I'll give her that time is precious... but so is our health. Is it really so difficult to rearrange our priorities a LITTLE bit to do SOMETHING to effect a better situation? I'm not talking boycott - I'm talking make better choices, whenever we are able to make them. Actions speak much louder than words, don't you think? And action is a lot better than giving up, giving in, doling out excuses and spewing rhetoric.
Ugh. Thanks for letting me run on about it a little bit. I just had to get this off my chest. Well, I guess the best we can do is make better choices for our families, girls and try to educate others about the truth and how to better provide quality food - and other products - for our families. We can't do it all, but we certainly can do the best we can do.
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
www.papercraftingwithnini.myctmh.com
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Dusky Beauty
True Blue Farmgirl
1108 Posts
Jen
Tonopah
AZ
USA
1108 Posts |
Posted - Sep 11 2011 : 1:30:10 PM
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Warning! Political opinion:
Those lucrative trade agreements from China are probably why they don't seem to mind loaning money to our treasury from theirs despite the US's plummeting international credit rating.
I suppose in a round about way, the money we owe them (plus interest) is what keeps our government and social programs going.
So it looks like the imports are never going to go away. :( It falls to us to use our wisdom in making the healthy choice and making it frugal, rather than falling to temptation of cheap and easy.
Thank Providence that we have those lucrative trade agreements to offer them so that they don't opt to settle what we owe them the old fashioned way; via armed conflict. So I suppose that is the silver lining? LOL
Our sons and daughters stay (relatively) safe, and we have choices of what to buy or not to buy. Ain't freedom grand?
"The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way it's animals are treated." ~Gandhi
http://silvermoonfarm.blogspot.com/
"After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.” ~Will Rogers |
Edited by - Dusky Beauty on Sep 11 2011 1:32:05 PM |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Sep 11 2011 : 4:10:49 PM
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I know what you're saying, Jen. We've probably all had that thought cross our mind at some point. :)
Freedom and choices are definitely gifts! :)
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
www.papercraftingwithnini.myctmh.com
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Farm Kitchen: Ewww... Be sure to check your food labels, girls! |
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Ewww... Be sure to check your food labels, girls!
