China Exports Poisoned Medicine While FDA Cuts Back Labs

WOW Susan, that is truly an amazing piece of writing. I am so thankful for all the work you do here, as well as on Daily Kos… I started reading it, and one link led to another, and the comments there are great as well… Lots of timely info…

I have said this before, but what in the heck are we doing paying big farmers/industry/commercial to NOT plant here in the US, and we are importing it from China, via Canada???

I agree with some of the commentors there that talk about the cheap imports from wally world. I have been in there 3 times in past 3 years. I hate what they have become, and what they do to the workers, as well as slaves who make their products… Not sure, but GNC is supposed to be home/US based, and I will check on a couple of other vitamin companies… my best friend is Chinese, and a pharmacist. we have talked about this issue of the poisons in China, and what it may be doing to the future generations of babies born there… this news that meds are of inferior quality was old to her awhile back, and she is telling the truth when she said it is all about the dollar… there and here…

FDA, Dept of Ag, CDC, all are underfunded, and unlikely to do anything to protect us, without some serious input of money and manpower, and some tough new laws that corporate lackeys can’t avoid. I will start calling on the legislation on Monday…

Sure hope Trader Joes is OK, love their breads and cereals…

A relative had to go onto a gluten free diet recently.

There may be a lot more than meets the eye to this. He may be part of a trend. He cannot be convinced to look deeper, He’s in constant fatigue caring for his wife who has advanced Huntington’s. The chore of monitoring his own diet and changing from the use of breads and pastas has only added to his concerns, he has almost no time past that to bother with such research.

Thanks for helping retard the path of progress and stem cell research, AWOL. That alone could directly address much of what they face.

Susan, that was a great diary; I’m so glad it made the recommended list. You pulled so many things together in it.

Susan,
You are truly doing heroic work here. You are my go to guy for any news in re our four- footed family members. It’s terrifying this has gotten into the “human” food chain, and maybe into our medicines.
My only suggestion is to boycott the upcoming Bejiing Olympics. I’m not saying don’t go, I’m saying tell NBC and their sponsors that we refuse to buy any product associated with the Olympics unless and until they (China) changes their oversite in country and until our FDA and CDC protect us and our four-footed American citizens.

YES SUSAN..

HEROIC and Important Work..Pioneering and worthy of International Notice..and a Pulizer Prize..

Susan is RIGHT ON..
so ROCK ON..and CLEAN HOUSE for the Consumers and make the World safer..for People..
while We Try to Clean Up a few other HOUSES that Belong to the PEOPLE…

I would have posted this on the Kos thread but figured it would get lost there.

China right now is a corrupt capitalist’s wet dream. It’s Halliburton and Enron gone wilding. There are great regulations on paper but the regulatory agencies are underfunded and underpowered. Local fiefdoms ignore the central government’s edicts, until something goes wrong and they get caught.

It was interesting that on one of the threads I read, somebody was going on about how there are Chinese scientists who are doing this stuff deliberately and how evil they are. As the NYT article illustrates, this isn’t generally the case. Instead what you have are uneducated, unlicensed, unscrupulous entrepeneurs trying to make a fast buck - like the former tailor who tested the toxicity of his product by drinking some of it!

One of the best illustrations I’ve seen of the lack of trust and breakdown in modern Chinese society is the Chinese film, BLIND SHAFT. I heartily recommend it. In a way the film also gives me hope, because of the keen, clear eye of the filmmaker. There are plenty of Chinese people who are aware of their system’s shortcomings, and the fact that artists are addressing them gives me some optimism that they will be able to get things together. We’d better hope that they do.

Just yesterday I met a youngish Chinese woman from Shanghai, who works for a luxury car company there. A friend of mine who has been trying to make a short film there brought her to visit. At one point I made some innocuous remark about how he had to build up relationships and trust and that would help his project succeed. She said, very seriously, people in China have no trust. They don’t trust one another.

The bonds there have been so frayed by history and especially by recent history, and they are trying to build a modern, civil society nearly from scratch.

Susan, Don’t ya just luv the under belly of globalism? Doesn’t the WTO has a clause that prohibits member states from bitchin’ about being poisoned? That was one of the reasons Defenders of Wildlife protested at the Battle of Seattle, remember? While your findings scare the hell out of me, I don’t find them suprising. On the sub topic of ethylene glycol (the chem used in most antifreeze) each yr 10,000+ dogs die from injesting it; it kills untold numbers of wild life & some humans. “But the simple addition of a bittering agent–in fact, the world’s bitterest-known substance, denatonium benzoate–during manufacture would make antifreeze and engine coolant unpalatable. It’s a simple solution that can save children and animals.” This would only cost a few pennies per gallon. For more info on this topic see http://www.ddal.org

Ethylene glycol is a poison that tastes good, and could easily be embittered, that’s true. One alternative is the propylene glycol used in newer and better anti-freeze. It is food grade, and may even be an additive in some foods. Maybe the Chinese using the ethylene glycol didn’t know the difference?

GB

Ahhhhh, pets and people can no longer trust the tax-payer funded FDA to protect the food supply. Thanks Bush!

Thank you all for your very kind words! I’m so touched. (Thought nobody would read it … wow. Thanks. And please thank Sen. Dick Durbin, who’s a hero on this issue. And tell all your senators and reps. to support Durbin’s food safety legislation.)

OtherLisa, you hit the mark here: “China right now is a corrupt capitalist’s wet dream. It’s Halliburton and Enron gone wilding.” BEWARE, Graybeard — you and Halliburton can’t tell the difference either. (If it’s tinted green, you’ll drink it.)

And I’m thrilled that DrSteveB has picked up the story, and today has a must-read on the same theme — injecting his OWN experiences in Nigeria with a DQ poisoning:

China Poisons the World (Republicans Help)
by DrSteveB
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/5/6/82555/43538
– story-only version (for those on slower computers)
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/5/6/82555/43538

many thanks too, we should consider closing out purchasing from china.
why?

1. they can’t cease pollution that will kill the region.
2. they export products known to be toxic
3. they pay our politicians to leave them alone

or are we okay with all that goes with a wal mart world?

I don’t think the answer is to boycott all Chinese goods. I DO think that avoiding Chinese food/medicine products is both a good idea and a way to get the Chinese government’s attention - they are not all venal greed-pigs, for one, and for the other, they don’t want to lose face, especially right now, before the Olympics.

You know there are some very smart, aware people in the Chinese government, but they have a horrifically difficult job to do, trying to construct a regulatory system and a rule of law as they develop at turbo-charged speeds, increasingly aware that they have to balance environmental protection with economic growth - if too many of those billion people fall into unemployment, you will have unrest on scale that is hard to imagine here.

I also meant to say, we need to stop buying so much stuff in general. I do think a Wal-Mart boycott is a great idea, for a lot of reasons beyond the China component.

Do not think for a minute that it’s just the usual monsters (Haliburton, Exxon, Wal-Mart, etc.) raping the potential assets of China under their corporate invention called “globalization”.

How are you going to boycott a chip in your computer that was made in China? Or software that was written in China? Or car parts manufactured in China? Or medication made in China?

Since BushCo took over the USA, multinationals have been given rights and privileges that allow them to metastasize inside China (and India, and third-world countries), quietly infiltrating and building plants and campuses, even funding educational facilities. All the while, these corporations have been instilling–in American workers–the concepts of globalization, world economy, and diversity.

Diversity has come to mean accepting the cultures of the third-world countries which are being raped by the multi-nationals, NOT simply diversity at home. Think about that the next time your company wants you to embrace “globalization” in China, a communist country that has a horrible human rights track record.

I swear to God, the whole thing is obscene, and we have allowed it to happen.

I agree, OtherLisa.

If we all stopped shopping at WalMart, we’d hit China and the export madness where it hurts: in the pocketbook.

It’s the single most powerful step we could take to start curing this food crisis.

I already never shop at WalMart anyway. There isn’t a thing there that I need, let alone want.

Btw, Lou Dobbs did a great segment Fri. on a smart grandmother who noticed her grandchild chewing on a bib bought from WalMart. She bought a lead-testing kit, and found the bib loaded with lead. Too many products from China are dangerous. And Lou Dobbs said that Sen. Hillary Clinton and Dick Durbin have introduced legislation to screen imports for lead contamination. Current U.S. law only monitors lead content in paint — no other products (!).

I’ve never been to a Walmart!

I was talking about this to my mom today, and you know, I don’t really buy a lot of “stuff.” I go out to eat and I like to buy wine. I buy books. But stuff in general - not so much. How much of it do we really need? I just don’t see it.

Geez, I keep hitting “post” before I finish thinking.

The problem is there are huge areas in this country where Wal-mart has become the only choice, where there’s nothing else for miles around. I’m not sure what to suggest to people who don’t have much in the way of options. But here in CA, we’ve kept Wal-Mart out of LA and there are plenty of better choices (e.g., Costco).

Lisa, I live in a rural area and there are, of course, two WalMarts within 20 miles of me. But, as you suggest, I go to Costco if I need items like toilet paper. And I’ve found great healthy items like almond butter and organic butter at Costco. For produce, I try to buy from local organic farmers.

I pity any pet whose owners buy pet food at WalMart or even any supermarket. They all use the cheapest low-grade grains as protein substitute, which is not good for dogs and especially bad for cats (who are “obligate carnivores” and can’t utilize protein other than meat).

To cut costs, Purina has built a pet food plant in China, and is building another.

These days, after finally educating myself about pet food (ahem), I’m down to two brands of wet food — Merrick’s and By Nature Organics — which have no grains, and use high-quality meat and vegetables. My cats love them too. Three dry food brands that have no grains are Orijen, Serengeti (for cats)/Timber Wolf (for dogs), and Raw Instinct. It costs a bit more, but I have peace of mind, and my cats are thriving.

I am a big Merrick’s user. Still have Wellness, though now I’m freaking out about cross-contamination, because I gather they do use Menu. I still use Innova as well - have you heard anything bad about them? I haven’t seen By Nature Organics or Orijen & Serengeti, which surprises me.

The kitties are doing well, even my 18 year old with kidney problems. Now I’m wondering if all those bladder problems she had for years were connected to some sort of contamination - some times they were infections but other times there was no infections, just mystery crystals. And of course you are supposed to try and feed them the Science Diet kidney food. She would eat some of the dry but I stopped using that and she never liked the wet.

I’m feeling fortunate about that.

This is a part of the “kill the government” agenda of the far right. They don’t want federal agencies to function like they’re supposed to so they can get rid of them and spend the money on more bombs. I wonder if Barney ate any tainted food?

When my neighbor was freaking out worried if her dog ate any of the tainted food, I said you can’t thank the President for this. He’s the one that is hiring loonies to run our federal government agencies.

On the money, Vicky. That’s why Bush’s newly-appointed “food czar” today proclaimed that all human and pet foods are safe.
“FDA: Pet Food is Safe, Just Days After More Recalls”
http://www.itchmo.com/read/fda-pet-food-is-safe-just-days-after-more-recalls_20070506
– And Iams, last night, pulled all of its recall information from its Web site. The big cover-up is on, sanctioned by the Bush administration.

Btw, here’s a new diary that was very well researched and thought out, and brings up a new concern about human food contamination:
“The ominous silence about eggs from gluten-fed chickens”
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/5/3/23927/23258

Chinese use of industrial byproducts (including hazardous waste) as filler in OTC medicines is anything but new. My sister, a doctor, warned me about this in 1995. I recall she referenced medical literature as her source of the information, but I cannot provide the citation.

thank you so much, Susan. I’d seen a shortened version of the NYT story in my local paper and read the full thing online. I’m commenting on yours here because there are already so many comments on Kos.

To think Bush is still proposing to shrink the FDA is unconscionable, but about what we’d expect

Susan, a particular paragraph caught my eye in your dailykos item.

“I was scanning the FDA website for information regarding the ever expanding pet food recall and food safety crisis, when I noticed a press release advising manufacturers to be especially vigilant in assuring that glycerin, a sweetener commonly used worldwide in liquid over-the-counter and prescription drug products, is not contaminated with diethylene glycol. The press release states no reason why they would issue such a warning at this time.”

They have no stated reason for the warning?

Since the White House sends buyers out to shop for food anonymously in local stores, do George and Laura and their dog understand they’re just as vulnerable as the rest of us?

At the same time, I hope everyone understands that there are other sources for poison in animals. RE: diethylene glycol, and it’s relative propolene glycol - also used in anti-freeze, and another internal organ killer with a sweet taste: vets have commented to me for years, don’t let your pet drink out of the gutter. Get it? Leaky cars drip into the gutter.

Hi Susan,

You asked me to let you know what TJ said in response to my question
asking about the origin of “wheat ingredients” in my so-called
organic whole wheat pasta. Avoided the issue it seems. —-

Hello Candice,

Thank you bringing your concerns to our attention.

At Trader Joe’s, we have been dealing with standards and practices in
many different countries for over 49 years, and our buyers are diligent
about making sure our suppliers and the products they provide are not
below standards set in the United States. Certainly some companies in
China, and other parts of the world, are far behind the times when it
comes to organics, etc; however we do not do business with those
companies. As always, we allow our customers to vote with their
dollars. If nobody wants vegetables from China, those products
certainly won’t be in our stores for long.

We require FDA regulated GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) and HACCP
(Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) program of our vendors.
HACCP is a systematic approach to identifying, evaluating and
controlling food safety hazards. In addition, our Quality Assurance Team
audits our vendors to monitor their facilities and practices.

Thank you for your inquiry and thank you for shopping at Trader Joe’s .

Kellye
Trader Joe’s
Customer Relations

And then my response, which bounced back: Whoops! This email was
sent to an address that cannot accept incoming emails. We hope we
were able to properly answer your questions. However, much as we
try, sometimes we miss the boat. As always, your local Trader Joe’s
is your very best source of information. So, we encourage you to go
visit them with any questions or concerns. Thank you.

Hi Kellye,

I love Trader Joe’s but there is no way that I can tell if the “wheat
ingredients” in my TJ pasta came from China without Country of Origin
labeling on packaging. I can’t imagine that anything that derived
from China could be organic, honestly, unless it was produced by a
community farm that wasn’t using human waste. Lead in soils,
polluted water, and polluted air are pervasive.

How can I vote with my pocketbook when I don’t know what is inside a
package? I’ll just have to avoid buying anything that might derive
from a country whose products can be easily adulterated (and who has
a history of doing so–even resulting in deadly medicine through fake
ingredients or poison–see the front story in last Sunday’s “New York
Times”). Since adding melamine to increase protein content in wheat
gluten was an “open secret” in China, it could be that the wheat
gluten menu foods used was more concentrated than we have been
getting on a regular basis. Silly me, I didn’t know we were importing
food from China. From what I’ve read, they can’t even feed their own
people and are importing soy (a basic crop for them) from Brazil
(bye, bye rain forest). The fact that most of our supplement/vitamin
industry has been off-shored there is shocking. I’ve stopped using
any that I can’t guarantee do not contain ingredients from China (and
have passed the word).

Of course, it is hard for manufacturers to know if what they are
buying from China is really what it says it is…shifting things
through middlemen importers hides the trail. Menu Foods probably
won’t survive, but then they knew that their test cats were dying
long before they admitted the problem. I hope that Trader Joe’s
doesn’t get a bad batch of ingredients from China that are throughout
their products, esp. when the consumer thinks he or she is buying
“organic” and American.

Sincerely,

Candice

You know, I appreciate the links to organic and human-grade pet foods, but again, I cannot buy most of these foods because one of my pets has allergies and these companies will insist on including every possible protein source in their kibble and making only one variety. Both Orijen and Timberwolf Serengeti are packed with fish and Serengeti even has milk protein, both of which this pet cannot have without a major immune system reaction.

Seriously, since most cats hate water, would they really eat fish in the wild? They’re not miniature grizzly bears.

Our vet was the one who diagnosed the fish allergy on a hunch, so it is a known phenomenon in cats. Similarly, many adult cats cannot have dairy because it causes diarrhea. I honestly don’t see how this can be claimed to be “healthy” food for all animals.

It’s as bad as the advice given to humans to “eat wheat because it’s healthy” when wheat and other forms of gluten are actually deadly to a percentage of the population.

Meanwhile, I have to keep on buying Nutro and Science Diet because they have formulations for different pet needs, and hoping that the gluten in _this_ bag is okay.

Well, all these pet food issues. What about just going hunting with the dog?

I’m not a hunter, but according to the state of South Carolina, my dog is.

http://www.secretary.state.nc.us/pubsweb/symbols/sy-plott.htm

Unfortunately, there’s no wild boar, or 500 pound bears in Los Angeles, unless you count Griffith Park Zoo