Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Dead cow carcasses “resurrected” to produce cloned beef
Dead cow carcasses “resurrected” to produce cloned beef
We already know that cloned beef has entered the food supply both in the United States and the UK. Now, thanks to revelations from JR Simplot, a U.S. company specializing in the cloning of cows for beef production, we’re learning that dead cows are cloned to produce the next generation of beef cattle.
Here’s how it works: A large number of cows are slaughtered and then chopped into steaks that are tested for their flavor, texture and other qualities important to steak eaters. The source animal of each steak is recorded, and cells from that source carcass are preserved for possible cloning in case the steak turns out to taste good. Once all the steaks are gauged for their desirability, the dead cow carcasses from which the flesh was cut to produce the steaks are harvested for their DNA.
This DNA is then used to clone new cows who are fed, raised and slaughtered to see how their flesh steaks taste. This cycle is repeated through multiple generations in order to “evolve” cow clones with great-tasting flesh.
“The animals are hanging on a rail ready to go to the meat counter,” JR Simplot employee Brady Hicks (yes, that’s his real name) told BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-e…). “We identify carcasses that have certain carcass characteristics that we want, but it’s too late to reproduce the genetics of the animal. But through cloning we can resurrect that animal.”
This “bovine resurrection,” it turns out, is just the latest mad science idea from an industry that recognizes no value in the life of a cow but tremendous value from its dead carcass.
Frankenfood beef
The upshot of all this is that the beef people are buying and eating in the US and UK right now could be from cow clones raised from the dead carcasses of other cows whose DNA were harvested for cloning. Yep: Only in the food industry do you see this sort of Frankenstein science — trying to create life from dead body parts through a process they call “resurrection”… and then serving up Frankenfoods to consumers.Far from the world of live foods, beef products are dead food made from dead cows that were given life by taking dead cells from the carcasses or other dead cows who were only kept alive in order to harvest their dead DNA. If it sounds a little sick and demented, that’s because it undoubtedly is. This process violates so many principles of ethics and spirituality that it’s hard to even know where to begin.
Of course, by the time a thousand cow carcasses are all ground up, mixed together, extruded, irradiated and packaged, no one can tell where the beef actually come from… or even if it was cloned in the first place. Slap a greasy patty of cloned beef between two hamburger buns at a fast food joint and no one is the wiser.
That’s sort of the point, actually: The beef industry knows that people don’t really have much of a clue where their beef comes from — and they don’t want to know! So even if beef comes from cloned animals raised from the harvested DNA of dead cow carcasses, the average consumer remains clueless.
The high price of low cost
The goal of the beef industry is to create the best-tasting beef in the world at the lowest cost possible. Period.There is no consideration in the industry for the experience of the cow, nor the ethics of playing God with bovine DNA, nor compassion for the suffering of these animals when they are slaughtered, nor the impact of factory farming on the environment. It’s all about corporate profits at the expense of the cows who are born, bred, cloned and slaughtered merely to produce another quarter-pounder that ratchets up another dime in profits for the beef factories.
If you haven’t yet seen The Meatrix, be sure to check it out: www.TheMeatrix.com
Think about that the next time you dare to buy anything made from cow parts. You may be buying Franken-cow beef originating from the “resurrected” DNA of a bovine carcass.
By the way, very few American consumers know the truth about this. They have no idea cows are being cloned from dead carcasses to create cloned beef that the FDA has already declared to be “safe” for the food supply. To help spread the word, please share this story using the Facebook or Twitter buttons above. People need to know the truth about what’s really going into their foods.
Whole Foods, by the way, has banned cloned meat products in its stores. So if you do eat beef, you can safely shop for it at Whole Foods without encountering cloned beef. Of course, you’d probably be better off with a predominantly plant-based diet, but that’s another article altogether.
Cloned beef will NOT be labeled as “cloned” in the USA. So there’s no way to know whether conventional beef you’re buying at the grocery stores (or eating at a restaurant) actually contains cloned beef. The industry will lobby hard to avoid honest labeling in much the same way that the GMO industry doesn’t want foods labeled as “genetically modified.”
There’s one thing we all know for sure: The beef industry prefers to keep consumers in the dark about where all that beef really comes from.
Cloned Meat: British Consumers Have Eaten Parts of at Least Two Bulls
Cloned meat: British consumers have eaten parts of least two bulls
Wednesday 4 August 2010 18.06 BST
The FSA confirmed that meat from a second bull bred in the UK from embryos from a cloned US cow had entered the food chain. Photograph/Alamy
Investigators were satisfied, however, that milk from at least one dairy cow bred from an embryo had not been sold, the FSA said. The history of two other dairy cows was still being investigated.
The agency had now identified all eight animals bred in the UK from cloned embryos from the one cow. While it was working to find their offspring, it said, these would be at present too young to be used for breeding or to provide milk.
The FSA previously revealed that meat from one bull had been eaten; meat from a third bull, which was slaughtered last week, was stopped from being sold as food. At least two of the bulls were on the same farm, near Inverness in Scotland.
The agency remained of the view that owners of such cattle destined for food were technically in breach of the law despite European commission officials suggesting that was not the case.
In a statement, the FSA said: "Four of these embryos resulted in male calves and four were female. Aall were Holstein animals. The FSA can confirm that meat from a second bull, Parable, has entered the food chain. Parable was born in May 2007 and was slaughtered [on] 5 May 2010. This is in addition to the confirmation given yesterday that meat from another of the bulls, Dundee Paratrooper, entered the food chain in 2009.
Meat from both of these animals will have been eaten.
The statement said a fourth male calf died at around one month old. No meat or products from this young animal entered the food chain and its carcass was disposed of legally.
"Of the four cows, Dundee Paradise is alive on a UK dairy farm. Following a visit from local authority officials the agency has been informed that there is no evidence milk from this animal has entered the food chain," said the FSA.
"The agency has traced two other cows that we believe are being kept as part of dairy herds but at present we cannot confirm whether or not milk from these animals has entered the food chain. Local authority officials are visiting the farms on which these animals are kept.
"The fourth female calf died at less than a month old. No meat or products from this young animal entered the food chain."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/aug/04/cloned-meat-british-bulls-fsa
Food Standards Agency identifies all eight animals bred from cloned embryos as fears mount over traceability of livestock
Wednesday 4 August 2010 18.06 BST
Consumers have eaten food from at least two British bulls bred from embryos of a cloned US cow, the Food Standards Agency said tonight as concerns mounted over the traceability of such livestock.
The agency had now identified all eight animals bred in the UK from cloned embryos from the one cow. While it was working to find their offspring, it said, these would be at present too young to be used for breeding or to provide milk.
The FSA previously revealed that meat from one bull had been eaten; meat from a third bull, which was slaughtered last week, was stopped from being sold as food. At least two of the bulls were on the same farm, near Inverness in Scotland.
The agency remained of the view that owners of such cattle destined for food were technically in breach of the law despite European commission officials suggesting that was not the case.
In a statement, the FSA said: "Four of these embryos resulted in male calves and four were female. Aall were Holstein animals. The FSA can confirm that meat from a second bull, Parable, has entered the food chain. Parable was born in May 2007 and was slaughtered [on] 5 May 2010. This is in addition to the confirmation given yesterday that meat from another of the bulls, Dundee Paratrooper, entered the food chain in 2009.
Meat from both of these animals will have been eaten.
"While there is no evidence that consuming products from healthy clones, or their offspring, poses a food safety risk, meat and products from clones and their offspring are considered novel foods and would therefore need to be authorised before being placed on the market."
"Of the four cows, Dundee Paradise is alive on a UK dairy farm. Following a visit from local authority officials the agency has been informed that there is no evidence milk from this animal has entered the food chain," said the FSA.
"The agency has traced two other cows that we believe are being kept as part of dairy herds but at present we cannot confirm whether or not milk from these animals has entered the food chain. Local authority officials are visiting the farms on which these animals are kept.
"The fourth female calf died at less than a month old. No meat or products from this young animal entered the food chain."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/aug/04/cloned-meat-british-bulls-fsa
Inspecting Chinese Facilities - How Effective are these Audits?
Whenever I read a news story that uncovers atrocities at Chinese factories, there always seems to be a representative from that company stating "we have quality control measures", "we continously inspect these facilities", "we perform thorough audits", etc.
In a recent blog entry I had posted a news article from John Matarese, "Do your kids' juice boxes come from China?" in which Nestle defends its use of Chinese apples, saying, "We audit these facilities".
I suppose those words are supposed to offer a guarantee that the food we consume will be safe and that we should be comforted in knowing that these "audits" will ensure no human rights violations and exploitations are occurring in these facilities. And where exactly do the audits originate? Are these audits performed in the actual Chinese apple orchards? Does Nestle ensure that these apple orchards are not being labored upon by political prisoners or other forced, slave labor? Are children picking the Juicy Juice apples? Does Nestle also monitor the pesticides and chemicals used on these apple orchards? I know Juicy Juice does not claim to be organic, however, if pesticides and chemicals are used in these Chinese apple orchards, are they in compliance with U.S. FDA safety standards? Or does Nestle only audit the Chinese factory where the apples are delivered? Nestle's vague answer of auditing doesn't really answer anything. As many Americans know, even our own food industry is ineffective, especially when it comes to USDA inspections of slaughterhouses and beef processing plants (I intend to post more in depth on this topic throughout my blog--another reason why everyone should get to know their local farmers and ranchers. Another alternative that I have chosen for spiritual/ethical reasons is to reduce or eliminate beef from the diet--but I'll go more in depth on that later).
I am really curious about these auditing and inspection processes in place, especially since so many of the products found in our market come from China. I found the following 2010 news article from Nicholas Kolakowski in which he investigates the inadequacies of inspection processes in Chinese facilities:
In a recent blog entry I had posted a news article from John Matarese, "Do your kids' juice boxes come from China?" in which Nestle defends its use of Chinese apples, saying, "We audit these facilities".
I suppose those words are supposed to offer a guarantee that the food we consume will be safe and that we should be comforted in knowing that these "audits" will ensure no human rights violations and exploitations are occurring in these facilities. And where exactly do the audits originate? Are these audits performed in the actual Chinese apple orchards? Does Nestle ensure that these apple orchards are not being labored upon by political prisoners or other forced, slave labor? Are children picking the Juicy Juice apples? Does Nestle also monitor the pesticides and chemicals used on these apple orchards? I know Juicy Juice does not claim to be organic, however, if pesticides and chemicals are used in these Chinese apple orchards, are they in compliance with U.S. FDA safety standards? Or does Nestle only audit the Chinese factory where the apples are delivered? Nestle's vague answer of auditing doesn't really answer anything. As many Americans know, even our own food industry is ineffective, especially when it comes to USDA inspections of slaughterhouses and beef processing plants (I intend to post more in depth on this topic throughout my blog--another reason why everyone should get to know their local farmers and ranchers. Another alternative that I have chosen for spiritual/ethical reasons is to reduce or eliminate beef from the diet--but I'll go more in depth on that later).
I am really curious about these auditing and inspection processes in place, especially since so many of the products found in our market come from China. I found the following 2010 news article from Nicholas Kolakowski in which he investigates the inadequacies of inspection processes in Chinese facilities:
Microsoft's Chinese Factory Inspection Could Prove Ineffective
By: Nicholas Kolakowski
2010-04-15
2010-04-15
Microsoft has promised to dispatch an investigative team to a Chinese factory allegedly engaged in workplace violations, with a full audit to be conducted the week of April 19. However, the National Labor Committee report that sparked Microsoft’s action also documents how the KYE factory in Dongguan has a supposed history, according to its sources, of covering up violations such as the use of underage workers ahead of both government and corporate audits. That report also alleges that workers are coached on what to say to auditors before their arrival. Microsoft insists it has been monitoring workplace conditions at the factory on a regular basis.
Microsoft announced plans April 15 to investigate allegations of labor violations at a Chinese factory building its products, in response to an April 13 report by the National Labor Committee. However, that same report suggests the factory’s management has a system for disguising potential violations before audits, putting into doubt the efficacy of any investigation.
The National Labor Committee, a nonprofit nongovernmental organization (NGO) that seeks to draw attention to labor and human rights abuses, documented workplace abuses at the KYE factory in Dongguan City that range from excessive working hours and harassment by security guards to restricted freedom of movement and inability to use the bathroom during their shift. The report, which quotes one unnamed worker as saying, "We are like prisoners," can be found here.
Microsoft insists that it has been auditing the situation at the KYE factory on a regular basis, and that it has dispatched an investigative team to the facility to review the veracity of the National Labor Committee’s report.
Microsoft insists that it has been auditing the situation at the KYE factory on a regular basis, and that it has dispatched an investigative team to the facility to review the veracity of the National Labor Committee’s report.
"We should note that as part of Microsoft’s ongoing supplier SEA (Social and Environmental Accountability) program, an independent auditor has been inspecting the KYE factory annually," Brian Tobey, corporate vice president of manufacturing and operations for Microsoft’s Entertainment & Devices division, wrote in an April 15 posting on the Official Microsoft Blog. "In addition, Microsoft personnel conduct quarterly on-site assessments, and receive weekly reports from KYE on key labor and safety criteria that we monitor as part of our supplier SEA program."
Over the past two years, Tobey continued, "we have required documentation and verification of worker age, and no incidence of child labor has been detected. Worker overtime has been significantly reduced, and worker compensation is in line with the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition standards for the Dongguan area."
That runs contrary to the National Labor Committee report, which documents substandard factory conditions extending back to at least 2007.
Tobey also stated that a "comprehensive on-site audit of the facility will be conducted next week, with the specific goal of investigating the allegations raised in the NLC report." Monitors will apparently be present at the KYE factory until that investigation’s conclusion.
Microsoft’s Vendor Guidelines and Vendor Code of Conduct can be found on this corporate site. The company’s remedial measures for vendor violations of the code apparently include retraining and termination of the business relationship.
The question becomes whether such monitoring actually works. The National Labor Committee’s report devotes a chapter to government and corporate audits of the KYE factory facility, describing how "someone in KYE management was alerted with sufficient time to round up the hundreds of workers who were under 18 years old" ahead of a supposedly unannounced government visit.
Microsoft representatives who visited the factory, according to the report, were "always … accompanied by mid- and high-level managers. On these walk-throughs, U.S. company representatives hardly ever speak to the workers." Ahead of corporate audits, workers are apparently coached about what to say with regard to working conditions, dorms, meals and shift length.
Images accompanying the report were apparently smuggled out of the KYE factory "over the last three years" and show makeshift dorms and young workers passed out at their stations.
A Microsoft spokesperson declined to answer eWEEK’s questions about why the company’s previous audits might have failed to reveal any workplace violations, instead referring to Tobey’s blog posting. If the National Labor Committee report’s description of KYE management’s response to investigations holds true, though, then the factory has ample time to prepare a response to an audit.
Other tech companies have experienced similar controversy over their Chinese vendors within the past year. In a 2009 audit, Apple found 17 violations of its Code of Conduct in a review of 102 facilities. Additionally, a July 2009 engineer suicide at Foxconn, which manufactures the Apple iPhone and iPod, raised an issue over workplace conditions there.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Fruit & Nut Oils
Most everyone is familiar with the plethora of health benefits from olive oil. Olive oil is notorious for its culinary uses as it lends a distinct yet subtle buttery, peppery flavor to salads, soups, and pasta dishes. Olive oil has been an ancient resource for food, cosmetics and many other purposes. But olive oil is not the only benevolent fruit oil out there. There exists so many more fruit and nut oils that provide a multitude of beneficial uses--avocado, hazelnut, walnut, raspberry seed, macadamia, grape seed, argan, apricot seed, and the list goes on and on. The choices are many for those searching for alternatives to olive oil that are sustainable and local. I hope to highlight the various oils available throughout the United States, because there are many noteworthy brands that deserve attention in todays fruit and nut oil markets.
I live in the region of Hill Country Texas, fortunately for me I have access to quality olive oils. My favorite olive oil is First Texas Olive Oil produced by Bella Vista Ranch in Wimberley Texas:
I toured Bella Vista Ranch back in July 2010 and met the owner of the olive orchard, Jack Daugherty. I found Mr. Daugherty to be extremely knowledgeable about agricultural practices and passionate about his cultivating philosophies. But what is most remarkable is the flavor of his olive oil, absolutely delicious. Having lived and traveled around the world, I can taste that Daugherty's tenacity has paid off--First Texas Olive Oil rivals other established oliviers from California, Italy, and Greece. Perhaps it does not have the same fruity flavor of the many olive oils that hale from Spain, but it has its own unique Hill Country flavor, exemplifying the "terroir" of this region. First Texas Olive Oil can hold its own amongst many international olive oils. I would describe it as grassy and finishing with a peppery bite on the back of the tongue. You can learn more about First Texas Olive Oil here:
http://www.ksat.com/video/24374293/
http://www.texasoliveoil.com/Olives-OliveOil.htm
Bella Vista Ranch, Olive Orchard, July 2010:
China: Drug ‘Rehabilitation’ Centers Deny Treatment, Allow Forced Labor
China: Drug ‘Rehabilitation’ Centers Deny Treatment, Allow Forced Labor
Anti-Drug Law Perpetuates Rights Abuses
By Human Rights Watch
Inmates sew at a compulsory drug detention center in Yunnan province.
© 2008 路透社
(New York) - Chinese authorities are incarcerating drug users in compulsory drug detention centers that deny them access to treatment for drug dependency and put them at risk of physical abuse and unpaid forced labor, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today. Half a million people are confined within compulsory drug detention centers in China at any given time, according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).
The 37-page report, "Where Darkness Knows No Limits," based on research in Yunnan and Guangxi provinces, documents how China's June 2008 Anti-Drug Law compounds the health risks of suspected illicit drug users by allowing government officials and security forces to incarcerate them for up to seven years. The incarceration is without trial or judicial oversight. The law fails to clearly define mechanisms for legal appeals or the reporting of abusive conduct, and does not ensure evidence-based drug dependency treatment.
"Instead of putting in place effective drug dependency treatment, the new Chinese law subjects suspected drug users to arbitrary detention and inhumane treatment," said Joe Amon, the Health and Human Rights Division director at Human Rights Watch. "The Chinese government has explained the law as a progressive step towards recognizing drug users as ‘patients,' but they're not even being provided the rights of ordinary prisoners."
The report documents how individuals detained in some drug detention centers are routinely beaten, denied medical treatment, and forced to work up to 18 hours a day without pay. Although sentenced to "rehabilitation," they are denied access to effective drug dependency treatment and provided no opportunity to learn skills to reintegrate into the community.
Human Rights Watch said that over the past decade, the Chinese government has promoted progressive policies that embrace some harm reduction strategies as part of a pragmatic response to high rates of drug use and HIV/AIDS. Partnering with local and international nongovernmental organizations, the Chinese government has expanded community-based methadone therapy and piloted needle exchange programs in some areas with high HIV/AIDS rates. A statement released by the Office of China National Narcotics Control Commission in June 2008 declared that "drug treatment and rehabilitation is in accordance with human-centered principles." In March 2009 a high-ranking government official stated, "The Chinese Government maintains that drug treatment and rehabilitation should proceed in a people-oriented way."
However, Human Rights Watch said that in practice, the new law is compounding the health risks, social marginalization, and stigmatization of suspected drug users.
Although the implementation of the Anti-Drug Law ended the practice of sentencing suspected drug users to Re-Education Through Labor (RTL), the Anti-Drug Law expands the sentence in a compulsory drug detention center to a minimum of two years, up from the previously mandated six to twelve month sentence. These drug detention centers permit the same abuses of unpaid forced labor, physical abuse, and the denial of basic health care common under the RTL system.
Abuses have led to the death of detainees in some cases, according to former detainees interviewed by Human Rights Watch. The law also adds an undefined "community-based rehabilitation" period of up to four years, effectively permitting incarceration without trial for up to seven years.
"The Chinese government should stop these abuses and ensure that the rights of suspected drug users are fully respected," said Amon. "Addressing illicit drug use requires developing voluntary, community-based, outpatient treatment based upon effective, proven approaches to drug addiction. Warehousing large numbers of drug users and subjecting them to forced labor and physical abuse is not ‘rehabilitation.'"
Accounts from former detainees of China's drug detention centers in Yunnan, 2009:
"I was leaving work when I was ambushed by several plainclothes police. They started beating me and put handcuffs on me. No one on the street tried to help because they just assumed I was a criminal. The police said if I didn't give them 3,000 RMB [US$440] they would put me in a drug detention center. They brought me to my house and told me if I didn't get the money they would keep beating me. They waited while I was inside and waited while my family found 3,000 RMB from relatives."
"When we are on the street, in a restaurant, anywhere, the police can just grab us and make us do a urine test. Whenever we use the national identity card they can make us do a urine test."
"The police stopped me and they wanted money. I said, ‘Please don't use violence. Please don't use violence.' But they beat me."
"I am a former drug addict. I started using in 1990. I've tried to get clean and have been in compulsory labor camps more than eight times. I just cannot go back to a forced labor camp - [it is] a terrifying world where darkness knows no limits."
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2010/01/07/china-drug-rehabilitation-centers-deny-treatment-allow-forced-labor
The 37-page report, "Where Darkness Knows No Limits," based on research in Yunnan and Guangxi provinces, documents how China's June 2008 Anti-Drug Law compounds the health risks of suspected illicit drug users by allowing government officials and security forces to incarcerate them for up to seven years. The incarceration is without trial or judicial oversight. The law fails to clearly define mechanisms for legal appeals or the reporting of abusive conduct, and does not ensure evidence-based drug dependency treatment.
"Instead of putting in place effective drug dependency treatment, the new Chinese law subjects suspected drug users to arbitrary detention and inhumane treatment," said Joe Amon, the Health and Human Rights Division director at Human Rights Watch. "The Chinese government has explained the law as a progressive step towards recognizing drug users as ‘patients,' but they're not even being provided the rights of ordinary prisoners."
The report documents how individuals detained in some drug detention centers are routinely beaten, denied medical treatment, and forced to work up to 18 hours a day without pay. Although sentenced to "rehabilitation," they are denied access to effective drug dependency treatment and provided no opportunity to learn skills to reintegrate into the community.
Human Rights Watch said that over the past decade, the Chinese government has promoted progressive policies that embrace some harm reduction strategies as part of a pragmatic response to high rates of drug use and HIV/AIDS. Partnering with local and international nongovernmental organizations, the Chinese government has expanded community-based methadone therapy and piloted needle exchange programs in some areas with high HIV/AIDS rates. A statement released by the Office of China National Narcotics Control Commission in June 2008 declared that "drug treatment and rehabilitation is in accordance with human-centered principles." In March 2009 a high-ranking government official stated, "The Chinese Government maintains that drug treatment and rehabilitation should proceed in a people-oriented way."
However, Human Rights Watch said that in practice, the new law is compounding the health risks, social marginalization, and stigmatization of suspected drug users.
Although the implementation of the Anti-Drug Law ended the practice of sentencing suspected drug users to Re-Education Through Labor (RTL), the Anti-Drug Law expands the sentence in a compulsory drug detention center to a minimum of two years, up from the previously mandated six to twelve month sentence. These drug detention centers permit the same abuses of unpaid forced labor, physical abuse, and the denial of basic health care common under the RTL system.
Abuses have led to the death of detainees in some cases, according to former detainees interviewed by Human Rights Watch. The law also adds an undefined "community-based rehabilitation" period of up to four years, effectively permitting incarceration without trial for up to seven years.
"The Chinese government should stop these abuses and ensure that the rights of suspected drug users are fully respected," said Amon. "Addressing illicit drug use requires developing voluntary, community-based, outpatient treatment based upon effective, proven approaches to drug addiction. Warehousing large numbers of drug users and subjecting them to forced labor and physical abuse is not ‘rehabilitation.'"
Accounts from former detainees of China's drug detention centers in Yunnan, 2009:
"I was leaving work when I was ambushed by several plainclothes police. They started beating me and put handcuffs on me. No one on the street tried to help because they just assumed I was a criminal. The police said if I didn't give them 3,000 RMB [US$440] they would put me in a drug detention center. They brought me to my house and told me if I didn't get the money they would keep beating me. They waited while I was inside and waited while my family found 3,000 RMB from relatives."
"When we are on the street, in a restaurant, anywhere, the police can just grab us and make us do a urine test. Whenever we use the national identity card they can make us do a urine test."
"The police stopped me and they wanted money. I said, ‘Please don't use violence. Please don't use violence.' But they beat me."
"I am a former drug addict. I started using in 1990. I've tried to get clean and have been in compulsory labor camps more than eight times. I just cannot go back to a forced labor camp - [it is] a terrifying world where darkness knows no limits."
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2010/01/07/china-drug-rehabilitation-centers-deny-treatment-allow-forced-labor
Products Made in Chinese Prison Camps Illegally Exported to U.S.
Products Made in Chinese Prison Camps Illegally Exported to U.S.
March 25, 2010 10:00 AM
The government-run forced labor prison camps of China might seem thousands of miles away to most Americans, but they are increasingly the source of some of the products in your home. New research has revealed that the consumer goods made in laogais, the Chinese name for these Soviet gulag-style slave factories, are making their way onto the American market at alarming rates. And many of the prisoners at laogais are political dissenters, religious minorities, and other people practicing free speech, imprisoned without a fair trial.
It's currently illegal (according to both China and the U.S.) for China to export any product made in a laogai to America. But the practice is pretty wide-spread, and has been growing unchecked for a number of years. The Chinese NGO the Laogai Research Foundation recently found that more and more laogais were advertising the products made by their prisoners on international export sites, several of which are available in multiple European languages. In total, their research uncovered over 400 listings for laogai-made products on international trade and export sites, waiting to be purchased by an American or European company who might have no way of knowing that product was made by enslaved political prisoners.
You can check out the full text of their report here. Just a quick glance through the names of all the trade sites laogai products were listed on shows the diversity of industries which may be tainted with Chinese forced labor-made goods -- apparel, food, beverages, electronics. There was no label which indicated the goods were made in a laogai, and no indication to U.S. or other companies that importing those goods would be illegal. They even found laogai products being promoted on China Commodity Net, a Chinese government-run website, in direct violation of Chinese, U.S., and international law.
It's currently illegal (according to both China and the U.S.) for China to export any product made in a laogai to America. But the practice is pretty wide-spread, and has been growing unchecked for a number of years. The Chinese NGO the Laogai Research Foundation recently found that more and more laogais were advertising the products made by their prisoners on international export sites, several of which are available in multiple European languages. In total, their research uncovered over 400 listings for laogai-made products on international trade and export sites, waiting to be purchased by an American or European company who might have no way of knowing that product was made by enslaved political prisoners.
You can check out the full text of their report here. Just a quick glance through the names of all the trade sites laogai products were listed on shows the diversity of industries which may be tainted with Chinese forced labor-made goods -- apparel, food, beverages, electronics. There was no label which indicated the goods were made in a laogai, and no indication to U.S. or other companies that importing those goods would be illegal. They even found laogai products being promoted on China Commodity Net, a Chinese government-run website, in direct violation of Chinese, U.S., and international law.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
House Cleaning Products Alternatives
We have all heard of the myriad of "green" housecleaning products out there on the market. Some products I've used and liked are J. R. Watkins (made in Winona MN) and The Good Home Co (made in New York).
J.R. Watkins:
J.R. Watkins:
The Good Home Co:
But I find that a lot of these cleaning products are expensive, and am literally dumping money down the drain. So, what I like even better is making my own cleaning products using some good old fashioned methods of cleaning--vinegar, baking soda, castile soap, and plain hot water. A google search for cleaning uses of these products will pull up a multitude of different house cleaning recipes.
Often I like adding my own essential oils to my cleaning products. Some of my favorite essential oils to use for cleaning are Rosemary, Peppermint, Lemon Eucalyptus, Lemon Myrtle, Lemon, and Pine. Many of these oils are antibacterial, anti-fungal, even anti-staph. I purchase most of my essential oils from Nature's Gifts. I highly recommend Marge Clark's informative website to learn about the use and properties of essential oil's http://www.naturesgift.com/descript.htm . Nature's Gift provides a wealth of information on essential oils uses and properties. All of Nature's Gift essential oils list the country of origin.
Another distributer of essential oils that I highly recommend is from Aromatics International http://www.aromaticsinternational.com/ . Aromatics International's Andre Butje has traveled around the world and visited with the small farmers and distillers that create the products they sell. Every batch of oil they purchase is tested with the Gas Chromatography/ Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). I also appreciate that Aromatics International lists the country of origin and the date of distillation.
Another method I use that's really simple and affordable is steeping fresh herbs into hot water and using that "tea" to clean my surfaces. One of my favorite simple, affordable, cleaning recipes is to gather some fresh Rosemary from the garden, add to the bucket and pour boiling water over it, let it steep. Once the water cools I'll don some plastic gloves, grab a rag, and wipe down my counters, cabinets, and floors--leaving behind the clean pungent scent of Rosemary. After I'm done I dump the water and rosemary into the compost or grass.
Origin Labels Can Raise Questions About Food Safety
Origin labels can raise questions about food safety
Cost of Globalized Production
I'm just amazed at how complex and wasteful our food production methods have become. My studies in global economics initially sparked my interest in globalized food production. I had done a research paper on globalized labor and production methods in the fishing industry in which practices were significantly counter-ecological. The basis of such environmentally unsustainable practices were formulated through monetary driven agendas.
For example, back in 2008 I came across the following production process of the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation of Winnipeg Manitoba. Freshwater Fish Corporation actually sent fish caught in their lakes to China for canning. Fish were caught in Lake Winnipeg and then sent to China to be filleted and packaged, then sent back to Manitoba and other parts of North America for retail. The company stated that this process was a more economically sound solution and that “it is actually less expensive to transport the fish to China for production and return the fillets to North America than it is to produce the same product in Canada” (Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation, 2008). I'm not sure if these practices are still in place, I was unable to locate information on their canning procedures and the link I used is no longer available: http://www.freshwaterfish.com/FISHMARKET/CHINAPRODUCTION-Whitefish.htm .
It is interesting that with rising fuel prices it is more affordable to transport products from Canada to China for processing than it is to process locally. It seems obvious that labor costs are what make this method less expensive.
One has to question how this economic formula equates. The fish are caught in Manitoba, shipped all the way to China, laborers process the product, ship it back to Manitoba, then the product is put on grocery store shelves in the community where the product originated. The labor costs of the cannery would have to be decreased to such a minimal level that would compensate for costs of fuel, transportation and overhead processing costs. How is this possible? It seems an impossible economic feat, unless of course one examines reports of forced labor camps and child labor.
The US Dept of State released its annual Human Trafficking Report in June 2008, with reports of forced labor and child labor in many countries to include China:
“Forced labor, including forced child labor, remains a significant problem in China. Children as young as 12 were reportedly subjected to forced labor under the guise of “Work and Study” programs over the past year. Conditions in this program include excessive hours with mandatory overtime, dangerous conditions, low pay, and involuntary pay deductions. In June 2007, a Guangdong factory licensed to produce products bearing the 2008 Olympics logo admitted to employing children as young as 12 years old under similar conditions.” (United States Department of State, Trafficking in Persons Report 2008, Page 92)
According to the US Dept of State 2010 Human Trafficking Report, these labor issues have become increasingly problematic:
"Internal trafficking is most pronounced among China’s migrant population, which is estimated to exceed 150 million people. Forced labor remains a serious problem, including in brick kilns, coal mines, factories, and on construction sites throughout China. There were numerous confirmed reports of involuntary servitude of children, adults, and migrant workers during the reporting period. As an example, in May 2009, media reports exposed a forced labor case at brick kilns in Anhui province, where mentally handicapped workers were subjected to slave-like conditions. Workers participating in a government-sponsored program to transfer rural labor to jobs in the interior of China, including children, were allegedly coerced into the program through threats or fines for noncompliance, but others participating in the same program said they had not been forced. Authorities in Xinjiang reportedly imposed forced labor on some farmers in predominantly ethnic minority regions. Forced labor was a problem in some drug detention centers, according to NGO reporting. Some detainees were reportedly forced to work up to 18 hours a day without pay for private companies working in partnership with Chinese authorities. Many prisoners and detainees in reeducation through labor facilities were required to work, often with no remuneration. Authorities held individuals in these institutions as a result of administrative decisions. Forced labor also remained a problem in penal institutions.
There continue to be reports that some Chinese children are forced into prostitution, and various forms of forced labor, including begging, stealing, selling flowers, and work in brick kilns and factories; the children of migrants are particularly vulnerable to trafficking. For example, there were reports child laborers were found working in brick kilns, low-skill service sectors and in small workshops and factories. These reports found that the underage laborers are in their teens, typically ranging from 13 to 15 years old, but some are as young as 10 years old. In November 2009, an explosion killed 13 primary school children working in a Guangxi workshop producing fireworks, all of whom were children of migrant workers working in factories in a neighboring province. Work-study programs in various parts of China, often with local government involvement, reportedly engaged child labor, whereby schools supply factories and farms with forced child labor under the pretext of vocational training. In Xinjiang, children were forced to pick cotton for army-based production brigades under the guise of a “work-study” program, according to foreign media reports. There are reports of some students having no say in the terms or conditions of their employment, and little protection from abusive work practices and dangerous conditions. The overall extent of forced labor and child labor in China is unclear in part because the government releases only limited information on the subject."
http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2010/142759.htm
Of course China is not the only country in this world guilty of human rights violations and labor violations. However, what is significant is the amount of imports that come into this country from China that are in violation of labor laws (recent news article that comes to mind is Apple admiting to using child labor in producing iPod, computers, mobile phones: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/7330986/Apple-admits-using-child-labour.html ). Yet, despite these reports the imports keep coming through and our markets are continously flooded with products from questionable production practices.
For example, back in 2008 I came across the following production process of the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation of Winnipeg Manitoba. Freshwater Fish Corporation actually sent fish caught in their lakes to China for canning. Fish were caught in Lake Winnipeg and then sent to China to be filleted and packaged, then sent back to Manitoba and other parts of North America for retail. The company stated that this process was a more economically sound solution and that “it is actually less expensive to transport the fish to China for production and return the fillets to North America than it is to produce the same product in Canada” (Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation, 2008). I'm not sure if these practices are still in place, I was unable to locate information on their canning procedures and the link I used is no longer available: http://www.freshwaterfish.com/FISHMARKET/CHINAPRODUCTION-Whitefish.htm .
It is interesting that with rising fuel prices it is more affordable to transport products from Canada to China for processing than it is to process locally. It seems obvious that labor costs are what make this method less expensive.
One has to question how this economic formula equates. The fish are caught in Manitoba, shipped all the way to China, laborers process the product, ship it back to Manitoba, then the product is put on grocery store shelves in the community where the product originated. The labor costs of the cannery would have to be decreased to such a minimal level that would compensate for costs of fuel, transportation and overhead processing costs. How is this possible? It seems an impossible economic feat, unless of course one examines reports of forced labor camps and child labor.
The US Dept of State released its annual Human Trafficking Report in June 2008, with reports of forced labor and child labor in many countries to include China:
“Forced labor, including forced child labor, remains a significant problem in China. Children as young as 12 were reportedly subjected to forced labor under the guise of “Work and Study” programs over the past year. Conditions in this program include excessive hours with mandatory overtime, dangerous conditions, low pay, and involuntary pay deductions. In June 2007, a Guangdong factory licensed to produce products bearing the 2008 Olympics logo admitted to employing children as young as 12 years old under similar conditions.” (United States Department of State, Trafficking in Persons Report 2008, Page 92)
According to the US Dept of State 2010 Human Trafficking Report, these labor issues have become increasingly problematic:
"Internal trafficking is most pronounced among China’s migrant population, which is estimated to exceed 150 million people. Forced labor remains a serious problem, including in brick kilns, coal mines, factories, and on construction sites throughout China. There were numerous confirmed reports of involuntary servitude of children, adults, and migrant workers during the reporting period. As an example, in May 2009, media reports exposed a forced labor case at brick kilns in Anhui province, where mentally handicapped workers were subjected to slave-like conditions. Workers participating in a government-sponsored program to transfer rural labor to jobs in the interior of China, including children, were allegedly coerced into the program through threats or fines for noncompliance, but others participating in the same program said they had not been forced. Authorities in Xinjiang reportedly imposed forced labor on some farmers in predominantly ethnic minority regions. Forced labor was a problem in some drug detention centers, according to NGO reporting. Some detainees were reportedly forced to work up to 18 hours a day without pay for private companies working in partnership with Chinese authorities. Many prisoners and detainees in reeducation through labor facilities were required to work, often with no remuneration. Authorities held individuals in these institutions as a result of administrative decisions. Forced labor also remained a problem in penal institutions.
There continue to be reports that some Chinese children are forced into prostitution, and various forms of forced labor, including begging, stealing, selling flowers, and work in brick kilns and factories; the children of migrants are particularly vulnerable to trafficking. For example, there were reports child laborers were found working in brick kilns, low-skill service sectors and in small workshops and factories. These reports found that the underage laborers are in their teens, typically ranging from 13 to 15 years old, but some are as young as 10 years old. In November 2009, an explosion killed 13 primary school children working in a Guangxi workshop producing fireworks, all of whom were children of migrant workers working in factories in a neighboring province. Work-study programs in various parts of China, often with local government involvement, reportedly engaged child labor, whereby schools supply factories and farms with forced child labor under the pretext of vocational training. In Xinjiang, children were forced to pick cotton for army-based production brigades under the guise of a “work-study” program, according to foreign media reports. There are reports of some students having no say in the terms or conditions of their employment, and little protection from abusive work practices and dangerous conditions. The overall extent of forced labor and child labor in China is unclear in part because the government releases only limited information on the subject."
http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2010/142759.htm
Of course China is not the only country in this world guilty of human rights violations and labor violations. However, what is significant is the amount of imports that come into this country from China that are in violation of labor laws (recent news article that comes to mind is Apple admiting to using child labor in producing iPod, computers, mobile phones: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/7330986/Apple-admits-using-child-labour.html ). Yet, despite these reports the imports keep coming through and our markets are continously flooded with products from questionable production practices.
EU considers ban on Chinese labour-camp goods
EU considers ban on Chinese labour-camp goods
23.09.2010 @ 18:52 CET
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – Under pressure from MEPs, the European Commission has hinted it is prepared to ban the importation of Chinese goods manufactured in forced labour camps.Speaking during a debate in Strasbourg on Thursday (23 September), a number of euro-deputies claimed products produced in the government-sponsored camps were being sold across the EU to unsuspecting citizens.
German centre-right MEP Daniel Caspary branded the Chinese products "blood-spattered goods", and called on the commission to put an end to their inflow.
EU enlargement commissioner Stefan Fuele however said that the commission had raised the issue repeatedly in the past and was applying pressure through diplomatic channels.
"The commission fully agrees with the European Parliament that the Laogai [camp] system is completely incompatible with universally accepted concepts of human rights," said Mr Fuele.
He added that it was very difficult to verify which goods were being made in the camps - known as Laogai – of which China is thought to have roughly 500.
The majority of inmates in the labour camps are petty criminals who have been arrested and forced to work under reportedly terrible conditions.
Beijing still uses the camps to house political prisoners however, hidden amongst the drug addicts, street hawkers, prostitutes and pickpockets. Imprisonment is for up to four years.
With Thursday's debate coming just weeks before an EU-China summit in Brussels, Mr Fuele said that the EU preferred a policy of "positive dialogue" to an outright ban, but hinted that things could change.
"We have to acknowledge that there are limits to this approach which, so far, has not produced any notable change in Chinese policy," he told MEPs.
"The commission is open to considering a horizontal measure banning the import of goods produced using prison labour in violation of fundamental human rights," he added.
Privately, EU officials say WTO rules need to be taken into account but concede that the issue of a potential ban is being examined.
Other countries have already opted for a ban.
"Over the last 10-15 years there have been sufficiently valid concerns that a number of states have adopted strict policies against the goods," Sophie Richardson, Human Rights Watch International's Asian advocacy director, told this website.
One such country is the US, while influential Chinese scholars have themselves occasionally called for a closure of the camps that house roughly 400,000 prisoners according to the China Labour Bulletin, a Hong Kong NGO.
In July, Yu Jianrong, a liberal legal scholar and a key advisor to the Chinese government said China needed to "advance with the times" and close the camps.
http://euobserver.com/884/30878
Unwholesome Food Products Produced in Forced Labor Camps and Prisons in China's Gansu Province
Unwholesome Food Products Produced in Forced Labor Camps and Prisons in China's Gansu Province
By Clearwisdom.net
In hotels, restaurants and supermarkets in Gansu Province, it is easy to find beautifully packaged peeled garlic and peeled melon seeds. These things seem to be clean; however, they were processed by people who lost their freedom in prisons, forced labor camps, drug rehabilitation centers and detention centers. The camp authorities collude with merchants who buy garlic and melon seeds at low prices, and the citizens detained in the camps are forced to peel them day and night. The products are then packaged and sold wholesale to supermarkets, hotels and restaurants.
In hotels, restaurants and supermarkets in Gansu Province, it is easy to find beautifully packaged peeled garlic and peeled melon seeds. These things seem to be clean; however, they were processed by people who lost their freedom in prisons, forced labor camps, drug rehabilitation centers and detention centers. The camp authorities collude with merchants who buy garlic and melon seeds at low prices, and the citizens detained in the camps are forced to peel them day and night. The products are then packaged and sold wholesale to supermarkets, hotels and restaurants.
In these disgusting sweatshop conditions, there are no sinks to clean the products and the people processing them. The inmates have a quota of 500 grams of peeled melon seeds per day. They are guarded and supervised by other inmates. In order to finish their tasks, the detainees must first scrub the seeds with their feet, then peel them by hand. Some seed shells are very strong, so the inmates have to break them open with their teeth and then peel them. Some peels are very dry and hard and have to be moistened first. But the detainees have limited water quotas - not even enough for their everyday needs. So the detainees used recycled shower water and sink water to moisten the seeds. Some drug addicts and criminals used urine to moisten the seeds and then used their feet to scrub them. After some time, their hands, feet and lips were all festered, bleeding and oozing pus. However, they were not allowed to stop working. Criminals were all very angry, but they did not dare to slow down production. They vented their anger on the garlic and melon seeds, spitting, blowing their noses, and even mixing dead germs and flies into the products before handing them in.
Among the detainees, many are sick. Some even suffer from communicable diseases, such as hepatitis, phthisis (atrophy of body parts), and HIV. Last May and July, two groups of drug addicts were transferred from the drug rehabilitation center in Yuzhong County to the First Labor Camp in the province - about 150 people in total. They were said to be peeling garlic there, and their hands and feet were all festered. One person in the forced labor camp was sent to an aluminum plant in the fourth team and died not long afterward because his phthisis was not taken care of. Another was diagnosed to be HIV positive in the hospital of the forced labor camp.
Some Falun Gong practitioners were detained in Yuzhong County Forced Labor Camp and various detention centers in the city. They follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and won't do bad deeds. When they could not moisten the garlic and melon seeds, they had to peel them dry with their hands. Therefore, they were very slow. The guards then did not allow them to sleep, and made them work long hours and even day and night. Some Falun Gong practitioners refused to work. Guards would shock them with electric batons, torture them on stretching beds, confine them in small solitary cells, and/or extend their terms of confinement.
The guards in charge of production said they felt sick thinking of these garlic and melon seeds, to say nothing of eating them. But such is the fate for numerous Falun Gong practitioners and others in China's forced labor camps.
Posting date: 8/20/2010
Category: Made in Forced Labor Camps by Practitioners
http://clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2010/8/20/119382.html
Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2010/8/8/228103.html
Category: Made in Forced Labor Camps by Practitioners
http://clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2010/8/20/119382.html
Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2010/8/8/228103.html
Friday, November 12, 2010
What I'm Reading - House Cleaning
For the past few weeks I've been doing my "fall-cleaning". It's been a tedious and time-consuming project as I sift through all the stuff. I've been ridding my environment of clutter and unnecessary items I've accumulated through the years. It's such a wonderful feeling as I declutter each cabinet, box, closet and room.
My kids are grown and have moved out, leaving me with extra rooms to hang on to stuff I no longer need. Now that it's just my husband and I, there really isn't a need for all this space and all this stuff. I would like to eventually downsize to half the space I live in now. So, the empty nest has driven me towards downsizing my life.
The first step I took was to change my paradigm, to change how I viewed my existence in relation to all this stuff. I've spent way too many years maintaining this stuff, providing it space, dusting it, cleaning it, caring for it and thus allowing it to take time away from me. The stuff served its purpose through the years but it no longer fits in with the life I want. My goal is minimalism. Minimalism is an extension of simplicity. To live simply and deliberately is freedom. For some time now I've been thinking in more minimalist terms and applying that philosophy as a way of life.
The following books were helpful in motivating me to live with less and declutter my space.
The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize and Simplify Your Life by Francine Jay.
It is an inspirational little handbook that will help get you started on decluttering your life. You can read more about the author and philosophy on her blog, Miss Minimalist http://www.missminimalist.com/
Magical Housekeeping: Simple Charms and Practical Tips for Creating a Harmonious Home by Tess Whitehurst.
Whitehurst combines elements of feng shui, energy, Gaia philosophy, and ritual practices as a guide towards creating a harmonious space. One of her suggestions I found practical was eliminating items from my life that have negative associations: "You might have a perfectly lovely scarf...that was a gift from your psycho ex. Or a gorgeous painting...that was a hand-me down from the domineering great aunt whom you never got along with. Even if something just reminds you of a time or a person that you'd like to put in the past, consider letting go of it". I did just that, eliminated those items with negative connotations and found it worked in purging my environment and my emotional state. I'm hoping that by eliminating the things that weigh me down that I will also lift the stagnate energy that has been weighing me down. And also will be ready to take on a change of residence in the near future.
The great thing about house cleaning is that it gives a sense of control and orderliness to ones space. Once it's all done everything feels more manageable, orderly, and balanced.
My kids are grown and have moved out, leaving me with extra rooms to hang on to stuff I no longer need. Now that it's just my husband and I, there really isn't a need for all this space and all this stuff. I would like to eventually downsize to half the space I live in now. So, the empty nest has driven me towards downsizing my life.
The first step I took was to change my paradigm, to change how I viewed my existence in relation to all this stuff. I've spent way too many years maintaining this stuff, providing it space, dusting it, cleaning it, caring for it and thus allowing it to take time away from me. The stuff served its purpose through the years but it no longer fits in with the life I want. My goal is minimalism. Minimalism is an extension of simplicity. To live simply and deliberately is freedom. For some time now I've been thinking in more minimalist terms and applying that philosophy as a way of life.
The following books were helpful in motivating me to live with less and declutter my space.
The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize and Simplify Your Life by Francine Jay.
It is an inspirational little handbook that will help get you started on decluttering your life. You can read more about the author and philosophy on her blog, Miss Minimalist http://www.missminimalist.com/
Magical Housekeeping: Simple Charms and Practical Tips for Creating a Harmonious Home by Tess Whitehurst.
Whitehurst combines elements of feng shui, energy, Gaia philosophy, and ritual practices as a guide towards creating a harmonious space. One of her suggestions I found practical was eliminating items from my life that have negative associations: "You might have a perfectly lovely scarf...that was a gift from your psycho ex. Or a gorgeous painting...that was a hand-me down from the domineering great aunt whom you never got along with. Even if something just reminds you of a time or a person that you'd like to put in the past, consider letting go of it". I did just that, eliminated those items with negative connotations and found it worked in purging my environment and my emotional state. I'm hoping that by eliminating the things that weigh me down that I will also lift the stagnate energy that has been weighing me down. And also will be ready to take on a change of residence in the near future.
The great thing about house cleaning is that it gives a sense of control and orderliness to ones space. Once it's all done everything feels more manageable, orderly, and balanced.
Anchor Hocking - Affordable and Quality Glassware
Anchor Hocking has been producing quality glassware products in the USA since 1905. My favorite product from Anchor Hocking are the Bake 'N' Store containers because they are so versatile. They are oven safe (up to 425 F), you can put them in the freezer, use them in the microwave, or for food storage. I appreciate a product that can be utilized for so many different functions. Also, if you are concerned about the safety of storing foods in plastic then Anchor Hocking's Bake 'N' Store is a wonderful product for food storage. (You can read more about plastic toxicity and plastic chemicals from containers leached into food here: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/december-2009/food/bpa/overview/bisphenol-a-ov.htm )
Here are some pictures of the Bake 'N' Store containers:
More information on Anchor Hocking from their website:
http://www.anchorhocking.com/prod_300_bake_n_store.html
"Since 1905, Anchor Hocking has produced quality glassware in the United States of America. The majority of the products are manufactured at the original site in Lancaster, Ohio. A second manufacturing facility is located in Monaca, Pennsylvania. The company employs over 1,500 associates nationwide.
Anchor Hocking is proud to be a leading glass manufacturer here in America. We strive to maintain high standards to provide the finest quality products in the marketplace today. Our "Made in the U.S.A." logo is featured on our packaging and our website to bring awareness to the consumer of the products manufactured in the U.S. Currently Anchor Home Collection™, Anchor Signature™ and Stölzle products are sourced worldwide.
Here are some pictures of the Bake 'N' Store containers:
I make my own chicken stock and use the 2 cup containers to put the stock in my freezer, this way I always have pre-measured portions of chicken stock available when I need it:
More information on Anchor Hocking from their website:
http://www.anchorhocking.com/prod_300_bake_n_store.html
"Since 1905, Anchor Hocking has produced quality glassware in the United States of America. The majority of the products are manufactured at the original site in Lancaster, Ohio. A second manufacturing facility is located in Monaca, Pennsylvania. The company employs over 1,500 associates nationwide.
Anchor Hocking is proud to be a leading glass manufacturer here in America. We strive to maintain high standards to provide the finest quality products in the marketplace today. Our "Made in the U.S.A." logo is featured on our packaging and our website to bring awareness to the consumer of the products manufactured in the U.S. Currently Anchor Home Collection™, Anchor Signature™ and Stölzle products are sourced worldwide.
Thank you for your support throughout the years, we appreciate your business."
Hartstone Pottery Dinnerware of Zanesville Ohio
I love the products made by Hartstone Pottery in Zanesville Ohio. Their dinnerware is durable and has a substantial feel to it. Their designs are whimsical, hand crafted, and hand painted. I highly recommend Hartstone Pottery pieces because their products are of high quality and made in the USA. You can find their products here:
http://www.hartstonepottery.com/
"The Hartstone product is fully vitrified stoneware produced from the finest raw materials in North America, our stoneware clay body is fired to 2200° Fahrenheit and is bright ivory in color. All body, glaze, and paint raw materials are lead and cadmium free. Our product is California Proposition 65 compliant.
All of our ceramic products are handcrafted and decorated in Zanesville, Ohio.
All Hartstone Pottery is freezer and dishwasher safe, and may be used in both the microwave and conventional ovens."
I own several pieces from the Wild Blueberry collection:
http://www.hartstonepottery.com/
"The Hartstone product is fully vitrified stoneware produced from the finest raw materials in North America, our stoneware clay body is fired to 2200° Fahrenheit and is bright ivory in color. All body, glaze, and paint raw materials are lead and cadmium free. Our product is California Proposition 65 compliant.
All of our ceramic products are handcrafted and decorated in Zanesville, Ohio.
All Hartstone Pottery is freezer and dishwasher safe, and may be used in both the microwave and conventional ovens."
I own several pieces from the Wild Blueberry collection:
Some other beautiful designs they carry are the Winter White and Autumn Leaves:
Do Your Kids' Juice Boxes Come From China?
Do your kids' juice boxes come from China?
Juicy Juice juice boxes have "product of China" printed on the label.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
Posted: 02/22/2010
Reported by: John Matarese
You probably remember the scare concerning tainted Chinese food and pet food in the past few years. Even though there are more regulations in place, food from China is still on store shelves.
Warren McDonald wants his young children to eat and drink healthy food. So he and his wife try to buy them 100 percent juice like Juicy Juice made by Nestle. McDonald said he was surprised recently when he looked on the side of the container.
A Juice Box Surprise
When he looked at the side of the jug, he was stunned. "It was only when I held it up to the light I saw it said 'product of China.'"
Juicy Juice juice boxes also have "product of China" printed on the label.
American Orchards Can't Compete
Russell Beirsdorfer runs a small family-owned orchard, and said the cost of harvesting and processing apple juice for small containers means his would have to cost twice the price of Juicy Juice. That's why he sells jugs of juice only.
He said America's demand for low prices on just about everything, means companies need to find cheaper ways to produce it. Therefore, products are made in China, where manufacturing costs are a lot less.
Juice Makers Respond
Nestle defends its use of Chinese apples, saying, "We audit these facilities" and the juice is "processed in the U.S."
But with so many Chinese food scares in recent years, McDonald worries about what those apples may have been sprayed with. "I'm just concerned about the quality from China, and do they have the same restrictions and regulations the U.S. does?"
Nestle and other juice producers say the answer to that question is yes. They say the product is completely safe. Even so, McDonald said he plans to read labels more closely and will try to support local growers.
As always, don't waste your money. I'm John Matarese.
You probably remember the scare concerning tainted Chinese food and pet food in the past few years. Even though there are more regulations in place, food from China is still on store shelves.
Warren McDonald wants his young children to eat and drink healthy food. So he and his wife try to buy them 100 percent juice like Juicy Juice made by Nestle. McDonald said he was surprised recently when he looked on the side of the container.
A Juice Box Surprise
When he looked at the side of the jug, he was stunned. "It was only when I held it up to the light I saw it said 'product of China.'"
Juicy Juice juice boxes also have "product of China" printed on the label.
American Orchards Can't Compete
Russell Beirsdorfer runs a small family-owned orchard, and said the cost of harvesting and processing apple juice for small containers means his would have to cost twice the price of Juicy Juice. That's why he sells jugs of juice only.
He said America's demand for low prices on just about everything, means companies need to find cheaper ways to produce it. Therefore, products are made in China, where manufacturing costs are a lot less.
Juice Makers Respond
Nestle defends its use of Chinese apples, saying, "We audit these facilities" and the juice is "processed in the U.S."
But with so many Chinese food scares in recent years, McDonald worries about what those apples may have been sprayed with. "I'm just concerned about the quality from China, and do they have the same restrictions and regulations the U.S. does?"
Nestle and other juice producers say the answer to that question is yes. They say the product is completely safe. Even so, McDonald said he plans to read labels more closely and will try to support local growers.
As always, don't waste your money. I'm John Matarese.
Tests Confirm Melamine In Nestle Milk From China
Tests Confirm Melamine In Nestle Milk From China
Posted on: Monday, 22 September 2008, 13:12 CDT
The government reported that it found the industrial chemical in Nestle Dairy Farm's brand pure milk for catering use. It said Nestle’s division in the Chinese coastal city Qingdao made the milk.
However, the tests only found a small amount of melamine and the milk does not pose a serious health risk, according to the statement.
It recommended, however, the milk not be fed to young children.
In China, more than 6,200 infants have become sick and four babies have died after being fed melamine-laced baby formula. One toddler has become sick in Hong Kong - the first victim reported outside the Chinese mainland.
The government has launched high-profile efforts to show it is on top of the crisis, with Premier Wen Jiabao appearing on state-run television over the weekend to demand that public safety be put "at the top of the agenda."
Chinese dairy products have been pulled from stores around the country and in other places such as the self-governing Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macau. Starbucks stopped offering milk in its 300 outlets in China.
On Sunday, Hong Kong's two major supermarket chains said they were recalling milk powder made by Swiss manufacturer Nestle after a newspaper reported it contains melamine.
Action was taken after Hong Kong's Apple Daily reported Sunday that tests it commissioned showed that Nestle milk powder made in China's northeastern Heilongjiang province contained melamine, said spokeswomen from PARKnSHOP and Wellcome.
Taiwanese company King Car Co. announced it has recalled packs of its Mr. Brown instant coffee and milk tea containing contaminated milk powder imported from China.
Japan and Singapore have recalled Chinese-made dairy products and the governments of Malaysia and Brunei announced bans on milk products from China even though neither country currently imports Chinese dairy items.
Recently, melamine has been found not only in powdered milk - used to make baby formula and other products - but also in liquid milk sold by China's biggest dairies.
Mostly used in making plastics, melamine is high in nitrogen, which registers as protein in tests of milk. Though health experts believe ingesting minute amounts poses no danger, melamine can cause kidney stones, which can lead to kidney failure. Infants are particularly vulnerable.
Dairy farmers who sell milk to Chinese food companies are thought to have used melamine to disguise watered-down milk and fatten profit margins hurt by rising costs for feed, fuel and labor.
Lately, China has had its share of food and product safety scandals. Last year, the government promised to overhaul inspection procedures after exports of medicines, toys, pet food ingredients and other products killed and sickened people and pets in North and South America.
Melamine was found in both the dangerous pet food was and the milk.
Before the problem became public, several of the largest companies whose products have been recalled, such as Yili Industrial Group Co. and Mengniu Dairy Group Co., did not have government inspections. The government scrapped that exemption this past week.
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1563760/tests_confirm_melamine_in_nestle_milk_from_china/
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