# Conversation and Fun > Just Conversation >  Why are we still importing food from China?

## For-Life

With all of the problems associated with Chinese food, why do we continue to import it?

Now, I know what you are saying.  It could happen anywhere, and is only happening to a small percent.  Maybe, but I remember when Alberta beef was found to have Mad Cow Disease, nations boycotted it for safety.  Why?  SAFETY.

I think China has shown that it cannot supervise its products efficiently, and until it does, we should stay away.

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## Jacqui

> With all of the problems associated with Chinese food, why do we continue to import it?


Dumb isn't it?? The US and Canada can feed the world, so why can't we process it here??

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## FullCircle

Because they work for cheap.

and if you really want to start looking into things, our food isn't always of the best quality either.  Our corn has less nutritive value today then it ever did in the past, we rely on High Fructose Corn Syrup, and we plug our cattle chickens and pigs with enough antibiotics and growth hormones to (no pun intended) choke a horse.

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## FullCircle

Oh, and I haven't even touched on the products we make here and in Canada to feed our pets that has ended up killing them.

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## DocInChina

> Because they work for cheap.


Cheap is a relative term. The cost for you to live where you are and the cost to live where I am is completely different. My employees save at least 75% of their salary every month which mean they have more monthly savings than the average American. 

Doc

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## FullCircle

> Cheap is a relative term. The cost for you to live where you are and the cost to live where I am is completely different. My employees save at least 75% of their salary every month which mean they have more monthly savings than the average American. 
> 
> Doc


 
Oh absolutely!  I meant it in comparision to the US wages.  In addition, there are items that come from China that are quite good and I know I would miss if we banned importation.  Li Hing Mui....mmmmm....

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## For-Life

> Oh, and I haven't even touched on the products we make here and in Canada to feed our pets that has ended up killing them.


But at least our regulators are getting to them.  Our companies are signed up through licenses, and inspected.  Now, when there are flaws, we can figure out how to improve the whole industry, instead of just taking out one company.

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## KStraker

Because it's cheaper! Who cares if it's lower quality. This country is ruled by greed, not nutrition.

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## FullCircle

> But at least our regulators are getting to them. Our companies are signed up through licenses, and inspected. Now, when there are flaws, we can figure out how to improve the whole industry, instead of just taking out one company.


Really? Then why haven't the recalls of pet foods stopped?  Mars just recalled foods under roughly half a dozen brand names just last week because they were contaminated with salmonella.  Why did so many dogs die while the mfg denied there was a problem last year with the melamine problem?  

There was a recall earlier this year from Purina on horse feed. The recall wasn't released to the public just to dealers.

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## For-Life

> Really? Then why haven't the recalls of pet foods stopped?  Mars just recalled foods under roughly half a dozen brand names just last week because they were contaminated with salmonella.  Why did so many dogs die while the mfg denied there was a problem last year with the melamine problem?  
> 
> There was a recall earlier this year from Purina on horse feed. The recall wasn't released to the public just to dealers.


They stopped here

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## tntborden

But I love Chinese food.........:D

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## DocInChina

> But I love Chinese food.........:D


365 days per year?!?!  :cry:

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## Framebender

You get here to Texas and we'll treat yoou to some great ribs and beer!

:cheers::cheers:

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## Jacqui

> 365 days per year?!?!


Or come to Minnesota for a fish fry. :D :D

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## k12311997

> 365 days per year?!?!


 

Come to the 'Burgh we got the good stuff

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## Johns

> But I love Chinese food.........:D


That's great, because you are eating it more often than you realize! :Eek:

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## DocInChina

> You get here to Texas and we'll treat yoou to some great ribs and beer!
> 
> :cheers::cheers:





> Or come to Minnesota for a fish fry. :D :D





> Come to the 'Burgh we got the good stuff


You folks are killin' me. It almost lunch time and my mouth is watering for US food.  :cry:

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## DocInChina

> That's great, because you are eating it more often than you realize!


Thats a good one! I tried to give you a greenie but I was denied. Here are some virtual ones for you.

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## For-Life

> Thats a good one! I tried to give you a greenie but I was denied. Here are some virtual ones for you.


I took care of it for you

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## FullCircle

> You folks are killin' me. It almost lunch time and my mouth is watering for US food.


 
So I shouldn't mention Chicago's stuffed pizzas and all beef hot dogs? Or our Italian beefs? :p

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## LilKim

> You get here to Texas and we'll treat yoou to some great ribs and beer!
> 
> :cheers::cheers:


I'm in!!!  And some roasted chicken and a Sam Adams too, please :D

I'll bring grouper fillets we can batter and deep-fry, some coleslaw, southern green beans and mac n cheese.

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## Jacqui

> I'll bring grouper fillets we can batter and deep-fry, some coleslaw, southern green beans and mac n cheese.


I don't know where you're from, but here we have French Fries, baked beans, cole slaw, cheese curds, garlic toast and Blue Ribbon with our fried fish. Green beans, macaroni and cheese, and Sam Adams are what the kids have. And what's with this grouper stuff?? Walleye or trout are much, much better.

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## DragonLensmanWV

> You folks are killin' me. It almost lunch time and my mouth is watering for US food.


Or you can come here. We have the finest in grilled road kill.:cheers::cheers:

Or, Hillbilly Hot Dogs. Just Google them.

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## bob_f_aboc

> I don't know where you're from, but here we have French Fries, baked beans, cole slaw, cheese curds, garlic toast and Blue Ribbon with our fried fish. Green beans, macaroni and cheese, and Sam Adams are what the kids have. And what's with this grouper stuff?? Walleye or trout are much, much better.


 
I agree with everything but the PBR.  Drank way too much of that when I lived in Iowa. The thought of it still gives me the willies.

         VS.        


Fezz, where are you???

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## Jacqui

> I agree with everything but the PBR.  Drank way too much of that when I lived in Iowa. The thought of it still gives me the willies.
> 
>          VS.        
> 
> 
> Fezz, where are you???


And here I thought you were going to make a comment about catfish being the finest for fish fries. :p

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## LilKim

i'm in Florida, and grouper is the best fish and tastes amazing fried, grilled, or blackened!  lol  It's tender, melt-in-your mouth goodness straight from the Gulf baby :D
Gag Grouper  and Black Grouper
vs
Walleye and Trout (meh)


Southern green beans aren't the stuff out of the can, and are slow-cooked with chopped onion, ham, and lots of salt and pepper, and we don't serve that pseudo-mac n cheese Kraft or Velveeta junk.  As for Pabst *ugh* sorry, I need a well-bodied beer.

ps, I don't know any of these guys holding the fish, I just found these to give the fish a size reference.

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## FullCircle

> I don't know where you're from, but here we have French Fries, baked beans, cole slaw, cheese curds, garlic toast and Blue Ribbon with our fried fish. Green beans, macaroni and cheese, and Sam Adams are what the kids have. And what's with this grouper stuff?? Walleye or trout are much, much better.


 
Ugh!that's child abuse! Serving children a beer like Sam Adams! do you have any idea what happens to kids that drink Sam Adams? They grow up thinking Heineken tastes good.

For shame, Jacqui, for shame. :finger: :D:cheers:

(here in chicago, the SA beers usually have an odd soapy taste. We've been told if you get it in Boston it doesn't have that taste)

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## LilKim

Soapy?!  You mean when it's on tap?  Yuck!  That's the fault of the people who are supposed to have their taps cleaned.  I've had sodas from fast food places that taste like soap, because the person who cleaned them did a crap job of rinsing it out!  lol  I prefer bottled anyway, because Sam Adams has seasonal varieties.  

And hey, that crack on Sam Adams was totally uncalled for! :finger: Heineken tastes worse than Bud  :p  What about Newcastle Brown Ale?  Or Guinness?

Did anyone here attend the Optical Resources meetup in Clearwater earlier this year?  Or was it last year?  I don't recall...instead of the usual golf thing, they also had an option to go out and do some deep-sea fishing.  Most of the people there were from up North (Minnesota too!) and had a blast.  Gulf fishing is completely different from river or lake fishing.  It was so foggy out we couldn't see more than 100 feet, but everyone caught a ton of juvenile red snapper and a few young grouper.

I Googled cheese curds, and they look interesting... how are they normally prepared?

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## FullCircle

Nah, I mean in bottles.  there's just a funk about it. haven't had anything from them that I really liked since their triple bock.

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## Jacqui

> I Googled cheese curds, and they look interesting... how are they normally prepared?



Straight from the cow. Don't do anything to them, especially don't try to chill them. If they are more than 3 days old we feed them to the pigs or bears.

P.S. The fish in the pics are nice (more or less), but the trout is awfully small. Trout (lakers) here this year were only kept if over 10 pounds.

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## LilKim

If I ever visit the Minnesota/Wisconsin area, I'll have to give those a try.  I'm normally not a cheese fan, but those look pretty tasty :D

10+ pounds is a good size.  We go by length here in FL, since the grouper can be overfished and the population needs a chance to recover.  Gag and Black Grouper caught in the Gulf have to be a minimum 22", limit 5 per person, per day.  Which is why it sells for a premium price when you buy it fresh, an average price of $10-15 per pound.  Unless you're a commercial fisherman of course.  Do you have catch limits in MN?

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## Johns

> If I ever visit the Minnesota/Wisconsin area, I'll have to give those a try. I'm normally not a cheese fan, but those look pretty tasty :D


Don't wait until you get to Wisconsin!  Curds are available in most areas of the country I've lived in.

My son packs a bag of curds in his lunch everyday. The squeek when you chew them.
:cheers:

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## Jacqui

> Don't wait until you get to Wisconsin!  Curds are available in most areas of the country I've lived in.
> 
> My son packs a bag of curds in his lunch everyday. The squeek when you chew them.
> :cheers:


The best ones come the Carr Valley Cheese Factory in Mauston, Wi. All others are cheap imitations. They are suppose to squeak, that proves they are fresh.

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## k12311997

Wow talka bout serious thread creep.  

So For LIfe I think the biggest problem is most people aren't that worried about it, in the sense of that will never happen to me.  Unfortunately food like everything else made locally is hard to find in variety.  The answer ?? start your own farm and if you don't raise or grow it don't eat it?

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## OptiStudent

> With all of the problems associated with Chinese food, why do we continue to import it?
> 
> Now, I know what you are saying. It could happen anywhere, and is only happening to a small percent. Maybe, but I remember when Alberta beef was found to have Mad Cow Disease, nations boycotted it for safety. Why? SAFETY.
> 
> I think China has shown that it cannot supervise its products efficiently, and until it does, we should stay away.


 
where are ya'll at? The Us has mad cow in it's livestock. Mad cow does not show up till 20+yrs latter, maybe latter diaganoised as dementia. The prob. with China is that they are subsituting a plastic -Melamine (sp?) in the food chain which raises the protein content in food. Plastic kills, and has lead to deaths, and kidney failure in the pets eating the food. I heard just last week on NPR that 4 babies in China died because of the Melamine in their milk. It IS the whey products that we import that are tainted. I am very scared by this. Comments?

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