Is canned food from the Orient risky?

[Linda0818]

Look up recalls for Cosco or other large stores. Some are only found after people get sick from either e-coli, hepatitis, other things as non-food, plastics, metals. Even our own countries industries are not immune to errors, human or not.
eg. Kirland brand Frozen Strawberries, March 2023, 9 people sick due to hepatitis. Cosco's Chicken Salad, 2015, 19 people ill from e-coli, turned out to be the celery and onions (and not the chicken)

Onions are a big culprit, unfortunately, with food illness outbreaks. Heck, onions (green onions) literally caused the demise of a popular restaurant chain here in the states many years ago. And now there's an outbreak of E. Coli that spans over 13 states with at least 75 people sickened (and one death, I believe) because of - yep, the onions.

There are even a few people hospitalized with severe kidney conditions because of it.

 

[georgevan]

In terms of Asian, from most to least, the top populations are Chinese, Indian, Filipino.
Safety, @georgevan you mean safety-health, not any other kind of safety, correct?

As an example, chinese canning practicies, if you do a deep dive you can find video of one chinese food processing plant, putting things into tomato paste that are not put on the label, illegal by chinese standards but it's happening anyways. However, import laws protect some populations, but Africa gets most of the substandard tomato paste. (Africans deserve much better than this! Poverty causes this.)

Or look at turmeric, it is adulterated with a form of lead to make it look more yellow, be careful that you buy turmeric that's been tested by a 3rd party. Cinnamon is another like this.

Health wise, a holistic approach is to limit canned or dried food including herbs and spices from other countries. Same with medications and supplements. At least see if a 3rd party does testing for lead, cadmium, arsenic... And also avoid exposure to pesticides and herbicides, don't work in an area where there is exposed asbestos. Pay attention to the air quality. All these things add up in the human body and by the time we reach 50 or 60, the accumulation may be parkinsons disease for example. Numerous diseases show up later in life.

Thanks for the in depth information. Things i hadn't thought of.

 

[georgevan]

In terms of Asian, from most to least, the top populations are Chinese, Indian, Filipino.
Safety, @georgevan you mean safety-health, not any other kind of safety, correct?

As an example, chinese canning practicies, if you do a deep dive you can find video of one chinese food processing plant, putting things into tomato paste that are not put on the label, illegal by chinese standards but it's happening anyways. However, import laws protect some populations, but Africa gets most of the substandard tomato paste. (Africans deserve much better than this! Poverty causes this.)

Or look at turmeric, it is adulterated with a form of lead to make it look more yellow, be careful that you buy turmeric that's been tested by a 3rd party. Cinnamon is another like this.

Health wise, a holistic approach is to limit canned or dried food including herbs and spices from other countries. Same with medications and supplements. At least see if a 3rd party does testing for lead, cadmium, arsenic... And also avoid exposure to pesticides and herbicides, don't work in an area where there is exposed asbestos. Pay attention to the air quality. All these things add up in the human body and by the time we reach 50 or 60, the accumulation may be parkinsons disease for example. Numerous diseases show up later in life.

Yes safety health. What would be another concern?

 

[blissful]

Yes safety health. What would be another concern?

I can't think of any other true safety concern. Maybe someone here can?

We don't often find metal objects in our canned foods. They don't blow up or anything, so that's not a realistic hazard. People don't throw them at each other, that I know of. Sorry, I don't know of any other safety concerns.

 

[caseydog]

Canada does not allow dog food (dry) to be brought in from the States as they contain foods that Canada does not approve.

So, Canadian dogs are just too good for American food. Does Canadian dog food have cheese curds and gravy... eh?

CD

 

[caseydog]

Onions are a big culprit, unfortunately, with food illness outbreaks. Heck, onions (green onions) literally caused the demise of a popular restaurant chain here in the states many years ago. And now there's an outbreak of E. Coli that spans over 13 states with at least 75 people sickened (and one death, I believe) because of - yep, the onions.

There are even a few people hospitalized with severe kidney conditions because of it.

A lot of the produce down here comes from Mexico. And, a lot from California. Fresh garlic often comes from China, which is why I buy Jarlic from Gillroy California.

Seafood in the US has to be labeled with the country of origin, and if it is wild caught or farmed. I generally buy wild caught in USA seafood. The only farmed seafood I buy is catfish, which is farmed in Texas and Louisiana. It actually tastes better than wild caught catfish, because it eats cleaner food -- catfish are bottom feeders.

CD

 

[Linda0818]

A lot of the produce down here comes from Mexico. And, a lot from California. Fresh garlic often comes from China, which is why I buy Jarlic from Gillroy California.

Seafood in the US has to be labeled with the country of origin, and if it is wild caught or farmed. I generally buy wild caught in USA seafood. The only farmed seafood I buy is catfish, which is farmed in Texas and Louisiana. It actually tastes better than wild caught catfish, because it eats cleaner food -- catfish are bottom feeders.

CD

Yep. I've caught many catfish in my life. Growing up we had a summer place at Lake Erie and we ate a lot of catfish, walleye, etc. Also had perch, but I don't like lake perch. It's way too fishy. Ocean perch is good, though.

You can get rid of some of the 'muddy' taste of catfish by soaking it in milk and/or removing the mud vein, which is a dark red vein that runs down the center of the filet. I normally don't bother, to be honest. I'll just soak the fillets (or 'nuggets' as some stores call them) in milk for a while before cooking. I also take a sharp knife and scrape off the black skin.

Good idea, getting seafood sourced in America. Didn't know that about the garlic. I always keep jarlic around, but still like buying fresh now and then. Love roasted garlic spread onto crusty bread and I will also make whole pickled garlic cloves from time to time.

 

[caseydog]

Yep. I've caught many catfish in my life. Growing up we had a summer place at Lake Erie and we ate a lot of catfish, walleye, etc. Also had perch, but I don't like lake perch. It's way too fishy. Ocean perch is good, though.

I spent a week in South Dakota a few years ago for work. In general, it is a state I never want to go back to. BUT, I had walleye for the first time up there. It was fried -- SD fish and chips. I ate it about five times that week. It is awesome... and I can't buy it in Texas, anywhere in Texas.

CD

 

[Linda0818]

I spent a week in South Dakota a few years ago for work. In general, it is a state I never want to go back to. BUT, I had walleye for the first time up there. It was fried -- SD fish and chips. I ate it about five times that week. It is awesome... and I can't buy it in Texas, anywhere in Texas.

CD

I love walleye. It's some good eating. Glad you got to experience that. I was fortunate, as a child, to have grown up eating it when we would spend our summers at Lake Erie. My dad and my uncle would go out on the boat for a day and come home with the walleye, perch (which, again, I didn't like) and other fish that my mom would spend the whole next day cleaning and filleting to freeze for meals.

I've visited Lake Erie (Port Clinton/Marblehead area) many times over the years just to stay for a weekend and I always have to go to the local fish & chip shop for some walleye.

 

[dragnlaw]

Canada food regulations are pretty much the same as the U.S. All foods have to be labeled as to country of origin. Whether it be India, Africa, China, New Zealand, Chile, Uruguay, U.S. - anywhere outside of the Canadian borders.
Citrus fruit comes from all around the world, as I'm sure it does for you 'southerners' as well. But the majority and relatively cheaper comes up from the U.S. I don't think we grow our own bananas nor coffee beans.
Other than those in season, lettuce and avocados are usually from California, blueberries from Georgia, etc.

 

[caseydog]

Citrus fruit comes from all around the world, as I'm sure it does for you 'southerners' as well. But the majority and relatively cheaper comes up from the U.S.

Texas grows the best grapefruit in the world... Texas Ruby Red grapefruit. Other than that, we grow a lot of rice, sugar cane, and of course, cattle, but the grapefruit is the one thing we grow that we can seriously brag about. Honestly, Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit is pretty amazing.

CD

 

[dragnlaw]

What, no bananas?

 

[taxlady]

Dragn', do you buy blueberries from Georgia? Isn't that sort of like buying imported maple syrup? (Unless they are actually huckleberries)

 

[caseydog]

What, no bananas?

Not in Texas. We had a banana tree in our yard in Port Arthur, but the fruit was tiny, and fell off before it was edible. Lots of pecan trees, though. We never had to pay for pecans.

CD

CD

 

[dragnlaw]

Friend in Georgia got me some pecans - great stuff! Horribly expensive here of course. Almost on the same line as Macadamia nuts. I used to tell her how I would stock up on pork tenderloins when they came on sale here - to her our sale price was her everyday price for pork.
taxy, sometimes that is all that is available. Of course I buy Canadian when they're available but it's not always the case.
and no, they are not huckleberries. They look like blueberries, smell like blueberries, taste like blueberries, labeled as blueberries and thankfully don't quack like a duck - so I guess they're real blueberries!

 

[taxlady]

When it comes to seafood, I buy almost exclusively Canadian. I get it from companies that are committed to fishing sustainably. Unfortunately, that is more expensive. I eventually learned not to rely on Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood watch for seafood bought in Canada. I'm sure they are fine for seafood sold in the US. That's their mandate. I found some results telling me not to buy Canadian something or other that I happen to know is very sustainably caught and other stuff that is sustainably raised in Canada. Eventually the penny dropped. They were only telling me about seafood I could get in the US. The sustainable stuff that I have access to probably isn't sold outside of Canada. Or, maybe it just isn't exported to the US.