Government control of foodstuffs, can it happen here??

thruthefence · Jun 6, 2011

BBC News - Marmite: Denmark says spread could be illegal

I wonder if there is a potential black market profit here?

Once the Danes ban Marmite, can crunchy peanut butter be next here in the USA?

Miguels244 · Jun 6, 2011

thruthefence said:
BBC News - Marmite: Denmark says spread could be illegal

I wonder if there is a potential black market profit here?

Once the Danes ban Marmite, can crunchy peanut butter be next here in the USA?

Meh...they'll approve it.

Keep your damn hands off my crunchy peanut butter.

FWIW I have some crazy apocalyptic jesus nut relatives...they were living communally with about 20 other families. Part of their schtik is dietary so they made their own PB.
Guess which cult got e-coli for not following food safety guidelines.

metlmunchr · Jun 6, 2011

The FDA or USDA, whichever one controls peanut butter standards, has a max allowable amount for rat shit in peanut butter, and the max allowable ain't zero.

Which makes me wonder............ If QC checks a batch and finds it has much less than the allowable amount.... do they add some to get it up to spec?

Miguels244 · Jun 6, 2011

metlmunchr said:
The FDA or USDA, whichever one controls peanut butter standards, has a max allowable amount for rat shit in peanut butter, and the max allowable ain't zero.

Which makes me wonder............ If QC checks a batch and finds it has much less than the allowable amount.... do they add some to get it up to spec?

No, they keep it to blend with out of spec material.

SteveM · Jun 6, 2011

I heard of some locale that wanted to ban the electric cigarette because it's dangerous. It's not more dangerous than tobacco, is it?

If you come up with a drug that drops suicides in a population prone to suicide from 50% to 10%, you have to list suicide as a side effect.

A woman took several FDA-approved products and put them together in a box to make a home drug test kit for parents. The FDA nailed her for selling an unapproved medical device (never mind that EVERY item in the box WAS FDA approved).

Some people have such a narrow view of things that they can't see the bigger picture and that the net effect is beneficial.

So, yes, they can control anything they want.

And yes, keep your damn hands off my crunchy peanut butter!

BTW, the FDA controls cheese pizza and the USDA controls pepperoni pizza (or the other way around). Go figure.

Steve

jamscal · Jun 6, 2011

metlmunchr said:
The FDA or USDA, whichever one controls peanut butter standards, has a max allowable amount for rat shit in peanut butter, and the max allowable ain't zero.

Which makes me wonder............ If QC checks a batch and finds it has much less than the allowable amount.... do they add some to get it up to spec?

Depends on if they're making crunchy or extra crunchy that day.

devsterd1 · Jun 7, 2011

I used to like bananas on my peanut butter sandwiches, but apparently rats are in the bananas too:

Chiquita: The Guns and Drugs and Union Killing CNN Didn’t Mention | Emptywheel

Anything's possible nowadays.

John Welden · Jun 7, 2011

Rat/mouse and insect poop is unavoidable in the food supply. We are only talking about microscopic amounts. It just makes a good story to say that the FDA allows rat shit in your food.

If you go eat a strawberry out of your garden, you'll be eating poop and you'll very likely be fine.

You probably have microscopic dust mites living on your body and eating your dead skin. And they're going poop on you. Dead skin with dust mites on it probably fell into your food while you were having lunch.

The key is to avoid eating a lot of poop. :cheers:

moonlight machine · Jun 7, 2011

Rat shit!!!!! no way, obama save us! I can't believe some of the 162,000 new federal "workers" hired since the inauguration can't take care of this problem.

thruthefence · Jun 7, 2011

I read this somewhere; Fortean Times, maybe..................

seems like the do-gooders got their panties in a knot over the amount of "insect parts" & weevils, & so forth, that they were finding in grain shipments going to Bangladesh, Or Somalia, or some other hell hole, so procedures were put in place to cut down on the "bugs".

fast forward................

Bangladeshis & Somalians were now coming down with rickets & beri beri, at higher rates...........

The reason? "The bug protein" they once were getting in thier care packages was not now in the mix, dropping them into protein deficiency territory!

These poor bastards can't get a break!!

ColoradoBoy · Jun 7, 2011

metlmunchr said:
The FDA or USDA, whichever one controls peanut butter standards, has a max allowable amount for rat shit in peanut butter, and the max allowable ain't zero.

Which makes me wonder............ If QC checks a batch and finds it has much less than the allowable amount.... do they add some to get it up to spec?

Only if they are concerned about keeping the taste consistant like most other prepared food products?

thruthefence · Jun 7, 2011

John, have you ever read this?

Amazon.com: Parasite Rex Parasite Rex (with a New Epilogue): Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures (9780743200110): Carl Zimmer: Books

an eye opener, and an enjoyable read.

Just shut up & enjoy the critters that are living on & within us!

jim rozen · Jun 7, 2011

"If you go eat a strawberry out of your garden, you'll be eating poop and you'll very likely be fine."

Ever drank a glass of water? Well guess what, that glass of water's been pissed out
by more folks than you can count over the ages of history.

Nature: the ultimate recycler.

Ries · Jun 7, 2011

In terms of the original question-
Not only CAN it happen here, it happens here every day.

The US government has, for years and years, banned all kinds of imported foods-
For instance, Absinthe.

Banned since 1915.
Absinthe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Perfectly legal lots of places.

Or Jamon Iberico- Traditional spanish hams- they are unbelievably tasty- and illegal to import to the USA.

Many French unpasteurized cheeses have always been illegal to import to the USA as well.

There are lots more foods that other people, in other countries, eat everyday with no problems, that our government, in its infinite wisdom, has decided we cant have.

And we have some similar laws about what you can put in food as the Danish, and what you can claim in terms of vitamin or health benefits.

PS- have you ever tasted Marmite? The stuff is FOUL. Its like spreading stale yeast mixed with rancid butter on your toast.
An acquired taste, if ever there was one.

SteveM · Jun 8, 2011

Ries said:
Or Jamon Iberico- Traditional spanish hams- they are unbelievably tasty- and illegal to import to the USA.

At least they finally relented on prosciutto di parma!

Steve

thruthefence · Jun 8, 2011

"PS- have you ever tasted Marmite? The stuff is FOUL."

Thanks, Ries; that was part of the "joke"!

Altho brewer's yeast IS really good for you, (it also gives you the most pernicious farts) I can't imagine anyone spreading it on toast.

67Cuda · Jun 8, 2011

jim rozen said:
"If you go eat a strawberry out of your garden, you'll be eating poop and you'll very likely be fine."

Ever drank a glass of water? Well guess what, that glass of water's been pissed out
by more folks than you can count over the ages of history.

Nature: the ultimate recycler.

Water has been filtered by the environment?

Oh no, now the environmental libtards are going to want to tax water to save the environment!!

Tom

ARKTinkerer · Jun 8, 2011

It is happening now--

Read up on the people who want to buy/sell "raw" milk.

Small farmers are scared that they will not be able to deal with the feds demand that every cow/pig/chicken be tagged with an electronic ID from farm to supermarket.

Company wanted to test every cow for mad cow disease a few years back during that scare--fed said they couldn't do it! Why? It would imply that the other meat in the food supply was less safe!

Want to grow oranges? Your competitors can make you bury most of your crops without compensation to keep the market price up!

Want to grow wheat to feed your own cattle? Supreme court says the feds have a right to regulate that since it affects the cost of wheat nationally even by a tiny infinitesimal amount....

Better question to ask is what does the fed think they CAN'T regulate?

ArkTinkerer

Miguels244 · Jun 8, 2011

SteveM said:
At least they finally relented on prosciutto di parma!

Steve

We have a local salamaria...they make all sorts of yummies including this, all within FDA guidelines.

I grew up trading veggies for raw milk...even 30 years ago it wasn't technically legal, like most regulation of that nature if you just shrt up about it no one cares.

It was important to keep the cream in a separate container if the cows got into the onions...butter made from THAT was pretty awful when spread on toast as well.

Ciszewski · Jun 8, 2011

Ries said:
In terms of the original question-
Not only CAN it happen here, it happens here every day.
The US government has, for years and years, banned all kinds of imported foods-
Perfectly legal lots of places.
There are lots more foods that other people, in other countries, eat everyday with no problems, that our government, in its infinite wisdom, has decided we cant have.

Hello Ries
I hear you on that. Back in '03 when we found our first case of BSE the US border was closed to Canadian cattle & beef. All our markets shut down & the animals became worthless. Actually worse, they were a liability, as you still had to feed them. Canadian consumers supported beef producers by going to farms & buying sides & quartes direct from farmers. My freezer was full of beef. I ate it 7 days of the week for every meal just to get rid of the darn stuff. Experts said you could get CJD (desease that causes holes in the brain) from eating beef.

hA, i La uGh, mY fiNe braIN GooD worK? iT hoLEs no gOT"

Government control of foodstuffs, can it happen here??

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