For reference:
1 kilogram = 2.204 622 621 8 pound (US)
1 milligram = 0.000 001 kilogram
A look at the list below and the articles from previous days, tells you just how far we have come in the global market place. We are all excited to buy the latest barn burning gosh-a-wally product from that nice gentleman; especially when he has such a good price for it!
Later of course, that product gives us the runs or burns our hair off or some such thing, and we are pretty peeved, because we have been bamboozled. When that product kills our children and maybe impairs our life, rage happens. We want a sheriff to protect us and bring the culprits to justice. More than that, we want the word of the law to defend us, and standards to go by.
Getting countries to agree on standards is probably pretty tough because even when the supporting science is there, economic factors are involved i.e., inspections. Every country has to decide how to spend their resources, and our own country puts inspections, even with the beefing up over the last melamine scare, pretty low.
So I think it’s great that the World Health Organization (WHO) has provided a publication called: “Melamine and Cyanuric acid: Toxicity, Preliminary Risk Assessment and Guidance on Levels in Food”. Which can be found on this PAGE.
However, inspections and standards are still the key. Why for example, would anyone, including the US, import goods from a country that is apparently only now, deciding on a minimum standard? Why did we not ask?
To me it looks like our global economy is still woefully unprepared to handle all the ramifications of it’s own growth.
China
China announces permissible levels of melamine in milk
By Edward Wong
Published: October 8, 2008
[BEIJING: The Chinese Health Ministry announced on Wednesday new limits set by the government on the amount of the industrial chemical melamine to be permitted in dairy products, but it refused to provide updated statistics on the number of people who have died or fallen ill from ingesting melamine-tainted dairy products….]
USA
FDA: Tiny bit of melamine OK in most foods
The Associated Press
Published: October 3, 2008
WASHINGTON: Tiny traces of melamine, the chemical that has set off a global food safety scare, are not harmful in most foods, except baby formula, government experts said Friday.
The Food and Drug Administration said Friday its safety experts have concluded that eating a minuscule amount of melamine — 2.5 parts per million — would not raise health concerns, even if a person ate food every day that was tainted with the chemical.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/10/03/america/FDA-Melamine.php
Philippines
Philippines finds third melamine-tainted product
The Associated Press
Published: October 8, 2008
[MANILA, Philippines: The Philippine health secretary says traces of the industrial chemical melamine have been found in a third Chinese-made milk product sold in the Philippines…]
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/10/08/asia/AS-Philippines-Tainted-Milk.php
Liberia
[MONROVIA, Liberia: Liberia banned imports of Chinese milk products Tuesday amid worldwide concern about tainted milk powder from China…]
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/10/07/africa/AF-Liberia-China-Milk-Ban.php
Brazil
Brazil bans Chinese food products
The Associated Press
Published: October 7, 2008
[BRASILIA, Brazil: Brazil indefinitely banned all Chinese food imports on Tuesday because of safety concerns….]
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/10/07/business/LT-Brazil-China-Ban.php
Vietnam
[HANOI, Vietnam:
Melamine contamination has been found in 23 milk products imported into Vietnam from China, officials said Tuesday, intensifying consumer worries about tainted milk products….]
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/10/07/asia/AS-Vietnam-Tainted-Milk.php
Senegal
Senegal bans Chinese milk imports
The Associated Press
Published: October 6, 2008
[DAKAR, Senegal: Senegal banned imports of Chinese milk Monday in what it called a preventative measure to keep tainted products from entering the West African country….]
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/10/06/africa/AF-Senegal-Chinese-Milk.php
Iran
Iran bans China’s milk products
The Associated Press
Published: October 5, 2008
[TEHRAN, Iran: Iran’s state radio says the country has banned the import of dairy products from China because of contamination concerns….]
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/10/05/news/ML-Iran-China-Tainted-Milk.php
Russia
Tainted Chinese milk products found in Russia
The Associated Press
Published: October 3, 2008
[MOSCOW: Russian food inspectors have found nearly two tons of Chinese dry milk believed to be contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine, news agencies reported Friday….]
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/10/03/europe/EU-Russia-Tainted-Milk.php
Austria
Melamine found in restaurant milkshake in Austria
The Associated Press
Published: October 2, 2008
[VIENNA, Austria: A nonthreatening amount of melamine has been found in a milkshake at a Chinese restaurant in southern Austria, the Health Ministry said Thursday….]
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/10/02/europe/EU-Austria-Melamine-Milkshake.php
Australia
Australia recalls tea in tainted milk scandal
The Associated Press
Published: October 3, 2008
[SYDNEY, Australia: Australian food regulators recalled a brand of tea on Friday, the fourth product withdrawn from the country’s stores in the wake of China’s tainted milk scandal….]
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/10/03/asia/AS-Australia-Tainted-Milk.php
I Own My Vote, PUMA, The Denver Group, Just Say No Deal
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