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How a key ingredient in Coca-Cola, M&M's is smuggled from war-torn Sudan

middleeastmonitor.com

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Re: How a key ingredient in Coca-Cola, M&M's is smuggled from war-torn Sudan

#31

Post by ToucanLoucan »

0xbadcafebee wrote: post #21

If you don't want your corporation's supply chain at risk, maybe use your lobbying dollars to ask the executive branch to actually support foreign nations rather than let them fall into civil war. Sudan has had a military dictatorship from 1989-2019 (led by Omar al-Bashir). In 2017, both President Obama and President Trump lifted sanctions on Sudan, after al-Bashir reneged on a promise to step down just two years ear…

Bold of you to assume the Government wouldn't install a dictator as their method of "supporting" a foreign nation. As though we haven't stomped popular left-leaning governments into the dirt via sponsoring military coups numerous times.

Hell, I don't know anything about Sudan, but if you told me the CIA installed Omar al-Bashir to ensure the continued cheap supply of Gum Arabic, I wouldn't necessarily believe you, but I wouldn't call you a liar either.

Re: How a key ingredient in Coca-Cola, M&M's is smuggled from war-torn Sudan

#32

Post by dod9er »

oersted wrote: post #9

And yet Gum Arabic is extremely cheap for the amounts needed. At $4-$7 per Kg in the US, the cost per Coke can would be in the order of 0.025 cents (guesstimate). This is interesting considering that 80% of the supply comes from Sudan. It is a nearly universal ingredient in processed foods and professional kitchens. I wonder how the economics work to push the price down. EDIT: Apparently naturally abundant Acacia tre…

They should just pull a Trump and call IT a Deal.

Re: How a key ingredient in Coca-Cola, M&M's is smuggled from war-torn Sudan

#33

Post by genewitch »

InitialLastName wrote: post #26
0xbadcafebee wrote: post #21

If you don't want your corporation's supply chain at risk, maybe use your lobbying dollars to ask the executive branch to actually support foreign nations rather than let them fall into civil war. Sudan has had a military dictatorship from 1989-2019 (led by Omar al-Bashir). In 2017, both President Obama and President Trump lifted sanctions on Sudan, after al-Bashir reneged on a promise to step down just two years ear…

That may be learning the wrong lesson. US corporations have used "securing supply chains" to justify encouraging the US government to incite a whole lot of strife and conflict around the world in the last century-and-a-bit.

yes please, find another ingredient that doesn't involve smuggling it out of a war-torn country, at the very least. Unfortunately i didn't know this when i bought some and now i got a giant tub of conflict gum that i'll probably never use. I got it to make "Chocolate Frosty" that wouldn't have the tiny ice crystals in it. It didn't work, i think you have to put it in something that is hot in order to activate it, and i didn't want to experiment to find out which part i could heat up without affecting the end result.

there are other gums, too. And now that i know about the collection of gum arabic i'll avoid it in processed stuff, too. I already boycott nestle, and i can do without coca-cola, too.

Re: How a key ingredient in Coca-Cola, M&M's is smuggled from war-torn Sudan

#34

Post by genewitch »

soneca wrote: post #14
myself248 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks, saved me a click.

I think which ingredient is being smuggled from a war-tone is the least interesting part of the article for me

it is (to me), if you want to know what not to buy. That's the easiest and practically, the only thing that a majority of people can do with this information.

Re: How a key ingredient in Coca-Cola, M&M's is smuggled from war-torn Sudan

#36

Post by WillAdams »

staplung wrote: post #30
jmkd wrote: post #5

80% of the world's supply comes from Sudan...that is certainly a surprise. I'd love to see a table of some of the world's most essential goods that have 80% or more reliance on a single market.

~70% of the world's phosphate reserves are in Morocco. Considering how important phosphates are to the entire planet's food security I'd rate it near the top of the list. Practically speaking, phosphates are a non-renewable resource.

Yeah, China quit exporting them a couple of years ago.

Moreover, they are famously the limiting element in Isaac Asimov's thought-experiment of converting the earth's crust into biomass.

Re: How a key ingredient in Coca-Cola, M&M's is smuggled from war-torn Sudan

#37

Post by droideqa »

WillAdams wrote: post #36
staplung wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

~70% of the world's phosphate reserves are in Morocco. Considering how important phosphates are to the entire planet's food security I'd rate it near the top of the list. Practically speaking, phosphates are a non-renewable resource.

Yeah, China quit exporting them a couple of years ago. Moreover, they are famously the limiting element in Isaac Asimov's thought-experiment of converting the earth's crust into biomass.

Ooh, I would like to learn/see links about that!

Re: How a key ingredient in Coca-Cola, M&M's is smuggled from war-torn Sudan

#38

Post by ipsum2 »

ceejayoz wrote: post #18
jmkd wrote: post #5

80% of the world's supply comes from Sudan...that is certainly a surprise. I'd love to see a table of some of the world's most essential goods that have 80% or more reliance on a single market.

60% of IV fluids used in the US came from a single manufacturing plant that got hit by a hurricane last year. https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/11/19/nx... My wife gets regular infusions and had to ration for months; the local hospital canceled elective surgeries as well.

IV fluids aren't even difficult to produce compared to gum arabic, its just different salts in water. This is just pure government regulation causing rationing and harming people.

For those downvoting me, here's the American Medical Association:

https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/fixin...

> The Biden administration has invoked the Defense Production Act “to help speed up recovery efforts and get that North Cove plant back up and running,” Garcia noted. Hospitals, meanwhile, are turning to alternative options such as hydration tablets and sports drinks while prioritizing IV fluids for the higher-acuity and higher-risk patients.

> The FDA, meanwhile, has “released new guidance that eases up on rules regarding the compounding of IV solutions,” she added. “That's to make it easier for hospitals and other facilities to do this during the shortage period.”

NBC https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/long-helene-iv-fl...:

> So, why are these essential fluids — a lifeline for hospitals — so hard to come by?

> As is often the case with drug shortages, it comes down to money, and IV fluids don’t bring in much of it for manufacturers, said Erin Fox, senior pharmacy director at the University of Utah Health.

> “These are life-saving products, but at the same time these are absolutely treated as kind of commodities,” Fox said.

> The high barrier to entry — including the time and cost required to meet the regulatory requirements for setting up a manufacturing facility — along with the pressure to keep prices low, means drugmakers aren’t really motivated to jump into the market, Fox said.

NPR: https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/10/11/nx...

> On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration announced it has authorized 19 IV products for temporary importation from Canada, China, Ireland and the U.K.

Re: How a key ingredient in Coca-Cola, M&M's is smuggled from war-torn Sudan

#39

Post by dijksterhuis »

anon84873628 wrote: post #35
myself248 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks, saved me a click.

By clicking into the comments instead of the article?

not parent, but i often scan comments to get an idea of if it’s worth bothering to read an article.

i was more interested in what the ingredient was. the fact its being smuggled (a) doesn’t surprise me and (b) isn’t something im particularly interested in learning about.

so, in this case, it wasn’t worth opening the article for me. i learned what i wanted to learn during my normal comment scan that i usually do with titles like this (outside my wheel house).

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