US rice imports 'contain harmful levels of lead'
1–10 of 79 posts
Re: US rice imports 'contain harmful levels of lead'
#2"If you look through the scientific literature, especially on India and China, they irrigate their crops with raw sewage effluent and untreated industrial effluent," he explained."
...
"Dr Tongesayi also said that the increasing practice of sending electronic waste to developing countries - and the pollution it leads to - exacerbates the problem."
This is seriously scary!
I had no idea that the delicious Indian and Pakistani basmati rice that I buy from my local asian grocery store might have been grown in sewage!
They certainly don't advertise this at the grocery store. And this article mentions that high levels of arsenic in rice was a "well-known" problem, linking of FDA's advice on the matter:[1]
I had no idea about this either. Why isn't there more publicity about this?
What happened to the FDA's mission to protect the consumer? Why aren't rice imports tested for heavy metals?
If not an outright ban on products that fail to meet basic safety standards, at the very least the FDA could require clear labeling of these products, so the consumer at least has half a chance of avoiding them if they are concerned. And who wouldn't be concerened about accidentally poisoning themselves on sewage-grown rice?
[1] - http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm319827.ht...
Re: US rice imports 'contain harmful levels of lead'
#3Is anything safe to eat anymore?
Re: US rice imports 'contain harmful levels of lead'
#4"If you look through the scientific literature, especially on India and China, they irrigate their crops with raw sewage effluent and untreated industrial effluent," he explained." ... "Dr Tongesayi also said that the increasing practice of sending electronic waste to developing countries - and the pollution it leads to - exacerbates the problem." This is seriously scary! I had no idea that the delicious Indian and P…
>>>What happened to the FDA's mission to protect the consumer?
It was basically eviscerated in the 1980s. One example is the increased amount of fat and bone allowed in meats. And did you forget about the infamous pink slime? FDA Approved!
Re: US rice imports 'contain harmful levels of lead'
#5"If you look through the scientific literature, especially on India and China, they irrigate their crops with raw sewage effluent and untreated industrial effluent," he explained." ... "Dr Tongesayi also said that the increasing practice of sending electronic waste to developing countries - and the pollution it leads to - exacerbates the problem." This is seriously scary! I had no idea that the delicious Indian and P…
> What happened to the FDA's mission to protect the consumer?
The formal name is "Regulatory Capture" [1] but the common name is simply corruption.
The interesting thing the article fails to mention is most of the countries which the US imports rice from actually ban rice imports from the US. The US, specifically California central valley, had and mostly still has a huge rice industry, but since so many countries ban our imports farming rice not as profitable as it could be. The countries which ban rice imports from the US are typically trying to protect their own rice farmers.
NOTE: I'm using the term "ban" in loose manner, since in some case they just make importing rice from the US painfully difficult and expensive though endless and unfair regulation.
Re: US rice imports 'contain harmful levels of lead'
#6"If you look through the scientific literature, especially on India and China, they irrigate their crops with raw sewage effluent and untreated industrial effluent," he explained." ... "Dr Tongesayi also said that the increasing practice of sending electronic waste to developing countries - and the pollution it leads to - exacerbates the problem." This is seriously scary! I had no idea that the delicious Indian and P…
"If you look through the scientific literature, especially on India and China, they irrigate their crops with raw sewage effluent and untreated industrial effluent," he explained."
I guess that gives new meaning to rice that's "organic"
Re: US rice imports 'contain harmful levels of lead'
#7I don't think this a new problem, its just one that has been hidden exceptionally well in "recent" times.
The obvious example is The Jungle by Sinclair which was essentially publicity of precisely these problems, except in the beginnings of the 20th century. I highly doubt that the situation has been drastically improved, but, really hidden much more thoroughly from the public view.
Re: US rice imports 'contain harmful levels of lead'
#8Good thing the FDA is funded to appropriate levels to ensure that the rest of our food is safe! Oh wait...
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57572066/sequester-may-l...
The really frightening thing to me is that even before the sequester, the FDA has largely left it up to industry-approved 3rd party food inspectors to validate food safety.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-11/food-sickens-millio...
Re: US rice imports 'contain harmful levels of lead'
#9"If you look through the scientific literature, especially on India and China, they irrigate their crops with raw sewage effluent and untreated industrial effluent," he explained." ... "Dr Tongesayi also said that the increasing practice of sending electronic waste to developing countries - and the pollution it leads to - exacerbates the problem." This is seriously scary! I had no idea that the delicious Indian and P…
What happened to the FDA's mission to protect the consumer? Why aren't rice imports tested for heavy metals?
You know why. Because that would be onerous government regulation. Americans are obsessed with the idea that the government overregulates everything. That's why Congress is unwilling to fund enforcement actions.
Re: US rice imports 'contain harmful levels of lead'
#10"If you look through the scientific literature, especially on India and China, they irrigate their crops with raw sewage effluent and untreated industrial effluent," he explained." ... "Dr Tongesayi also said that the increasing practice of sending electronic waste to developing countries - and the pollution it leads to - exacerbates the problem." This is seriously scary! I had no idea that the delicious Indian and P…
>>>What happened to the FDA's mission to protect the consumer? It was basically eviscerated in the 1980s. One example is the increased amount of fat and bone allowed in meats. And did you forget about the infamous pink slime? FDA Approved!
1. While use of ammonium hydroxide is FDA approved, approval of pink slime is really under USDA's jurisdiction.
2. Of all the failings of government regulation and the FDA in particular, pink slime is such a red herring that it's hardly even worth mentioning. If you want examples of the FDA screwing up, you can find way better examples than that.