Reuters had a story yesterday about a company in Utah that’s putting “China-Free” stickers on its “nutritional supplements for people and pets.” Might be a successful marketing gimmick. According to this MSNBC online poll, 77% of current respondents favor the idea. Only 8% think it’s racist.

We here at What on Earth are we Eating think that focusing on whether foods and products are “China-free” is beside the point. Yes, it’s true that many Chinese manufacturers have been taking shortcuts in the production of their goods–both for domestic use and for export–and that the quest for lower prices has had costs for safety. But, ultimately, the problem is not that Chinese foods and products are inherently suspect. It’s that the F.D.A. is inadequately equipped to ensure that imported foods are safe, no matter which country they come from.

Update: We’ve removed the “China-Free” sticker image, since some commentors have been taking Eric’s inexact rendition of a map of China very personally. (Yes, we know Taiwan and China are two different countries, guys!)

It’s interesting that this post has drawn more reaction than any other we’ve written thus far. Hmm…it seems that people like stickers! And slogans! And–understandably–a way to feel more in control. –But “No China” stickers won’t deal with the fundamental problem here. Whether we like it or not, our food is now being produced worldwide. We can’t be certain that careful standards–or ANY standards–have been applied to ensure this food is safe.

So what’s the solution? More inspections? Certification of specific facilities in countries that will be exporting their goods to us? How much would changes on this scale cost? Who would pay for them? These are big, headache-inspiring questions. In this past Sunday’s Washington Post, Joel Achenbach quoted Robert Clark of George Mason University as explaining our current food system this way:

“There’s a world below our level of awareness that affects everything we do — the quality of food we eat, the water we drink, the clothes on our back. They’re delivered by systems that are so complex, most of the people who are actually in the system don’t understand them.”

It’s not surprising that people would rather just buy products with “China Free” stickers (even if they DO lump China and Taiwan together) and hope that will be enough to keep them safe.

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