China arrests smugglers trying to sell frozen meat from the 1970s

[mfcorey1]

In the latest food scandal to hit China, authorities have seized almost half a billion dollars worth of smuggled frozen meat, some of more than 40 years old. According to the state-run China Daily, customs officials have confiscated over 100,000 tonnes (110, 231 tons) of chicken wings, beef, and pork, and arrested gangs across 14 Chinese provinces attempting to sell the contraband.

“It was smelly. There was a whole truck of it. I nearly threw up when I opened the door,” Zhang Tao, an official that helped with the operation in Hunan province told the paper. Some of the meat had begun to thaw and rot, and some of it was stamped with packaging dates as far back as the 1970s, officials said.

Meat smuggled in from foreign countries via Hong Kong and Vietnam is increasingly making its way into Chinese grocery stores, where consumers can’t tell the product’s age easily when it is frozen. The meat, transported in non-refrigerated trucks and cars, is often repeatedly thawed and refrozen. In Hong Kong, imported meat is subject to surveillance but not usually tested if it is for re-export, government officials said.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/china-arrests-smugglers-trying-to-sell-frozen-meat-from-the-1970s/ar-AAc1AhW?ocid=mailsignout

[Human101948]

1. With the Trans Pacific pact in place they can sue for lost profits...

and force us to eat it up.

[newfie11]

2. I don't think their part of it yet but they can be added on

TPP has horrendous possibilities.

[Recursion]

10. They'll never join because then AFL could sue them

for keeping workers from organizing.

They also have no reason to join a bloc that was expressly designed to limit their trading.

[fasttense]

16. The AFL has absolutely no standing under the TPP

According to leaked documents and previous agreements Monsanto, Wal-Mart, BP and Tyson all could file suit under the TPP. But labor is out in the cold. Only corpoations are people under the TPP.

[Recursion]

20. Yes they do; it's just like NAFTA

I'm curious how much of the "leaks" you have actually read if you don't know that.

[fasttense]

21. NO they don't. NAFTA does NOT have provisions for labor to file suit

In NAFTA there are invisible commissions that were suppose to be set up in each country to address labor, environment and consumer concerns. The commisions were added later (of course they can't be added in the TPP because fast track does NOT allow for amendments). They were never set up and corporations making money hand over fist from these ridiculous "free" trade give aways are purposely preventing them.

Labor, environment and consumers are the prey in these trade agreements and any nicey-nice language (usually added later) to make it look as if the rest of us are NOT screwed is just talk with NO enforcement provisions added.

PS here is a link. Read it from the horse's mouth so to speak. http://www.aflcio.org/Issues/Trade/Trans-Pacific-Partnership-Free-Trade-Agreement-TPP

http://www.inc.com/encyclopedia/north-american-free-trade-agreement-nafta.html This one is about the commissions added as amendments to appease labor, environmental and consumer groups.

[Recursion]

22. Yes, it does. AFL has filed and won dozens of suits against Mexico

They usually win.

Did you honestly not know that?

[fasttense]

25. Are you that tied to your ideology that you fail to see the facts before you?

The AFLCIO has never, ever filed suit under any free trade corporate give away or agreement - They are NOT members of these agreements. ONLY Corporations and Nations may file suits under the tribunals. What you think is happening is NOT happening.

What has happened in the past is that the AFLCIO has asked, begged and pleaded for the United States as a Nation to file suit in the tribunal courts on their behalf against nations and corporations who are continually abusing labor. So NO, labor, environmental and consumer groups DO NOT have standing to file suits under any trade agreements. But they can provide briefs to the corporate lawyers sitting on the tribunals.

Did you honestly think otherwise?

Unlike corporations that can file suit directly to the tribunals, Labor, Environmental and Consumer groups must first convince their country's politicians. That's what I mean when I say they have No Standing. They can NOT directly file suit. They have to get Obama or the bushes or some other president to do it for them. AND unlike corporations, they have to go through the country they live in. While a corporation can file suit against anyone no matter where they have their headquarters.

[stonecutter357]

4. .

[Recursion]

7. What does the TPP have to do with China? (nt)

[Demeter]

8. China is not part of the TPP

and that's because China is not full of stupid Americans.

[djean111]

3. Yep. They have expressed interest in joining the TPP. So much for the outright lie that

the TPP will protect us from China bullshit. Which was always made-up bullshit. Just think, China could sell us all kinds of poisonous stuff - baby formula, toothpaste, pet food - and it would be none of our business where it came from. Oh, and don't they have PERMANENT Most Favored Nation trading status with us already?

Really, I cannot vote for anyone connected to the TPP again.

[Recursion]

9. China will never join the TPP

If they did, US meat packers could sue them over stuff like this. It will never happen.

[Human101948]

14. Huh? U.S. companies are already participating in such practices...

A US-owned factory in Shanghai is at the center of China’s latest food scandal: Chinese health authorities have suspended operations at Shanghai Husi Food, owned by the Illinois-based OSI Group, for reprocessing old and discarded meat to extend its use-by date. Husi was supplying meat to KFC, Pizza Hut and McDonald’s restaurants in China. Staff were captured on camera reprocessing expired and discarded meat—in one case picking up food off the floor and throwing it into processing machines.

http://qz.com/237708/the-us-meat-processing-company-at-the-rotten-center-of-chinas-latest-food-scandal/

According to the Seattle Times, domestically caught Pacific salmon and Dungeness crab are being processed in China and shipped back to the U.S. because of significant cost savings.

“There are 36 pin bones in a salmon and the best way to remove them is by hand,” said Charles Bundrant, founder of Trident, which ships about 30 million pounds of its 1.2 billion-pound annual harvest to China for processing. “Something that would cost us $1 per pound labor here, they get it done for 20 cents in China.

(from the same article)
•More than 300,000 Chinese children have suffered illness, and several have died, from melamine-tainted milk powder.
•Dangerously high levels of mercury have been found in Chinese baby formula.
•More than $1 million worth of rat and other small mammal meat has been sold to Chinese consumers as lamb.

http://www.nationofchange.org/usda-allow-chickens-us-be-shipped-china-processing-and-back-us-consumption-just-seafood-1394374208

[Recursion]

15. And their competitors would love to sue over it

As would the meat packers union and consumer groups. If China joined the TPP, they could all do that, which is why China will never join.

Trading without free trade agreements means making everywhere like trade with China. I'm against that.

[fasttense]

18. NO they would NOT be able to sue under the TPP

Cosumer and labor groups have absolutely NO standing under any leaked portions of the TPP or under any trade agreements. The only entities that have standing are governments and corporations.

Maybe they could sue under US law but since US law does NOT apply to foreign corporations.

[Recursion]

19. Sure they would, just like they do under NAFTA

The way basic facts like that are blithely ignored here is annoying.

[fasttense]

24. Nope you are wrong

Even under NAFTA they can't sue. Only countries and corporations are allowed to sue in the tribunals.

Free trade is a scam, especially with these give aways called "free" trade agreements. It's merely a way to push facism and corporate rule of nations.

[Enthusiast]

5. Soylent Green will happen. If it hasn't already.

China will most likely be the source of dead human beings made into pet food or sausage or whatever.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

6. The 5 second rule has been expanded to 1,261,440,000 seconds. nt

[Agnosticsherbet]

27. So funny it was worth reading the entire thread to get to it.

LOL indeed.

[RandiFan1290]

11. Some people might have their retirements invested in that meat!

Leave them alone!!!!






 

[pinboy3niner]

12. Sounds like most of the meat is receiving retirement benefits

[dembotoz]

13. So maybe country of origin for meat is a good idea

[malthaussen]

17. Wow, I ate some pretty old C-Rats back in the day...

... but forty years is pushing it. Although I did read an article by a guy who opened a 40 yr old C-Rat fruitcake and said it still seemed edible. Of course, he didn't eat it. Who eats fruitcake?

-- Mal

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

26. One of the websites I hit recently said peanut butter like 'jif' will last indefinitely, as long as

it's not opened and stored at reasonable temperatures. Part of an article on foods that are usually good way past any dates stamped on packaging.

[PowerToThePeople]

23. Coming to a store near you via the TPP.

Thanks Obama!

[joeybee12]

28. My first thought also...

I never thought about being a vegetarian...I just might now.

[KamaAina]

29. Talk about your freezer burn!