'Food Fraud' a Growing Problem in Grocery Stores

[Monroe]

Just thought I'd throw this in for reading or discussion. I've always wondered about olive oil, since I mostly use that today. I had read a few years ago that it might not be pure or could be "doctored up" in "off name" brands with it being so expensive. This article I read today mentions olive oil and some other foods in the US but it could be happening anywhere. I guess buying a brand name company might solve the problem of getting a good product.

This small paragraph is from the article: The top fraudster foods: olive oil. Even the extra-virgin kind is the most adulterated food, usually cut by hazelnut oil, which could pose a dangerous threat to those with nut-allergies.

Tea bags are sometimes being filled with lawn grass. More expensive white tuna is switched for cheaper escolar.

'Food fraud' a growing problem in grocery stores

http://www.khou.com/news/health/Food-fraud-a-growing-problem-in-grocery-stores-236733491.html

by KING 5 HealthLInk

December 20, 2013

If you are what you eat, you could be having an identity crisis. Foods we eat every day could include ingredients that aren't supposed to be the there. It's called "food fraud" and its a growing problem.

Fish, honey, milk, orange juice, and olive oil - what do they all have in common? They top the list when it comes to food fraud.

Cheap imitations are filling up grocery store shelves.

"One of the ways that happens is by substituting one ingredient for another. It's hard for consumers," said Dr. Mark Stoeckle, a Senior Research Associate in the Program for the Human Environment at The Rockefeller University.

High cost ingredients are especially susceptible to fraud, says Stoeckle. More expensive products are being replaced with cheaper imposters.

The top fraudster foods: olive oil. Even the extra-virgin kind is the most adulterated food, usually cut by hazelnut oil, which could pose a dangerous threat to those with nut-allergies.

Even milk can contain added sugar and salt, and skim powder - none of it listed on the label.

Tea bags are sometimes being filled with lawn grass. More expensive white tuna is switched for cheaper escolar.

Your favorite juice is mostly apple, even if it's labeled blueberry or cranberry. Honey is also one of the most common faux foods. Some are diluted with sugar syrup, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup. And according to Food Safety News, some honey being shipped from China is laced with antiobiotics and heavy metals.

Marianne Petrino sells her own honey at the farmers market.

But if you can't make your own, how do you protect yourself and your family? First, buy a whole lemon instead of lemon juice. Buy loose leaf tea instead of tea bags. Purchase whole spices, but don't buy into the newest food trend. And most importantly, rely on reputable sources you can trust. That means buying locally, if you can.

Activitists believe there also needs to be a push for more testing and regulation on foods coming from overseas.

Edited December 21, 2013 by duffy98

[ROTS]

I don't know, this can also be seen as a tactic, to get people to buy organic foods and foods made on a national circuit ( meaning for the nation by the nation, and prevent importing ). Right now tensions are growing high, to raise standards in food in order to force the consumer to pay more for a product that would otherwise be cheap.

I can see the problem with buying products from restaurants, because none of the items are labeled. Most of these claims seems to be attacks on, restaurants and sellers from the far east. Unrelated, I just do not see how something be considered Koshered and from China?

Back on restaurants, usually they buy the meat from super markets and other chains, when it is about to expire. Big chain Supermarkets, keeps up this practice by selling cooked food made from, "About to be expired products". Might as well cook it, if you can't freeze it. Then that food gets passed down to shelters or is given away before it expires being frozen.

Other thoughts? The FDA, like the rest of the government most likely wants us "the consumer" ( slave ), to pay for the war since 2001. This war ( population control/genocide etc ) has increased debt and obviously lowered the value of all currencies interacting with the dollar. Another consideration, like the mass global media ( human weather ) market, they want people to buy something, or do something related health wise, or flow in a certain direction. This direction might be forcing consumers to purchase a type of food group, to correct the bent spoon of a market place. By generating the want to eat healthier, they create an easy landslide for voters to agree to laws, that is unhealthy for small business owners, in the food industry, as well as turn government spending on food substitutes.

Edited December 24, 2013 by ROTS

[ZortMcGort11]

It's kind of like how they label Fresh Pacific Salmon as a fresh fish... when in fact, it was farmed. They can get away with calling it "fresh." I guess it's "freshly farmed" pacific salmon. You know what really chaps my gluteus maximus? The fruit at the store! Nearly 95% of that stuff is dead. Oranges are always juiceless bitter yucky tasting. Kiwis are always too ripe or not even close to being ripe. Apples (except Braeburn variety) are always soft and tasteless. The strawberries are okay, but they're a shadow of the fresh local berries. The peaches are usually pretty good, if you know how to tell if they're ripe. Peaches, bananas, and strawberries are the only fruits I'll buy from the store. Cantaloupe occasionally. But apples and oranges are universally terrible. I eat canned vegetables like green beans and corn. Raw carrots are good, tomato sauce is good. Other than that I don't like vegetables.

[ZortMcGort11]

One more thing, Gumbo is great. whatever vegetables they put in Gumbo I'll eat. Gumbo is the bomb. Jambalaya is good too.

[vinifera]

most things from stores are fake and/or poisoned very much

Teabags for sure have ordinary lawn grass in it mixed, just open that crap out and see

thats why its best to buy tea where you see the dry plant (non bagged)

Milk... oh my.. 90% water in it

Fruit ... most toxic thing you can get

same with Meat

a friend of friend of my family is truck distributor of meat and fruit for big chain Malls

he imports raw fruits, when it comes they spray it with unknown spray, and from green they turn into ripe color

meat, half meat distributed is screwed, but then they inject some THING init and it becomes juicy

[ZortMcGort11]

Well, I know bananas get sprayed a lot, but with what, I dont' know. Whatever it is though, they still taste good. Must be the secret ingredient :-)

[ZortMcGort11]

Another thing which is interesting if you research it, is that by the time the "Fresh" produce hits the store shelves, a lot of the vitamins have already dissipated. A lot of vitamin C is lost during the transport process and from sitting in the stores in the open air. Research has shown that canned and frozen vegetables are nearly as good... and depending on if certain things are out of season, canned might in fact be better. That being said, I just choose whatever tastes better and is more convenient.

[vinifera]

you lose all vitamins since fruits never see sun light at all

they come in green and they "rape" inside the store with crappy neon lights and some tiny 10% day light

I know whenever I buy Mango's or Kaki's, I leave them about 5-6 days on sun to ripe and become juicy

Edited February 21, 2014 by vinifera