Responsible Food Labeling
We’ve been looking at milk and milk products with a bit of suspicion since news broke out that a major milk supplier in China has been adding melamine to its products to boost the protein content.
As it turns out, prolonged exposure to Melamine can be hazardous to our health.
But avoiding China made products will not be enough. We may be buying milk products, chocolates and yoghurt made elsewhere but do we really know where the raw materials are sourced from?
It is possible that the made in Thailand ice cream bar you are eating contains a trace of milk powder originally proccesed in China. Even possible that the Made in Singapore apple juice you are drinking contains juice pressed from apples harvested in China. These days, who knows.
Back in the spring Canada’s Conservative Government tabled a bill tightening “Made in Canada” and “Product of Canada” labeling.
Now, all ingredients must be from Canada, and production must be in done in Canada for a product to be entitled to carry “Made in Canada” and “Product of Canada” ( Fabrique au Canada and Produit du Canada ) labeling.
If a product contains ingredients from elsewhere, the label must say so.
The vice president of the Consumers’ Association of Canada said there are two different reasons for labelling. One is to define some economic benefit to Canada. The other is to let the consumer know where items in that can or product came from — so that consumers can make an informed decision.
He said “It is that latter concern that has been bothering us for the past few years as we are seeing more and more imported products — and unfortunately, more and more tainted products.”
Should the rest of the world follow Canada’s lead? Surely it is not trade protectionism.
It is just a case of consumer-protection.
Manufacturers are still allowed to use products from elsewhere as long as they are labeled properly, while consumers like us can decide for ourselves.
September 27th, 2008 at 10:29 am
Canada has always lead the world in health issues. Just this spring the gov’t of Canada issued a warning on the danger of using Nalgene containers for drinks and foods. Canadian companies immediately issued a recall and giving refunds for these products whether old or new. Despite the warning, the rest of the world are still marketing Nalgene products. Usa and Asia still have these products in their store’s shelves. Canadian gov’t and Companies take health issues seriously. Most others just look at the economic side of it.
September 27th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
i agree with you because the milk scandal will/may affect every countries in the world .We need to see the customer first mindset and apply hygience and make sure nothing wrong with it before manfacture by the purchasing department
September 28th, 2008 at 2:24 am
Great post! =DD
September 29th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
hi,tim. For so many years i ve been buying shopping for food products. I ask myself and ve been wondering, whats the difference for Made in Canada, or Product of Canada ? The product itself there should also tell us simply why the product it is Made from there, or the product is Product from there. But, any difference? not really so many of us wondering.
October 16th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Another style of waste of food, hopefully the food we supply to poor nations does not contain too much malamine….
October 24th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
ow i agree with your ideas,nowdays more and more having alot of danger came from modernlife special is food generaly speaking and in particular milk,previous scandal of milk in China has reminded us that more and more having alot of chemical in food that be eaten everyday.