FYI-Most apple juice from CHINA (including Motts)

[Blessed_wth_Triplets]

I never worried much as we travel alot and figure we had no problems. However, this spring we were in china when they were having a watermelon exploding "situation". Basically they had used some sort of growth hormone to stimulate the watermelons to the point they were exploding. They were smart enough not to sell them for obvious reasons.... however they were feeding them to the live stock which they were using as a food source!

At that point I realized how bad the Chinese regulations really were and we now will not by any food product from the area if I can help it. It also worried me when I learned that the government was stimulating rain because of droughts through seeding and that water was growing the plants. I'm not sure what it might or might not do... but it's not worth it to me to test any theory people might have.

You couldn't pay me to eat ANY food that came from China....

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

however they were feeding them to the live stock which they were using as a food source!

Although I wouldn't say our situation is as bad as China, we should also consider what the animals in the US are eating. Cows are fed foods that they weren't designed to eat, and most animals are fed genetically modified foods (almost all corn and soy products are GM). When our animals eat junk, we eat junk.

Will we all drop dead immediately? Nope. But, it is adversely affecting our long-term health.

 

[TinkPirateMom]

Nothing is ever safe, so frustrating!!!

 

[kathie859]

OP....thanks! I learn the most interesting things on the DIS

 

[starshine514]

Although I wouldn't say our situation is as bad as China, we should also consider what the animals in the US are eating. Cows are fed foods that they weren't designed to eat, and most animals are fed genetically modified foods (almost all corn and soy products are GM). When our animals eat junk, we eat junk.

Will we all drop dead immediately? Nope. But, it is adversely affecting our long-term health.

Agreed. We do our best to avoid food from China. Actually, we try to avoid food from anywhere except the US, if possible. However, in general, I would much rather eat something from Mexico than China - due mostly to the food scares that have originated in China in recent years. I mean melamine, isn't that the stuff that they make all those kids' plates and cups out of (and none of which are marked BPA-free)?

I'm also pretty picky about the US-grown food that we eat because I don't think our standards are high enough, either.

 

[disfan07]

Quoted for truth.
This is the sad fact that so many people in our country don't realize, and not just in respect to China but in respect to everything unhealthy that goes into our food...
"Sodium benzoate, artificial food dyes, RBGH, HFCS, trans fat, etc... I've been eating it and I haven't dropped dead, so it must be safe."

I've heard too many otherwise intelligent (and of course, some not so intelligent) adults say something to this effect that I just really have to wonder.

I can take you even one further with some food dyes....something I learned recently when looking at some food coloring to buy.....mccormick food coloring has propylparaben in it which is actually banned in the UK from what I was told (along with many other "ingredients" that are in things here). I learned that when I found out that I am allergic to parabens.

I'm allergic to sodium benzoate, potassium benzoate and parabens so I have to avoid it anyways.

However, I do fully admit, that I like my occasional cherry coke with HFCS....its a weakness

 

[SmilingGrump]

Agreed. We do our best to avoid food from China. Actually, we try to avoid food from anywhere except the US, if possible. However, in general, I would much rather eat something from Mexico than China - due mostly to the food scares that have originated in China in recent years. I mean melamine, isn't that the stuff that they make all those kids' plates and cups out of (and none of which are marked BPA-free)?

I'm also pretty picky about the US-grown food that we eat because I don't think our standards are high enough, either.

One of the nice things about living in Alberta is that we have much tighter regulations on food then most places and we have access to BC grown fruit juices

It's a good thing to be picky about food, no matter where it comes from. Meats are something we pay close attention to. We never purchase meats from outside of Alberta if we have a choice. Alberta requires the testing of 100% of all it's beef. The USA tests less then 1% of beef from cows that die of unknown causes .... note, that's not 1% of all US cows, that's 1% of US cows that die from unknown causes.

And before someone jumps on me for "flaming" the US, I'm not. I'm just stating the fact that food from China is not the only stuff to watch out for.

Wow, I always buy Motts because I thought it was made in the USA, I swore it said that on their label

It might say "Packaged in the USA" which does NOT mean it was made in the USA. It means that the liquid was put into the container IN the USA ... the liquid and packaging likely comes from somewhere else. It's misleading information like that which I really think should be banned. Often they don't even need to say where the actual ingredients come from as long as they can say most of the cost of the item was incurred in the US.
For example (and this is purely for purpose of illustration, numbers are not accurate):
Total Cost to Manufacture 1 gallon carton of apple juice: $0.50/gallon
Cost to purchase liquid apple juice from China: $0.01/gallon
Cost to purchase carton from Sri Lank: $0.005/gallon
Freight & Import Fees to US: $0.205/gallon
Cost to combine liquid apple juice and container inside the US: $0.285/gallon
Since US costs are over 1/2 the cost there's no need to declare where the ingredients come from.


Now .... I'm going to go check my pantry for anything I assumed was made in Canada that was actually made in China ....

 

[disfan07]

And before someone jumps on me for "flaming" the US, I'm not. I'm just stating the fact that food from China is not the only stuff to watch out for.

I agree with you...and I live here!

If you look at the preservatives and stuff we have in our products compared to other countries it is amazing. It's because in this country, people seem to care more about getting stuff cheap over quality or safety. Also, companies care more about making money then what they actually put in their stuff.

We are so quick to bash other countries but look at the outbreaks from foods from the US. I mean, think about the salmonella outbreak from Turkey right now. It's because of a processing plant in Arkansas!

A previous E coli outbreak was because of a farm in california where the spinach was being grown.

 

[deegack]

Honestly when it comes to something as highly processed (and rarely drank in my house we are pretty much water people) I don't get all crazy about it. I practice the clean fifteen/dirty dozen and buy a lot of stuff at the local farmers markets in the summer.

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

Here is an example of how backwards the US policies can be. It's scary, but a lot of decisions come down to $$, and not what's best for our health. (Don't let the url scare you, it's about walnuts, potato chips and cereal.)

http://www.foodrenegade.com/did-know-walnuts-illegal-drugs/

 

[WantToGoNow]

We don't buy any juices - kids don't like it and it's not good for them anyway - we go through bottled water like crazy and they do like the CapriSun flavored waters - I'm a soda drinker myself (talk about bad for you lol). When my son was little I tried to give him juice but he had constant diarhhea so the dr said to only let him have juice without apple - ever tried to find that - it's as hard as finding apple juice made in the USA. Most juices - even grape, the first ingredient is apple. So those that's worried about their apple juice not being made in the USA might want to look at the other juices as well.

 

[Wendy31]

I agree with you...and I live here!

If you look at the preservatives and stuff we have in our products compared to other countries it is amazing. It's because in this country, people seem to care more about getting stuff cheap over quality or safety. Also, companies care more about making money then what they actually put in their stuff.

We are so quick to bash other countries but look at the outbreaks from foods from the US. I mean, think about the salmonella outbreak from Turkey right now. It's because of a processing plant in Arkansas!

A previous E coli outbreak was because of a farm in california where the spinach was being grown.

I know!! We'd been buying a lot of ground turkey & using it for spaghetti, burgers, etc. And, now, I'm scared to buy any more... it seems that ground turkey doesn't go through the same "checks & balances" that ground beef does.

I'm trying to feed us more healthily... but it's hard! I'd been buying spinach to add to stuff too...

 

[Sheepdog23]

While I would definitely be cautious where my food comes from, I am really cautious about eating food from the US where you can put growth hormones, antibiotics and genetically modified substances in your food. Not to mention tons of preservatives and chemicals. I grew up in CT but fell in love with a dane and moved to sweden where things are very clean. We do not allow anything unnatural in our milk or meat and there are no preservatives in bread because it shouldn't last longer than a few days anyway. Our food dyes are natural (red usually comes from beets) and things are flavored with real fruits. We still use sugar to sweeten things including soda, and nothing beats a glass of cold coke sweetened with sugar instead of corn syrup! There are still unnatural things around, but they are heavily screened to not include dangerous chemicals such as parabens. Pesticides are severely restricted so I know that my food is not toxic. I know when I am home in the US and eat as healthy as possible, I still feel really sick and have to do a detox diet when I come home. Before everyone jumps on foreign countries, maybe the US needs to be scrutinized too. When we shop here, I do not have to think twice about what my kids put in their mouth, but when I go home to the US, I get a migraine having to read all the labels.

 

[sparklynails23]

I only feed my kids food from U.S. and Canada, sometimes UK, Italy, or France. I NEVER feed them anything from China. They are my children, and I want to keep them around, even if it costs a little more.

 

[DVCisME]

Here is a USA company:
http://pennportal.wordpress.com/2009/03/24/made-in-pennsylvania-musselmans-apple-juice/

 

[Schmeck]

What the heck does this have to do with DISNEY????

 

[FlightlessDuck]

What the heck does this have to do with DISNEY????

I've given up complaining about that. A lot of threads on the family board end up being general children related threads. It is quite irritating, but that's what this particular community has turned into.

 

[MikeP22]

Well, I can tell you that as far as Disney goes I refuse to buy my daughter any of the unnaturally colored treats found throughout the parks that so many others seem fond of.

Has anyone actually ever read the ingredients of a Dole Whip? I don't think that most of it is actually food.

I'm telling you... If WDW offered snacks/candy/treats/etc. only made from real food and without these unnecessary chemicals and such, my vacation snack budget would skyrocket.

 

[disneybound31]

I know!! We'd been buying a lot of ground turkey & using it for spaghetti, burgers, etc. And, now, I'm scared to buy any more... it seems that ground turkey doesn't go through the same "checks & balances" that ground beef does.

I'm trying to feed us more healthily... but it's hard! I'd been buying spinach to add to stuff too...

I think the poster was referring to the country Turkey...not the bird

 

[chekhovgirl]

We don't buy juice on a weekly basis, but I happened to buy some apple juice last week because I saw the Florida's Natural brand in the refrigerated section that said it is not from concentrate and made in the USA. Maybe that has a little bit to do with Disney because it's from Florida? I'm going to write them to make sure the juice comes from the US, just like their oranges.

Martinelli's has always been pure apple juice from the US: http://www.martinellis.com/