KANSAS CITY, Mo. - One year after the Chinese food scare caused by melamine, many of us are still eating food from China.
We wanted to find out if it is safe.
Despite massive recalls of pet food and baby formula, we found a surprising number of products from China on grocery shelves.
Martha Roberts cares a lot about where her food – and her dog’s food – comes from, ever since she learned about pet food contaminated with Chinese melamine.
"I'm very concerned about some of the scares we've had about China food products,” Roberts said.
She is now a big proponent of eating American.
I like to buy USA products,” Roberts said. “Plus it will help our economy.”
It’s a great idea, but we investigated the grocery aisles and discovered you may still be feeding your family food from China.
And we’re not just talking about the obvious, like Chinese water chestnuts.
We found Dole and Del Monte mandarin oranges, a staple in many children’s lunch boxes.
"I was very surprised to see these products,” Roberts said.
With new federal rules requiring country labels on produce, meat and fish, you may find “Product of China” on one of your favorite foods.
So are they safe?
Nutritionist Lauren Niemes says she trusts Dole and Del Monte.
"These are national brands, these companies have a large vested state in their brands,” Niemes said. “They have instituted their own safety controls in these countries."
In a statement, Dole told us its oranges are “absolutely safe” and says its Chinese facilities “exceed US standards.”
Del Monte also says it applies “strict US quality standards.”
Niemes is more concerned about other Chinese imports, like farm-raised fish such as perch and flounder.
"What happens after they are harvested to maintain freshness,” Niemes inquired. “How do they add color?"
Other foods that come from China include some apple juices, dried fruit and berries, garlic, sausage casings and candy.
As a result of the melamine scare, the FDA has toughened its regulations.
But Roberts says it is hard to know exactly what was added to foods that come from China, which is why consumes like Martha will be reading labels a lot more closely from now on.
If you are concerned, look for food that specifically says “Product of the USA” and stick with the big name brands that have their reputations on the line and probably do more that the minimum to ensure their products are safe.
