Our globalized food supply chain. Not a very appetizing topic, I know. This is something that I personally knew little about until recently but after scratching under the surface a bit, it is a topic that I am afraid we all need to look at a little closer.
A recent article appeared in the New York Times which looked at the issue in regards to one company- Sara Lee. As the piece describes, "In a glassed-off area in the headquarters of Sara Lee, a handful of specialists study computer screens and flat-screen televisions beaming the latest weather reports and commodity prices. They are sourcing ingredients from all over the world to make Sara Lee’s assortment of breads, deli meats and microwaveable desserts."
With the advance of free trade and the lowering of trade barriers, food companies have started to search the globe looking for the cheapest ingredients in which to make their products. Food imports more than doubled in the last few years topping $79.9 billion dollars. Pick up a box of cereal or a frozen pizza and you can be sure that the ingredients within are from a multitude of sources from all over the globe.
The inherent problem is, of course, that once these ingredients are added to processed foods, it is almost impossible to check for contaminants that may be present. Considering that we have very lax food-import requirements and an almost non-existent inspection system (less than 1%), the potential for yet another food scare crisis is very real. The agency that is responsible for the bulk of food safety issues is the FDA, which has proven to be woefully inadequate in this regard. The FDA has basically been gutted for years now and is but a shell of an agency. Take a look at their latest track record in regards to pet food, tainted fish feed and toothpaste.
The food processing industry, led by the Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA), spends lots of money on our Congress to 'convince' them to look the other way. As the senior director of nutrition at the GMA, Robert Earl, states in regards to this topic “Ingredients from overseas are not the issue. The problem comes from incorrect practices from manufacturers that happen to be in another country.” Got that?
David L. Brown, Sara Lee’s vice president for procurement, said consumers should not be concerned. “We are going to do our homework. It is our responsibility to make sure what we are feeding people is safe. But the more variables you enter into, the more risk you have naturally. It is all about how you address those unknowns. The controls in place to ensure that foreign-sourced ingredients are safe are evolving as the world changes.” In other words, they place controls to monitor food safety in an evolving fashion as new situations arise. Yikes!
Top executives of many food processing companies discard that the diverse ingredients pose any risk. They claim that they are ultimately responsible for their products safety and that they work to insure that the risks for consumers are low.
Feel better now? Everything is fine, they all say. Don't be an alarmist! We monitor our food ingredients- no need for any oversight here. Basically we are being told to look away from the issue and let them take care of everything. I don't put too much stock in the ramblings of company executives and lobbyists who are only looking out for profits and the famous 'bottom line'. To help you see the extent of this issue, check out the web site for the Institute for Food Technologists. It's an eye-opening look at the global market of food ingredients. Pick an item and see all the places where you can purchase it.
Until these companies are forced to focus their energies on providing safe food products for the consumer and not just worry about getting the cheapest ingredients possible from questionable sources, we are all at the mercy of these food giants. Stay tuned...
