Food Adulteration-Together We Can Stop It-Part Three

By rkutchjm on February 22, 2013 • ( 0 )

In 2008, milk products contaminated with toxic chemicals had been imported from New Zealand to China. Over 300,000 customers were sickened and at least 6 children died from milk poisoning. This incident has been repeated in 2013 with more noxious chemicals found, but this time in powered milk. The route again was same from New Zealand. It seems to have been caught in time by Chinese authorities before it was distributed to the people. Why does China keep buying these products from New Zealand? Low costs tops the why list.

Dirty, Nasty Processing Packaging Conditions

In 2009, in a peanut processing plant in Georgia, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) found evidence of salmonella contaminated peanut butter. Hundreds of customers had gotten ill and 9 deaths were attributed to this peanut butter. These violations were discovered in the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). The owner and employees hid the presence of this deadly salmonella poison within the confines of their filthy facility for years.

“Bad Boys” Bacteria-Filthy Dirty Fiends

In those with weakened immune systems, the salmonella organism could very likely result in death. Others infected had symptoms that included diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. Nauseous effects of the infection can develop up to three days after ingestion of the contaminated product. The disease lasts for up to a week. Intestinal problems may go on for months. Some may end up with chronic arthritis called Reiter’s Syndrome.

Found In Poultry, Eggs, And Peanut Butter

Another incident occurred in New Mexico with the company Sunland Inc. The FDA closed their doors in 2012. Salmonella was also found in that plant, but FDA’s quick action led to no reported deaths. It did result in 42 cases of salmonella poisoning.

More salmonella has also been found this time in eggs at an Iowa farm in 2010. A total of 1,900 customers were sickened by the infection. Thankfully, no mortalities were reported.

Melon Drop-Like Urinal In Bathroom At Baseball Park

In 2011, cantaloupes grown at a Colorado farm had been infected with listeriosis. This situation was linked with the 33 deaths. Listeriosis is a serious bacterial infection. It is linked with filthy conditions and unsanitary equipment. If a pregnant mother is infected, this condition can lead to early delivery and death of the baby. It usually strikes hardest in those that have an absent or a lowered immune system. That group would include children, elderly, patients with diseases like cancer and transplant recipients.

The Net had so much of an impact on all these horrible recalls. Corporations have to answer to legal authorities even faster today because information is moving so much quicker because of network computers. Society can now cut off companies from their purchasing buy list with a click. We have instant access to what’s going down and why through Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter, AOL and many other services.

Why are these contamination events happening more and more throughout society? Why would a company CEO and the board members risk the chance of their own customers getting hurt or killed. Why would a corporation president want to have a prison sentence forcibly added to his bucket list?

I realize that money and greed play the biggest role in many of the horrific things that go into food adulteration. But why? Pressure from the stock markets to surpass last years figures no matter what has to be done to make it happen. Heads of corporations that cut their workforce beyond the fat and into the meat of the humans that are the true widgets of the company’s success. Going forward, everyone left in that corporation is too overwhelmed with responsibilities to possibly fulfill their duties properly. So the company starts losing sales, cuts more jobs and puts even more tasks on the associates remaining. They also bring in more mechanization as a partial excuse to cut back on even more employees. The remaining staff hates going into work and dreads every minute they spend working for the “man”. Imagine all the millions of workers on Sunday night already feeling the anxiety to go back into work the next day. Employees eventually become numb to everything around them. They just do what they can do, collect their pay check and go home to somewhat recuperate till the next work day.

Look at the majority of faces where you go to shop. Find a store with true smiles on the associates faces. This shows that people above them appreciate who they are and what they do for the company. That is the place where you should continue to shop. If you see anything but and you continue to shop there, for say lower prices, then you may sacrifice in the long run. Remember how they treat their workers is how they deal with their distributors, their farmers and everyone else they buy their products from to sell to you.

There are still corporations out there that appreciate their associates. Their employee turnover is usually low because they enjoy being part of a whole that works for everyone. Examples of some great companies to work for are Costco, Yahoo, Wegmans, SAS, Google, Scott Trade, DreamWorks, Edward Jones and others that still care about both associates and customers. I applaud all corporations that still care about the people who make it all work successfully. Thank God.

Want to leave you with this for dinner tonight: