Posted by
Frigglesnitz on Thursday, February 07, 2008 10:08:18 AM
This blog was inspired by Phyllis Schlafly's column of two days ago, with a title beginning, "The China Trade...." It is a matter about which I have many concerns, as noted in a number of my previous blog entries. This blog entry continues a litany of those comments and concerns.
Countries of origin of products and drugs are not clearly marked, and they are not easily determined. On any number of canned food goods you may find "Distributed by...." followed by the name of some American company. What you will not always find is where the food originated. You may call the company (if you can find the telephone number, for which you may have to search the Internet in that pursuit), and if you're lucky you can, indeed, find out the food's origin. You can believe them or not. Try it.
If you are in a grocery store, need to purchase a can of peas, and all you see on the can is "Distributed by ....," this is not what I call easily learning the food's origin.
You can make a choice right then and there: either purchase the product or not purchase the product. If a company does not have the guts to print "Made in America" or "Made from Food Grown in America" or something similar, their product can, as I said in a comment to Ms. Schlafly's column, sit on those shelves until hades freezes over.
And I believe that is why you will not always find the country of origin printed on a can or package: the distributors are too cowardly and afraid of not making a sale -- and with good reason, I might add.
Pharmacists cannot always tell you the origin of a drug. If it is in its original wrappings, they can; however, their drugs do not always arrive in their original wrappings.
This problem is a morass, one not likely to improve until ordinary people begin leaving food on shelves to die a natural death.
A good, old, familiar name, formerly known to be strictly "American," on some can of food is completely meaningless unless the company has the courage to print the food's origin on the can's label.
It is high time that we persuade our U.S. lawmakers to draft a signable bill that will require, unequivocally, that countries of origin of all components of a drug or product are clearly noted on the product. If distributors or manufacturers refuse to do so, they should be prohibited from selling that drug or product in this country.