Protein bars and contaminated Chinese milk protein

Here's a new health concern since many cyclists consume energy and protein
products that may contain protein derived from milk:

From the New York Times, Asia Pacific edition:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/26/wo...=y&oref=slogin

"The United States has imported two million pounds of a milk protein
called casein this year, along with other powdered milk proteins that are
used as ingredients in many processed foods, according to figures from the
United States Department of Agriculture. This includes 293,000 pounds that
were imported in July...."

" In an increasingly globalized food economy, manufacturers use raw
ingredients from all over the world, often making it difficult to track
the origins."

"For example, Kraft Foods, the maker of Oreo cookies, recently moved one
of its large cookie factories from Australia to China. But Claire Regan, a
spokeswoman for the company, said that most of the products Kraft made in
China were distributed within China, although a limited number were
exported. Most do not contain milk products from China, she said, and,
when they do, the levels of such ingredients are very low. The Oreo
product line does not contain milk ingredients from China, Ms. Regan
said."

I've always been concerned about the quality and safety of food products
imported from China (and other countries with lower health standards that
most western nations). In my opinion, China is a country that has little
regard for the sanctity of human life with a burgeoning "greed" class of
entrepreneurs. That's a bad combination.

At one time there were fairly tight restrictions on imported food stuffs
imposed by the US Food and Drug Administration. The US FDA has been so
emasculated over the past 28 years that it seems to be run by and for the
organizations it's supposed to regulate.

That coupled with corporate greed in the US gives me reason to be
concerned about any processed food sold here in the US. Where are the
ingredients coming from? How safe and sanitary are they?

BTW, most of the world's vitamin C and other vitamins are now being made
in China!

The wonders of deregulation!

Chas.