US Food Safety regulations...

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Wed Oct 17, 2018 5:10 am

Although I'm avoiding Brexit in particular and the news in general at the moment it's actually quite difficult to do and I saw an article which claimed that under US Food Safety regs there are permitted amounts of maggots, rat hair, faeces and mould that are allowed. As far as I am aware, EU regs do not allow ANY amounts of the aforementioned crap in food.

What I want to know is whether it is true that US regs allow maggots and rat hair in food. This matters because we are also getting reports (denied of course) that Liam Fox, our lying Brexit minister for trade, is considering writing down the EU regs to better suit a US trade deal, thus adding rat hair and maggots to our diet. We already know he's fine with chlorine washed chicken and hormone pumped beef but if this is true I won't be buying any American food products. Ever.

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Wed Oct 17, 2018 5:39 am

I recall learning about this in 9th grade science. The teacher explained that food making processes are exposed in many cases and flies and mice or rats are going to find their way in, so the regulations allow for a certain amount in the food.

That was a long time ago, and I'd think the processes have gotten better and cleaner since, though I'd also think that keeping the same regulation in place, whether or not needed, might be wise.

We are living longer, though we are also accusing one another of being rattier too albeit in denial all the while. Trump keeps telling us he's no rat and that he doesn't like people who are rats. Perhaps McDonald's knows something the rest of us don't.

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Wed Oct 17, 2018 9:58 am

So how does Europe keep rat hair, flies, maggots etc etc. out of there crops? I f someone is harvesting thousands of acres of wheat, how do you not get a fly or two in there?

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Thu Oct 18, 2018 1:32 am

"So how does Europe keep rat hair, flies, maggots etc etc. out of there crops? I f someone is harvesting thousands of acres of wheat, how do you not get a fly or two in there?"

Don't know. I do know that rat hair and maggots are not permitted under current standards and that maybe 20 years ago standards of hygiene in abattoirs were increased a lot which led to a number of closures. There is a testing regime that does catch things - we had a case where a company was trying to pass off horsemeat as beef in some mince products but our problems seem to come more at the preparation stage. Fast food joints are particularly prone to cutting corners on hygiene and some tourist hotspots can be a bit dodgy. I got poisoned in Glastonbury by a pub meal when I walked down to Cornwall and reported it to Environmental Health who did investigate and take action.

But you make a good point: I can't find anything on how we might make sure that there are no contaminants in the basic foodstuffs. And that might mean we are relying on good faith...ewwwâ€¦

edit: Thinking about it, a lot of stuff like spuds or a joint of meat you can see for yourself but flour or tomato juice or tinned fruit? Hmm. I feel some dietary changes coming on...

tude dog · Post by **tude dog** » Thu Oct 18, 2018 11:38 am

I posted about my tomato garden. I did not count my tomatoes, maybe a 100 or more which were grocery store quality. Maybe 40 or so I tossed because they did not look like the average consumer wouldn't buy it.

Nothing wrong with them. Maybe a bug burrowed and ate a little. The skin split, whatever.

That is my garden, imagine the cost of tossing 40% of your product because of cosmetics or delusional paranoia of nature.

We need to be at one with nature, eat it.

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Thu Oct 18, 2018 12:56 pm

I'd be more concerned about hormone-treated meat, pesticides residue in grain and chickens washed in chlorine.

https://www.euractiv.com/section/trade- ... ated-beef/

You can't avoid brexit the brexiteers can't wait to import this stuff and sell our farmers down the river.

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Thu Oct 18, 2018 1:04 pm

I'm quite happy cutting a nibbled bit out of veg where required - I also grow things from time to time and eat them

. It's the processed stuff I'm really thinking about: Tomato juice, for example. Mince just became less appealing unless I buy the meat and mince it myself. We used to have a hand mincer when I was a kid - bit of an antique even then - don't know if you can get them any more.

EU regs say none allowed but I'm not clear on the mechanisms for checking though some do exist because things get caught from time to time. And of course you have products where eg mould is part of it: certain wines need a bit of mould, and blue cheeses. Draw the line at poo though.

I think the thing I really don't like about permitted amounts is that when you have them companies have an incentive to make use of them since it's cheaper than real product.

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Thu Oct 18, 2018 1:29 pm

gmc;1521043 wrote: I'd be more concerned about hormone-treated meat, pesticides residue in grain and chickens washed in chlorine.

https://www.euractiv.com/section/trade- ... ated-beef/

You can't avoid brexit the brexiteers can't wait to import this stuff and sell our farmers down the river.

I knew about them, I only recently noticed the talk of Fox writing down EU standards to make it easier for Trump. He's denied it, which going on previous Brexit promises means he's doing everything he can to make it happen. And given he has the Henry VIII powers no-one can stop him unless May fires him. Which won't happen.

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Fri Oct 19, 2018 1:09 am

Food labelling is just bone of the things brexiteers want to do away with you can say goodbye to all the regional identification protection foodstuffs have - not just scotch whisky but cornish pasties, Yorkshire pudding Leicester cheese ..... once we're out of the eu we won't have their substantial backing to prevent copycat products being sold.

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Fri Oct 19, 2018 5:54 am

Um. Still problems with the site, I see. I'm pretty sure my post here has either vanished or never happened. Maybe it was me...

Anyway, the brexiters are now saying everyone always knew it would take 10 years for any benefits to show and being poorer is a price well worth paying. Bit different from "the easiest negotiations in all history" leading to sunlit uplands.

At that point things are likely to get a bit tense. What might save us from serious trouble is that many Remainers have at least one brexiter who is a family member, often an elderly parent or two. But there will be trouble, especially in strong Brexit areas because I think they will scapegoat Remainers - brexiters have blamed Remainers for the failure of Brexit since the day after the referendum.

It seems that a lot of people are looking to buy houses in the Borders and in Eire - enough to affect prices in both places, anyway.

edit: Invasions of English have rarely proved popular in Ireland. Or Scotland.

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Tue Oct 23, 2018 5:32 pm

Tude Dog - clod I just planted my tomatoes. If the skin is broken I toss the tomato.

US also allows a certain amount of Olive pits per gallon - for instance if you were to buy a pizza deluxe combo in the store in a wrap/box. Red Barron etc.. a olive pit could be & is allowed on that pizza. I found out the hard way.. broke a tooth

I you purchase fruit cocktail in a can cherry pits are allowed.

I'm not so worried about the bug as I am with the pesticides & hormone treated meats.

And if you eat shell fish - clams - etc.. you'll eat dirt "be one with nature".

Patsy