# A Disturbing Discovery



## Michelle (Aug 21, 2006)

Hey! Was having a BBQ last week and noticed on the 'Compliments' relish that it is a product of India. WTF? That bugs me, I checked all the Compliments pickles and they are all from India. Now if it was red curry relish or something, I would understand, but c'mon, relish from India? Frozen vegetables from China?

I threw it in the garbage and bought Bick's relish, made with CDN cukes by CDN people, in Canada, under CDN stds. Paid a little more but I feel it's worth it considering the following:

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNe...7/india_toothpaste_070727/20070727?hub=Health

Ethylene Glycol is sweet and so are pickles.

Anything for insane profits I guess, let the buyer beware.


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## sysexguy (Mar 5, 2006)

> Health Canada has issued warnings about Chinese toothpastes containing D-E-G.


perhaps change the E into an Em for more consonance

back on topic, check the labels kids, check the labels. Your friendly grocer is now a bunch of Arthur Anderson types rushing from the the squash court to the sushi bar with their laptops....and all that matters to them is the 3x5cm square that the automated cashier machine scans

Andy


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## Wild Bill (May 3, 2006)

I've been avoiding Chinese products for years.

I just keep seeing that brave young fellow in Tiamenen Square!

We are losing hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs and replacing them with much lower paying service sector jobs.

So the stuff in Wal-Mart is cheap but more and more folks can't afford it anyway.

Can't really blame manufacturers for relocating to China. If they don't, they can't compete and they'll just go bankrupt anyway.

What I've never understood is how our governments will pass environment anti-pollution laws that drive up costs to make local products yet will allow foreign products from countries that allow everything up to and including antifreeze in toothpaste to come into the county with no compensating duties, tariffs or bans whatsoever.

I saw this as a kid back in the 70's. Many of my friends came from grape growing farms and in the name of the environment the government banned them from using a product called Alar to prevent mildew on grapes. This was a real hardship as there wasn't really any alternative at the time. My friends took a huge hit as mildew ruined an expensive portion of their crops.

Meanwhile grapes from upper New York where Alar was legal could and did cross the border to our supermarkets every day!

How could the stuff be bad to use in Canada but ok on imports?

Seems to me that its only common sense that for Trade to be Free it should be Fair, with the same rules and extra costs on everybody. The way things are run now Canada is just a naive sucker in the game...


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## MelD (Jun 22, 2007)

Michelle said:


> Hey! Was having a BBQ last week and noticed on the 'Compliments' relish that it is a product of India. WTF? That bugs me, I checked all the Compliments pickles and they are all from India. Now if it was red curry relish or something, I would understand, but c'mon, relish from India? Frozen vegetables from China?
> 
> I threw it in the garbage and bought Bick's relish, made with CDN cukes by CDN people, in Canada, under CDN stds. Paid a little more but I feel it's worth it considering the following:
> 
> ...


just goes to show how cheap our governments behaving by allowing manufacturing companies to import shit.


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## FenderMan (May 24, 2007)

Pretty damn scary when you realize that the almighty buck is more important than any one of us to a government or company.


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## Wild Bill (May 3, 2006)

FenderMan said:


> Pretty damn scary when you realize that the almighty buck is more important than any one of us to a government or company.


Even worse, by handicapping domestic companies it would seem FOREIGN bucks are more powerful than Canadian companies...


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## Hamm Guitars (Jan 12, 2007)

Anyone see the David Suzuki show on Cuba and how they are setting up farming zones in local neighborhoods to supply the locals with food?

Extreamly smart, and better all around for everone. Less polution, waisted energy, pesticides and other poisons. They only grow and raise things that are indiginous to their area, so there is no need for special fertalizers etc, and much better yielding crops.


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## Wild Bill (May 3, 2006)

Hamm Guitars said:


> Anyone see the David Suzuki show on Cuba and how they are setting up farming zones in local neighborhoods to supply the locals with food?
> 
> Extreamly smart, and better all around for everone. Less polution, waisted energy, pesticides and other poisons. They only grow and raise things that are indiginous to their area, so there is no need for special fertalizers etc, and much better yielding crops.


Andy, I suspect those neighbourhood gardens have been there as long as Castro has been in power!

They've need them to keep from starving!

Ol' Dave just gave his buddy Fidel a politically correct whitewash of his inability to provide a decent living standard for his people.

Down the memory hole, Orwell!


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## Guest (Jul 30, 2007)

"on the 'Compliments' relish that it is a product of India."
When I don't make my own, I like "Compliments" relish... It's tastier than Bick's.


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## Hamm Guitars (Jan 12, 2007)

Hi Bill,

These were said to have been set up after the fall of the Soviet Union as they had no more fuel to transport from their agricultural areas to the cities and villages.

Not sure if it is accurate or not, as I did see it on TV.

Andy



Wild Bill said:


> Andy, I suspect those neighbourhood gardens have been there as long as Castro has been in power!
> 
> They've need them to keep from starving!
> 
> ...


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## GuitaristZ (Jan 26, 2007)

you guys EAT relish? I thought that stuff was for removing stubborn fretwire buildup....

I guess there are two uses for almost everything in this wonderful world...

Won't be long and N.O.S. and vintage relish will be the fad...


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## djem (Sep 14, 2006)

Wild Bill said:


> Andy, I suspect those neighbourhood gardens have been there as long as Castro has been in power!
> 
> They've need them to keep from starving!
> 
> ...


As Hamm Guitars mentioned, this was post-Soviet era and called 'the difficult times'. The show detailed the innovative ways Cuba dealt with issues where our society would have dealt with in a way more costly and environmentally unfriendly way. The show also emphasized Cuba's health care system and global stewardship. True, Cuba has issues with standard of life, but the one thing I admire is it's toughness and ability to stand up to over 40 years of US boycott.

Back to the main topic, good point on the relish. Read your labels.


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## Wild Bill (May 3, 2006)

djem said:


> As Hamm Guitars mentioned, this was post-Soviet era and called 'the difficult times'. The show detailed the innovative ways Cuba dealt with issues where our society would have dealt with in a way more costly and environmentally unfriendly way. The show also emphasized Cuba's health care system and global stewardship. True, Cuba has issues with standard of life, but the one thing I admire is it's toughness and ability to stand up to over 40 years of US boycott.
> 
> Back to the main topic, good point on the relish. Read your labels.


A good friend of mine walks with a permanent limp because of the poor state of Cuban health care. She will never go back.

When you hear or see info on Cuba's system they only talk about the quality of the doctors and nurses, and how its "free" in that its paid for by public money.

Perhaps they are good quality. I am in no position to know. What I DO know is that their system is so poor that even bandaids are in short supply!

Great surgeon, with no scalpel available.

As for the boycott, leaving the politics aside we should note that the American boycott is not an embargo! America is only one country, after all. With all of the rest of the world to trade with why is Cuba still so poor?

As for relish, I never use it anyway. I'm a mustard man with my burgers. :smile:


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## FenderMan (May 24, 2007)

"When I don't make my own, I like "Compliments" relish... It's tastier than Bick's."

Mmmmmm....glycol....


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

I saw some Fuji apples in the grocery store the other day. I love Fuji apples. Then I saw the '_product of China_' label. Couldn't do it. 

I could go on and on from here, but I'd end off on some tangent, breaking the 'no politics' rule. I would most likely get five years for what I'd end up saying about S. Harper. And life for Mike *&$*&*&% Harris. So I won't say anything.


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## Soupbone (May 17, 2007)

Weird...more food scare paranoia...I eat what ever I like, I dont care where its from. If I gotta start worrying about that as well as all the chemicals and fat, colestral and all that ... I'd go crazy. If I get sick and die from a Chinese Apple...well thats as good a way as any. 
Indian Relish? They invented probably the stuff! Ever tried Magor Grays Mango Chutney

I wouldnt beleive what you hear on the radio, for all we know the whole thing was set up by those which are being hurt by the rapid Asian economic growth. Who has the most to gain from these reports? Seems there is more fear mongering going on.

I even like Chinese Beer.:food-smiley-004:but I hate Sushi.

Cheers
Soupbone


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## Wild Bill (May 3, 2006)

Soupbone said:


> Weird...more food scare paranoia...I eat what ever I like, I dont care where its from. If I gotta start worrying about that as well as all the chemicals and fat, colestral and all that ... I'd go crazy. If I get sick and die from a Chinese Apple...well thats as good a way as any.
> Indian Relish? They invented probably the stuff! Ever tried Magor Grays Mango Chutney
> 
> I wouldnt beleive what you hear on the radio, for all we know the whole thing was set up by those which are being hurt by the rapid Asian economic growth. Who has the most to gain from these reports? Seems there is more fear mongering going on.
> ...


Perhaps you've forgotten that the whole issue sprang from cats and dogs that died from eating food tainted by a Chinese additive.

These animals did indeed die, as many who lost their family pet well know.

China is supplying many other products used in food for human consumption.
The antifreeze in the cheap counterfeit toothpaste is not an urban myth.

You may call it fear mongering. 

Me, I'm gonna pay more attention.


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## jane (Apr 26, 2006)

The scariest part is that with things like toothpaste... it doesn't actually say where it's made. I'm Chinese (although I've never been to China) and I still think that the way the Chinese, especially the government, are operating, is ridiculous... it's like anything goes as long as it makes money.


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2007)

This whole thread is nothing more than thinly veiled bigotry.


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## Geek (Jun 5, 2007)

Wild Bill said:


> Even worse, by handicapping domestic companies it would seem FOREIGN bucks are more powerful than Canadian companies...


Now you guys are getting the clear picture.

"There is no good or evil, only money" - a Vancouver businessman on the Iraq war.

Just look at the proliferation of dollar stores with cheap crap goods. This will tell you the majority of Canadian people don't care about quality one iota - it's the bottom line that counts.


RE: Inian goods.... Actually, Indian made products are FAR higher quality than their Chinese counterparts. My "Real Canadian" Superstore only carries Chinese stuff, so I shop in the "New India" area of Abbotsford. Nummy food and hot gal's


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## Michelle (Aug 21, 2006)

ClintonHammond said:


> This whole thread is nothing more than thinly veiled bigotry.


whatever :zzz:


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## ne1roc (Mar 4, 2006)

Another problem we have is products that say "Made in Canada". The reality is for anything to be labeled "Made in Canada", it has to have 51% Canadian content. An example would be apple juice, 51% is made from Canadian apple juice and the balance is mixed with cheaper overseas apple juice. 

Unless it says 100% made in Canada, chances are your drinking juice from China.

Don't get me started on China............my manufacturing business is down 60%.


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## Geek (Jun 5, 2007)

This is how superpower countries are made. Most of us will live long enough to watch the economic power of the entire planet shift from the US to China.

From a historical point, this is quite exciting....


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2007)

"Most of us will live long enough to watch the economic power of the entire planet shift from the US to China."
That's the free market for ya.... 

Like Natural Selection, the strong and the fit survive and the weak and unable die out....


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## ne1roc (Mar 4, 2006)

ClintonHammond said:


> "Most of us will live long enough to watch the economic power of the entire planet shift from the US to China."
> That's the free market for ya....
> 
> Like Natural Selection, the strong and the fit survive and the weak and unable die out....


The weak and unable will just sit back and let this all happen. I'm not going down without a fight. Quite frankly, I am very pleased that many here are concerned and at least willing to deal with the situation by not buying products made overseas. 

The two quotes above tell me these guys don't give a shit about the future of our children and country they live in.


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## djem (Sep 14, 2006)

Geek said:


> This is how superpower countries are made. Most of us will live long enough to watch the economic power of the entire planet shift from the US to China.
> 
> From a historical point, this is quite exciting....



“China is a sleeping giant. Let her lie and sleep, for when she awakens she will astonish the world.” - Napoleon

We are in for some interesting times.


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## Geek (Jun 5, 2007)

ne1roc said:


> Quite frankly, I am very pleased that many here are concerned and at least willing to deal with the situation by not buying products made overseas.


I'm very concerned. I'm watching my country fall to dust with our own companies leading the charge.

Change is inevidible. We can only do the best we can, like buying from known ethical sources, if we must buy overseas. Fair Trade approved coffee, chocolate and vanilla is a good example for food products. Using local Credit Unions instead of international banks. The things we _can_ do and _can_ control are quite extensive if we sit down and look for solutions :smile:


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