Category Archives: Food

Food, Health & Medicine

CILANTRO WITH A SIDE OF FECES BEING SERVED IN THE U.S.?

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1438173817cilantroATLANTA, Georgia (The Adobo Chronicles® ) –  CNN is reporting that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a ban  on some cilantro imported from Mexico after an investigation to determine the cause of hundreds of reported intestinal illnesses in the United States dating back to 2012.

Since that year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), along with state public health officials, have identified hundreds of outbreaks of Cyclosporiasis in the United States associated with fresh cilantro from the state of Puebla, Mexico, the FDA said Monday.

Cyclosporiasis is an infection with the microscopic Cyclospora cayetanensis, a pathogen transmitted by feces or feces-contaminated fresh produce and water. Symptoms typically appear a week after ingestion and may include diarrhea and vomiting.

This may come as a big disappointment to many Americans who only buy organic produce from their favorite supermarket.  However, it seems to confirm the results of a 2014 study conducted by the University of Minnesota.  That study, published in the Journal of Food Protection, concluded that the prevalence of E. coli was significantly higher in organic produce and supports the idea that organic produce is more susceptible to fecal contamination.

Both the FDA and the CDC are urging cilantro-loving Americans to make sure that their burritos and chile rellenos are not being served with a side of feces.  Alternatively, consumers are encouraged to grow their own cilantro in their backyard or patios.

The Adobo Chronicles® apologizes to our readers who may experience vomiting or diarrhea as a result of this news item. Your safety is very important to us.

Business, Economy, Food

TAIWAN’S TOFU, DURIAN EXPORTS SUDDENLY SKYROCKET

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Tofu vendor, left, and durian vendor, right
Tofu vendor, left, and durian vendor, right

TAIPEI, Taiwan (The Adobo Chronicles® )  – The Taiwanese government was pleasantly surprised when all of a sudden, its exports of tofu (soybean curd) and durian, a tropical fruit, skyrocketed.  This, in just the last two weeks.

International demand for these two exports increased more than 200% with orders coming from across the globe — from The Netherlands to Australia.

What was more puzzling is the fact that importers are flying into Taiwan to personally pick up their shipment. In addition, they were buying the tofu and durian only from specific vendors.

After an extensive market analysis and investigation, Taiwan’s Ministry of Trade and Commerce traced the sudden export surge to these two vendors (see photo).

Both the tofu and durian vendors told The Adobo Chronicles® that their goods are all on backorder at the moment.

 

 

Food, International

U.S. EXPORTS CHICKEN TO CHINA THEN IMPORTS BACK FAKE CHICKEN

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imageWASHINGTON, D.C. (The Adobo Chronicles® ) – Fake noodles. Fake eggs. Fake beef.

Recent media reports show that some Chinese companies have been manufacturing fake food using both organic and inorganic ingredients. These fake food have yet to find their way to America (or have they, already?)

Well, fake chicken from China may soon hit the shelves and refrigerated sections of U.S. supermarkets, and the U.S. government may have had a hand in it.

In 2014, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)  gave four Chinese companies approval to export cooked poultry products to the United States. But it was largely a symbolic move.
That’s because the only chickens that China can legally export to the United States must first be imported from countries that have USDA approved poultry standards. America, Canada and Chile are the only countries that make the grade.

So some enterprising Chinese food manufacturers import USDA-approved chicken from the U.S., sell them locally at extremely profitable margins, then produce fake chicken to export back to the U.S.

Looks like China did put one over the United States.

For Filipinos in the U.S., their chicken adobo may never taste the same again…