H
hunterman67
Guest
OPEC of Vitamin C
Most U.S. consumers are aware that Chinese products dominate the shelves of
most retail stores, but few realize the dominance extends to vitamins and
drugs. Fully 90 percent of all the vitamin C sold in America comes from the
communist trade giant. This near-monopoly control of the vitamin-C market
caused the Wall Street Journal to dub China the OPEC of vitamin C,
and like the oil cartel it has been accused of price fixing. In 2001,
Chinas four largest producers met to form a consortium, and shortly
thereafter began a series of price manipulations undercutting U.S. and
European competitors. Volatile prices induced American companies, which
were operating in a very different regulatory environment than that existing in Communist China, to file anti-trust suits. In the end the suits
hardly mattered; the last U.S. vitamin-C plant closed in 2006.
China has since captured much of the worlds pharmaceutical market, producing 70 percent of the worlds penicillin, 50 percent of its aspirin, and most of its vitamins. There are already signs that Chinese-produced vitamins suffer from the same type of quality assurance problems affecting Chinese food and goods exports. Recently, the European Union discovered Enterobacter sakazakii, a lethal bacterium that causes meningitis in infants, in imported batches of vitamin A. In America, traces of arsenic, lead, and iron have shown up in discount products containing vitamin C.Not surprisingly, Chinese authorities dismiss claims that they are not following international standards, despite mounting evidence to the contrary. Meanwhile millions of unsuspecting Americans consume both food and vitamins of a dubious nature without even realizing it.As the level of Chinese imports continues to hit record highs, Americans will be potentially exposed to even greater risks. Even as it stands now, Gary Weaver, director of the Program on Agriculture and Animal Health Policy at the University of Maryland, estimates that the average American consumes approximately 260 pounds of imported food annually. Annual imports of agricultural products currently top $70 billion, twice the level of 1997. But unlike playthings or clothes, the Chinese origin of the food is typically not included on the labeling and American consumers are forced to play Russian roulette when they buy their groceries.
Proud White Man !!!!!
M WAITE, AZ.
Most U.S. consumers are aware that Chinese products dominate the shelves of
most retail stores, but few realize the dominance extends to vitamins and
drugs. Fully 90 percent of all the vitamin C sold in America comes from the
communist trade giant. This near-monopoly control of the vitamin-C market
caused the Wall Street Journal to dub China the OPEC of vitamin C,
and like the oil cartel it has been accused of price fixing. In 2001,
Chinas four largest producers met to form a consortium, and shortly
thereafter began a series of price manipulations undercutting U.S. and
European competitors. Volatile prices induced American companies, which
were operating in a very different regulatory environment than that existing in Communist China, to file anti-trust suits. In the end the suits
hardly mattered; the last U.S. vitamin-C plant closed in 2006.
China has since captured much of the worlds pharmaceutical market, producing 70 percent of the worlds penicillin, 50 percent of its aspirin, and most of its vitamins. There are already signs that Chinese-produced vitamins suffer from the same type of quality assurance problems affecting Chinese food and goods exports. Recently, the European Union discovered Enterobacter sakazakii, a lethal bacterium that causes meningitis in infants, in imported batches of vitamin A. In America, traces of arsenic, lead, and iron have shown up in discount products containing vitamin C.Not surprisingly, Chinese authorities dismiss claims that they are not following international standards, despite mounting evidence to the contrary. Meanwhile millions of unsuspecting Americans consume both food and vitamins of a dubious nature without even realizing it.As the level of Chinese imports continues to hit record highs, Americans will be potentially exposed to even greater risks. Even as it stands now, Gary Weaver, director of the Program on Agriculture and Animal Health Policy at the University of Maryland, estimates that the average American consumes approximately 260 pounds of imported food annually. Annual imports of agricultural products currently top $70 billion, twice the level of 1997. But unlike playthings or clothes, the Chinese origin of the food is typically not included on the labeling and American consumers are forced to play Russian roulette when they buy their groceries.
Proud White Man !!!!!
M WAITE, AZ.
