Would You Eat Foods That Are Made in China

sammyq on 16/01/2024 - 21:03
Last edited 16/01/2024 - 22:00 by 1 other user

So I've been thinking about this, but would you consume foods that are made in China? I've recently seen videos about practices such as gutter oil, fake foods like spring onions painted green etc. The Chinese origin foods are cheaper than their other counterparts.

I know Coles/Woolworths do stock food items that are made in China, for example:

Essentials Tomato Paste 500g $1.40

Countree Sliced Beetroot In Light Syrup | 420g $1.90

Woolworths Essentials Peanut Butter Crunchy 500g OOS

Just to list a couple of examples.

Is it worth the risk to save a few dollars? I'm assuming that the stock at Woolies/Coles are export quality so it should be ok to consume?

Food & Grocery

Comments

  • jakepods on 16/01/2024 - 21:19
    +4

    a penny saved is a penny earned

    • DrScavenger on 17/01/2024 - 21:02
      +22

      That penny is after tax so its worth more too

    • johnfuller on 18/01/2024 - 09:31
      -2

      are you talking about penny wong?

    • hopper on 20/01/2024 - 19:15
      +1

      But the question is, you saving the penny or the woolworths saving the penny and selling normal price

  • WreckTangle on 16/01/2024 - 21:25
    +208

    Dude, seems like more along the lines of your recent posts about Chinese airplanes, Chinese buying property, Chinese Immigration. Might be time to let it go.

    • aboabo on 17/01/2024 - 10:42
      +2

      It's called silent infiltration through bribery.

    • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 17/01/2024 - 20:51
      +100

      I think there are bigger issues at play with OP. They can't even remember where they live.

      Unit https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/798272
      9 acres https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/801268

      Reality is they are just disengenously "JuSt aSkInG QuEsTioNS" that are race related.

      • cute as duck on 17/01/2024 - 23:17
        +17

        Good detective work.

    • johnfuller on 18/01/2024 - 09:32
      +15

      maybe Sinophobia ?

      • ChatCPT on 19/01/2024 - 14:03
        +18

        nah OP is just a racist *****

        literally sitting/touching/surrounded by things made in China. what a douche

    • Wiede on 19/01/2024 - 17:58

      Tell me more about chinese airplanes

    • Donmega123 on 19/01/2024 - 18:47

      Or go further down this rabbithole!

    • HeWhoKnows on 20/01/2024 - 17:58

      The importer is deemed to be the manufacturer.
      So Woolworths is the deemed manufacturer regardles of who and where its made.
      Id say Woollies ensure there are very tight quality controls/standards

    • Pufff on 21/01/2024 - 09:34

      Sammyqanon

    • Jaspa7 on 21/01/2024 - 10:10

      shh.. nobody tell him that 80% of every machine that processed his food, every fridge etc. etc… was made in china even last decade..

  • JimmyF on 16/01/2024 - 21:26
    +54

    So I've been thinking about this, but would you consume foods that are made in China?

    Hate to break it to you, you already are eating HUGE amounts of food that are made in China. Most places that sell food use the cheapest ingredients. They're not paying extra for Australian pineapple, they are buying the cheapest ones they can get.

    Sadly the more things you turn over these days are made overseas or if you look at the % of the ingredients that are Australian, its very low. So just packaged here. Most Tomato sauce is 20% Australian product, the rest is overseas. That 20% is basically water they use here to thin it out before bottling.

    Its pretty bloody sad what the food chain has become.

    • Chris Topher on 17/01/2024 - 17:00
      +6

      Agreed. It's not like the choices are out there in our (diminishing) duopoly supermarkets.

      • RedHab on 21/01/2024 - 06:53

        True, and new food labelling laws the supermarkets lobbied for don't show where the product comes from anymore. All they need to say is the % Australian content, not the country of origin.

        I wouldn't worry too much about Chinese food, the NSW EPA no longer tests Australian fresh produce for heavy metals or pesticide residues anyway.

    • frewer on 18/01/2024 - 12:32
      +5

      My meat, egg, milk, pasta, honey, veg arent from China. I buy very limited processed foods

      • JimmyF on 18/01/2024 - 13:21
        +2

        My meat

        Ever buy sliced meat? Bacon? Ham steaks? Got bad news for you. Look at the % of Australian product in them.

        How about fish/seafood?

        honey

        Most likely it has some Chinese honey in it, all the big players cut the honey with other honey. There is a massive black market around China honey. Google it. As I said, Its pretty bloody sad what the food chain has become.

        veg arent from China

        Lots of frozen veg are, even the ones from NZ, they import China products, bag them up and sell them on as NZ made!

        Even fresh, look at the labels. While fresh is rarely from China, they can be from the USA and other strange places. Looking at your oranges.

        • Saywhatold on 20/01/2024 - 11:08
          +2

          So your first point about bacon/ham - it is not coming from China or shady grey markets. It is coming from the EU and a minority from the US. Even prior to China being subject to ASF we were not importing unprocessed porcine goods from that market. The EU has the worlds best animal raising and processing regulations from a consumer health perspective.

          Regarding honey - you're incorrect. You're referring most likely to the scandal in 2018 where it was shown about 1/5 "Australian" brands of honey had been blended - or "adulterated". While some of them may have been using Chinese honey - Capilano in particular was called out - as a bulking agent, more often than not the adulteration was the addition of syrups (corn/rice) as a bulking agent.

          You can still make a commercial choice to buy foreign honeys in Australia (i.e., commonly from South America or Asia) and you get what you pay for. But Australian truth in labelling laws now means it is next exceptionally unlikely anyone is illegally blending "Australian" honey with bulking agents anymore.

          Regarding frozen veg - that is not surprising. The last I recall, Australia only has a single company left that is processing Australian veg for the frozen/bagged market (called Simplot Australia). All imported foods are subject to pretty significant biosecurity and residue testing. If we're not processing frozen veg in Australia of course we need to import it. But, as I've said, those imported foods are tested for unacceptable levels of residues.

          • JimmyF on 20/01/2024 - 11:16
            -2

            @Saywhatold:

            So your first point about bacon/ham - it is not coming from China or shady grey markets. It is coming from the EU and a minority from the US. Even prior to China being subject to ASF we were not importing unprocessed porcine goods from that market. The EU has the worlds best animal raising and processing regulations from a consumer health perspective.

            Hard to say, they don't list the source of 'overseas' ingredients. Could be China pigs going via the EU to mask it, bit like China veggies going via NZ.

            Regarding honey - you're incorrect. You're referring most likely to the scandal in 2018 where it was shown about 1/5 "Australian" brands of honey had been blended - or "adulterated". While some of them may have been using Chinese honey - Capilano in particular was called out - as a bulking agent, more often than not the adulteration was the addition of syrups (corn/rice) as a bulking agent.

            So Capilano one of the bigger brands at the time was caught and you think they changed their ways and the others no longer do it? Did they clean up their act, or just make it harder to pick up. Who knows!

            All imported foods are subject to pretty significant biosecurity and residue testing. If we're not processing frozen veg in Australia of course we need to import it. But, as I've said, those imported foods are tested for unacceptable levels of residues.

            While we have pretty significant biosecurity and residue testing when it is done, the amount that is tested is a drop in the ocean to what comes in.

            • Saywhatold on 20/01/2024 - 14:44
              +6

              @JimmyF: On the above, without divulging specifics, I am in a senior regulatory and policy role that oversights agricultural/food exports and to some degree imports.

              On your question about Chinese pork making it into the EU. Its a bit complicated, but in a nut shell all movements of meat, including sourcing arrangements, require mandatory discloures to the trading partner as part of Government to Government health certification for the purposes of exports and imports. For the purposes of pork meat imports to Australia, the exporting country (i.e., lets say Norway) provide via health certification attestations as to the raising and sourcing of the meat, that is to say they declare the animals came exclusively from accredited properties within Norway or the broader EU. In return, Australia, as a net exporter of red meat, our health certification to trading partners attests that we are free from all notifiable diseases (think BSE/mad cow disease), that our animals were raised and sourced exclusively from Australian farms, etc. etc.

              All of this is verified and validated through international auditing by trading partners of each other's reciprocal systems. Also, we have a number of international oversighting committees which provide an additional level of assurance to the whole system.

              Regarding honey again, technically each state and territory is responsible from verifying sourcing arrangements for the sale of food in their jurisdiction. Though we harmonise a lot of this through something called FSANZ - Food Standards Australia New Zealand - which sets standards for general food safety, achieved through various things including verification testing. The penalities for making false or fraudulent statements as to sourcing arrangements for food in Australia have been strengthened significantly. Of course there will always be rouge operators in the system, but they do get caught and prosecuted.

              On your point about testing for imports. Look, I don't disagree with you. It is part of the reason why the Federal government is passing a contentious biosecurity levy right now to streamline and improve the funding arrangements for biosecurity controls. The entire system uses an outcomes based perspective. So each type of food, and the trading partner providing them, is assigned a risk rating which dictates the level of intervention and testing. Low risk food from low risk countries are basically waved through. High risk food from a high risk country is subject to elevated levels of inspection and testing. The system is what it is and operates at a trade off between the minimum permisible level of testing to guarantee consumer and biosecurity safety. Its not perfect, but Australia has - from a consumer food safety perspective - close to the best annual outcome year on year for all countries around the world.

          • CalmLemons on 21/01/2024 - 22:01
            +2

            @Saywhatold: Um most bacon is from the US as they have huge meat conglomerates and huge big farms.

            China is mainly a food importer rather than exporter of meat. meat production is rather taxing on agricultural land and china relies vastly on imported sources of meat, I think they're literally the worlds largest importer of meat.

            Considering the penalty for screwing up food production is ultimately the death penalty in a chinese company that might stuff up, one would be inclined to believe export food production standards are top notch in China now.

    • Hangryuman on 19/01/2024 - 11:15
      +1

      Buderim ginger used to be proudly Australian-grown when I was a kid

      now it's an 'Australian owned' company AFAIK importing ginger from China

      with only a couple of products proclaiming the word 'Australian' on their label - e.g. https://www.buderimginger.com/product/australian-sushi-ginge…

      and even that is 'AUSTRALIAN-MADE: Proudly produced by a family-owned business based in Australia' - unh - nothing about 'grown in Australia' ?

      'packed in Australia from imported and local ingredients' - https://www.amazon.com.au/Buderim-Ginger-Perfect-Snacking-En…

      so yeah - that local product seems to be cheaper to buy from China

      • juki on 19/01/2024 - 12:41
        +1

        yeah those "proudly australian owned family business" labels are so dodgy sometimes (in supermarkets at least)

      • JimmyF on 19/01/2024 - 14:52
        +2

        packed in Australia from imported and local ingredients

        Ahhh yes the famous words to make it sound like it is Australian when its really mostly overseas product.

        We take massive containers of the product make overseas and then put it into smaller containers here in Australia before shipping it out to stores.

      • beach bum on 19/01/2024 - 23:08

        That’s probably because all that deep rich red volcanic soil at buderim has been sub-devided , developed and built on .
        Yandina just down the road has a ginger factory who probably still uses some local produce , maybe ..

        • enforcer on 22/01/2024 - 00:16

          There are still some big ginger growers in the local area - source: I used to do scientific work with the industry and went to a few of these farms.

  • Nutrino on 16/01/2024 - 21:29
    +2

    whats your problem?… come at me bro!….

  • tsunamisurfer on 16/01/2024 - 21:31
    -6

    No. Just No. To China stuff you eat.

    Look up Gutter Oil on Youtube.

  • Brucet on 16/01/2024 - 21:31
    +24

    My family try to avoid consume fruit & foods & soy sauce made in China.remember your health more value than money.

    • JakeyJooJoo on 18/01/2024 - 13:58

      Soy sauce? Care to elaborate why you've specifically mentioned that?
      Can't say I've ever paid attention to where my soy sauce is…sourced

      • slickb on 18/01/2024 - 17:03
        +8

        Colourants, excess preservatives, toxic soy bean farming, cutting every corner to save pennies including use of poisonous chemicals in production processes with no farks given.

        • TEER3X on 20/01/2024 - 13:50

          Which are the best soy sauces then?

        • Dsiee on 20/01/2024 - 16:50
          +4

          That sounds a lot like the Aussie farms around me.

  • mskeggs on 16/01/2024 - 21:33
    +40

    I’ve eaten food in the USA, so nothing phases me.
    FWIW, the food I ate in China was very tasty.

    • KSMLJ on 16/01/2024 - 22:42
      +7

      Fazes.

      • mskeggs on 17/01/2024 - 07:21
        +5

        Thanks, I make errors when I write colloquial English, even though it is my only language, when I haven’t seen the word written often. Though I should have picked that one up because I think I would have written “fazed”.

        • notfrodo on 17/01/2024 - 11:17
          +3

          Faze is not colloquial

          • mskeggs on 17/01/2024 - 11:21
            +2

            @notfrodo: It is the way I've experienced - in informal conversation, not a word I've commonly seen written. Especially the usage "nothing fazes me".

          • 2024 on 17/01/2024 - 20:32
            +3

            @notfrodo: Strangely the OED lists informal next to its definition of faze

          • Hangryuman on 19/01/2024 - 11:17
            +2

            @notfrodo: enough with your misunderestimated colloquy !

    • EightImmortals on 17/01/2024 - 08:05
      +3

      Same here, I had the tastiest apricot I've ever eaten when in China. Even their icy poles tasted better. I didn't get a chance to see what was in them or whether the fruit was naturally that tasty. Reminded me of how things used to taste here back in the 70's.

      • Salternative on 18/01/2024 - 22:15

        Aus Icy Poles are made in china , have seen the made in china labels on them for a few years now. Tells you a lot that its cheaper to make frozen sugar water and ship it thousands of miles across than make it here.

        • EightImmortals on 19/01/2024 - 07:03

          Cheers. Yeah I meant ice creams on a stick generally rather than the icy pole brand itself. There was a particular one we had there which I don't remember the name of but was was awesome. :)

      • Hangryuman on 19/01/2024 - 11:18
        +2

        'tastiest apricot I've ever eaten when in China'

        sugar is cheap

        • EightImmortals on 19/01/2024 - 11:42
          +2

          Looked like real fruit to me. :)

    • wiipantz on 19/01/2024 - 15:41
      +1

      This is the real comment. Those HFCS foods and the abundance of GMO and other great enhancers is wild in the US. Don't get me wrong they have great food too but like everything you need to seek it out and for the better part mostly is worse than trash. I've never been to mainland China but I've been close and like always check the labels and do what fits for yourself really. On another note there seems to be a theme from OP here.

      • try2bhelpful on 19/01/2024 - 19:04
        +3

        The corn syrup in everything is what got me. We drove around LA and heard all the Diabetes Foundation messages. We thought WTF. Then we are some of their pastries.

        They do great steaks though. The secret to finding good food in America, in sane serving sizes, is being prepared to pay for it. You can buy a shit load of bad food for not much money.

      • CalmLemons on 21/01/2024 - 22:05
        +1

        I was surprised though after just being in China and seeing swathes of near perfect strawberries and apples I thought they were all GMO.

        Apparently GMO isn't even allowed in China enmasse. so not sure what the deal is there.

        TBH though GMO might be what we need with an ever increasing population.

        For the post below, yes, corn syrup/fructose syrup should be the number thing to be avoided in food. Nasty stuff.

    • Eeples on 19/01/2024 - 21:44

      To be phased can be sublime.

    • TEER3X on 21/01/2024 - 19:27
      +1

      I've heard China is a culinary experience and you need to spend many months there visiting all the different provinces.

  • AustriaBargain on 16/01/2024 - 21:38
    +9

    Yeah I would, you gotta assume they would meet Australian safety standards. Though Australian made food is meant to as well bet we get our fair share of bacterial outbreaks in our food plants.

    • TEER3X on 21/01/2024 - 19:28

      Not as much as they get in America with their ground beef.

      Not sure why they ground it, sounds way cleaner to mince it.

  • OpenHand on 16/01/2024 - 21:43
    +16

    Yeah, I eat food made in china all the time.

    Asian grocer is my favourite place to shop.

  • BargainCowboy on 16/01/2024 - 21:45
    +25

    I try to avoid it. Garlic is one thing that comes to mind, I buy only Australian garlic even though it's like 6 times the price.

    • AlienC on 20/01/2024 - 02:00

      Where do you buy your Australian garlic

  • Drakesy on 16/01/2024 - 21:51
    +4

    The xenophobia is real.

    • Ughhh on 16/01/2024 - 22:02
      +28

      There's a reason why lots of Aussie sold baby formula were/are being bought and shipped to China by Daigous.

      • Drakesy on 16/01/2024 - 22:04

        Oh the food i can understand, it's the war against China the OP Seems to be taking that is toeing the line.

      • mskeggs on 16/01/2024 - 22:25

        Sure, it is food that has passed Australian food regulations, like the Chinese made food on our shelves.

      • salin on 18/01/2024 - 21:54
        +1

        That part is done and dusted.
        No more Daigou business anymore, as the Chinese turned their back to Aussie products.

        • ProlapsedHeinous on 20/01/2024 - 00:30

          Daigone

        • uraha on 23/01/2024 - 23:12
          -2

          That is incorrect, there is no Daigou business because Chemist warehouse sell in China directly. It's the Chinese govt that turned their back to Aussie product not the Chinese people.

          • salin on 30/01/2024 - 19:26

            @uraha: What is the chance for ordinary Chinese people (if they have not visited Australia )to buy products from Chemist warehouse?
            Stop watching the Main Stream Media(Fake News).

    • infinite on 17/01/2024 - 21:59
      -1

      In China it certainly is.

      Not much of an issue here in Australia though.

    • RatBargain on 19/01/2024 - 09:47
      +4

      Too much murdoch down OP’s throat

      Wait till sammy finds out about ”Fresh” Aussie Salmon in Tasmania

      https://youtu.be/xLIph7Ct-rQ?si=xhY5DOYW9wan8AmH

  • Dack Smith on 17/01/2024 - 01:41
    +4

    Why not?

    Australia is basically China at this point so Australian food = Chinese food anyway

    Same quality, same lot

  • JIMB0 on 17/01/2024 - 04:40
    +12

    Have you ever been inside an Australian food manufacturing facility? You'll find a lot of the ingredients come from overseas as do the people.

    • Loopholio on 18/01/2024 - 01:54
      +3

      You'll find a lot of the ingredients come from overseas as do the people.

      Are we eating people? I don't mind if we are, it would he nice to know is all.

  • franco cozzo on 17/01/2024 - 05:56
    +3

    sure, why not?….ive heard the bat soup sourced from a certain wet market is to die for!!!

  • jm7 on 17/01/2024 - 06:02
    +20

    I am more concerned about 'Made in Australia from x% imported ingredients', as the label doesn't give consumers enough information about the origin of their food. A product from overseas can be packaged in Australia, avoiding the requirement to put "Made in China (or wherever else)" on the label.
    For example, I suspect Mayvers peanut butter is made with Chinese peanuts (made in Australia from 100% imported ingredients).
    I assume we are consuming alot of Chinese products disguised as "imported ingredients" on labels.
    I'm not anti-Chinese products, but feel there should be more transparency on labels, because "imported" is a very ambiguous term and allows manufacturer's to hide the origins on their ingredients.

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