Business Channel 2007-10-16&10-18, 食品进口安全（在线收听）

There is nothing more American than a fall apple harvest. But you won't find these New York apples in your apple juice. Most apple juice contains concentrate from China and to a lesser degree from Brazil, Argentina and Chile. And that hamburger, American beef, mixed with trim from at least 16 different countries. Bread, wheat gluten from China and Europe. Kellogg's popular Nutri-Grain Cereal Bar contains ingredients from the US and at least 7 other countries.

We are trying to manage this tremendous growth in imports without modernizing our food safety laws. And so in fact, we are really not checking the foods adequately.

The Food and Drug Administration inspects just 1% of our imported food. There are fewer inspectors today than five years ago. Yet imports are exploding. According to the Agriculture Department, almost 15% of America's food is imported. 63 billion dollars worth last year from more than 175 countries. Many snacks and prepared meals contain ingredients from dozens of countries.

The more process, the more opportunities there are for those cost-conscious processors to save a few bucks by sourcing an ingredient from one country as opposed to another country.

This country imports some 14 billion dollars in fruits, vegetables in nets, up 53% in just the past few years. Snack food imports grew even more. Red meat imports jumpped 19%.

We are always going to have a more globalized food source. We are going to be importing more products from across the world, because that's what consumers are demanding.

He represents the big food companies, and says Americans want fruit year round. It's that consumer demand that will continue to drive food imports. But want to know where your food is from, you have to guess. Country of origin labeling is the law but it's been postponed until at least next year under pressure from industry.

Christine Romans, CNN, New York

Notes:

Outsourcing: The procuring of services or products, such as the parts used in manufacturing a motor vehicle, from an outside supplier or manufacturer in order to cut costs.