Today, U.S. citizens trudging thorough a freezing Minnesota winter can indulge t
ID: 1116454 • Letter: T
Question
Today, U.S. citizens trudging thorough a freezing Minnesota winter can indulge their cravings for summer-fresh raspberries. Europeans who are thousands of miles away from North America can put Mexican mangoes in their breakfast cereal. Japanese shoppers can buy radishes that were grown from seeds cultivated in Oregon. Eating fresh and natural produce is a growing consumer trend, and globalization of the food industry, falling barriers to trade, and formation of regional trading blocs make it possible for people to choose from produce grown all over the world. Unfortunately, these forces have also made it more likely that these same consumers will get debilitating—and even deadly –illnesses from foodborne pathogens.
In the United States several outbreaks linked to the burgeoning global trade in produce have made headlines in recent years. One very serious case occurred several years ago when 2,300 people were victims of a parasite called cyclospora that had hitched a ride on raspberries grown in Guatemala. Outbreaks of hepatitis A and salmonella from tained strawberries and alfalfa sprouts, respectively, have also alarmed consumers. Although health officails say there is no evidence that imports are inherently more dangerous, they do cite some real reasons for worry. For one thing, imported produce often comes from countries where food hygiene and basic sanitation are less advanced. For another, some microbes that cause no damage in their home country are deadly when introduced on foreign soil. Finally, the longer the journey from farm to table, the greater is the chance of contamination. Just consider the journey taken by the salmonella-ridden alfalfa sprouts: The seeds for the sprouts were bought from Uganda and Pakistan, among other nations, shipped through the Netherlands, flown into New York, and trucked all around the United States.
Incidences of food contamination show no signs of abating. Since the passage of NAFTA, cross-border trade in food among Canada, Mexico, and the United States has skyrocketed. Meanwhile, federal inspections of U.S. imports by the Food and Drug Administration have dropped significantly. The increase in imports has clearly strained the U.S. food-safety system, which was built 100 years ago for a country contained within its own borders. Although it isn’t feasible for the United States to plant FDA inspectors in every country, options are available. The U.S. Congress could tighten further the ban on importing fruit and vegetables from countries that do not meet expanded U.S. food-safety standards.
More money could be given to the FDA to enable it to hire investigators to inspect more fully not just produce but also farming methods and government safety systems in other countries. Countries that blocked the new inspections would be forbidden to sell fruit and vegetables in the United States. Although such measures would irk trading partners of the United States, it most certainly would fuel the worldwide debate on food safety and trade.
Question
1. How do you think countries with a high volume of exports to the United States, such as Mexico, would respond to stricter food-safety rules? Do you think such measures are a good way to stem the tide of food-related illnesses? Why or why not?
2. The lack of harmonized food-safety practices and standards is just one of the challenges faced by the food industry as it becomes more global. What other challenges face the food industry in an era of economic integration and opening markets?
Today, U.S. citizens trudging thorough a freezing Minnesota winter can indulge their cravings for summer-fresh raspberries. Europeans who are thousands of miles away from North America can put Mexican mangoes in their breakfast cereal. Japanese shoppers can buy radishes that were grown from seeds cultivated in Oregon. Eating fresh and natural produce is a growing consumer trend, and globalization of the food industry, falling barriers to trade, and formation of regional trading blocs make it possible for people to choose from produce grown all over the world. Unfortunately, these forces have also made it more likely that these same consumers will get debilitating—and even deadly –illnesses from foodborne pathogens.
In the United States several outbreaks linked to the burgeoning global trade in produce have made headlines in recent years. One very serious case occurred several years ago when 2,300 people were victims of a parasite called cyclospora that had hitched a ride on raspberries grown in Guatemala. Outbreaks of hepatitis A and salmonella from tained strawberries and alfalfa sprouts, respectively, have also alarmed consumers. Although health officails say there is no evidence that imports are inherently more dangerous, they do cite some real reasons for worry. For one thing, imported produce often comes from countries where food hygiene and basic sanitation are less advanced. For another, some microbes that cause no damage in their home country are deadly when introduced on foreign soil. Finally, the longer the journey from farm to table, the greater is the chance of contamination. Just consider the journey taken by the salmonella-ridden alfalfa sprouts: The seeds for the sprouts were bought from Uganda and Pakistan, among other nations, shipped through the Netherlands, flown into New York, and trucked all around the United States.
Incidences of food contamination show no signs of abating. Since the passage of NAFTA, cross-border trade in food among Canada, Mexico, and the United States has skyrocketed. Meanwhile, federal inspections of U.S. imports by the Food and Drug Administration have dropped significantly. The increase in imports has clearly strained the U.S. food-safety system, which was built 100 years ago for a country contained within its own borders. Although it isn’t feasible for the United States to plant FDA inspectors in every country, options are available. The U.S. Congress could tighten further the ban on importing fruit and vegetables from countries that do not meet expanded U.S. food-safety standards.
More money could be given to the FDA to enable it to hire investigators to inspect more fully not just produce but also farming methods and government safety systems in other countries. Countries that blocked the new inspections would be forbidden to sell fruit and vegetables in the United States. Although such measures would irk trading partners of the United States, it most certainly would fuel the worldwide debate on food safety and trade.
Question
1. How do you think countries with a high volume of exports to the United States, such as Mexico, would respond to stricter food-safety rules? Do you think such measures are a good way to stem the tide of food-related illnesses? Why or why not?
2. The lack of harmonized food-safety practices and standards is just one of the challenges faced by the food industry as it becomes more global. What other challenges face the food industry in an era of economic integration and opening markets?
Today, U.S. citizens trudging thorough a freezing Minnesota winter can indulge their cravings for summer-fresh raspberries. Europeans who are thousands of miles away from North America can put Mexican mangoes in their breakfast cereal. Japanese shoppers can buy radishes that were grown from seeds cultivated in Oregon. Eating fresh and natural produce is a growing consumer trend, and globalization of the food industry, falling barriers to trade, and formation of regional trading blocs make it possible for people to choose from produce grown all over the world. Unfortunately, these forces have also made it more likely that these same consumers will get debilitating—and even deadly –illnesses from foodborne pathogens.
In the United States several outbreaks linked to the burgeoning global trade in produce have made headlines in recent years. One very serious case occurred several years ago when 2,300 people were victims of a parasite called cyclospora that had hitched a ride on raspberries grown in Guatemala. Outbreaks of hepatitis A and salmonella from tained strawberries and alfalfa sprouts, respectively, have also alarmed consumers. Although health officails say there is no evidence that imports are inherently more dangerous, they do cite some real reasons for worry. For one thing, imported produce often comes from countries where food hygiene and basic sanitation are less advanced. For another, some microbes that cause no damage in their home country are deadly when introduced on foreign soil. Finally, the longer the journey from farm to table, the greater is the chance of contamination. Just consider the journey taken by the salmonella-ridden alfalfa sprouts: The seeds for the sprouts were bought from Uganda and Pakistan, among other nations, shipped through the Netherlands, flown into New York, and trucked all around the United States.
Incidences of food contamination show no signs of abating. Since the passage of NAFTA, cross-border trade in food among Canada, Mexico, and the United States has skyrocketed. Meanwhile, federal inspections of U.S. imports by the Food and Drug Administration have dropped significantly. The increase in imports has clearly strained the U.S. food-safety system, which was built 100 years ago for a country contained within its own borders. Although it isn’t feasible for the United States to plant FDA inspectors in every country, options are available. The U.S. Congress could tighten further the ban on importing fruit and vegetables from countries that do not meet expanded U.S. food-safety standards.
More money could be given to the FDA to enable it to hire investigators to inspect more fully not just produce but also farming methods and government safety systems in other countries. Countries that blocked the new inspections would be forbidden to sell fruit and vegetables in the United States. Although such measures would irk trading partners of the United States, it most certainly would fuel the worldwide debate on food safety and trade.
Question
1. How do you think countries with a high volume of exports to the United States, such as Mexico, would respond to stricter food-safety rules? Do you think such measures are a good way to stem the tide of food-related illnesses? Why or why not?
2. The lack of harmonized food-safety practices and standards is just one of the challenges faced by the food industry as it becomes more global. What other challenges face the food industry in an era of economic integration and opening markets?
Explanation / Answer
Ans 1 -
I think countries with a high volume of exports to the U.S like Mexico, would not be very happy with food regulatory rules,as it will definitely effect their bussiness.
A huge earning is been given by exporting food products from various small countries to U.S.Hence, Mexico or other countries who are doing the same business with US will surely opposed to it.
Each and every country has their own farming methods and safety systems which are obviously not at par like U.S farming standards. This is based on the economy of the country, Mexico is still an emerging country when it comes to safe farming and applying its methods,also geographically the ways and patterns of farming are different than U.S or any other developed country. As of now Mexico and its government is meddling in its domestic affairs.
A lot of things depends on the education of farmers in the safe handling and how the agricultural products are shipped to the US and a very close inspection on U.S. borders, i believe that would seem to be a better approach to curtail the problem arising here.
Ans 2-
Challanges that food Industry is facing in an era of Economic integration and Open Market are :-
The Food Industry is facing a crisis in terms of grwoing further due to various problems which are preciselly as follows :-
1) Tax and non-duty hindrances- High Taxes on food products,excise duty on the export part are damaging the backbone of this indutry.
2) Food Related Desease - Goevrnment is not taking complete measures or full control over the desease causing due to contaminated food while expeorting it to different countries. The quality of food deteriorates by the time it reaches from the farms to teh consumer's table.
3) No check on the food being infected while exporting it from one country to another. At times the geographical conditions may be favaourable for an item in one country but in the other country it can give birth to any kind of parasites or germs within the food. This could only be regulated when deep researches are done to check the favourable conditions for the food to be healthy and with no such problems,thus guaranteeing the safety of customers and being productive.
4) Another thing that discourages is the diverse levels of advancement of the countries that are included in worldwide exchange, it is possible that some of these nations who are underdeveloped or developing countries might not have the innovative ideas or capital to put into resources to get the better food safety regulations and consequently there are no control on the problems arising due to this. Such countries should be banned from exchange untill they developed their safety measures to provide quality food to other countries.