Avoid poisoned milk made from China or Taiwan

I received this email from my aunt, title “Food Inc. China.”  Posting it here for archival purposes.

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Make sure you read to the very end — very interesting — perhaps the best way to tell where things are made…

China milk poisoning incidents make everyone afraid to look at the daily news report. Everyday, the reports are changing. No one can clearly tell us what to eat and what not to eat.

1.What really is poisoned milk?
It is milk powder mixed with ‘MELAMINE’

What is Melamine used for?
It is an industrial chemical used in the production of melawares.

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It is also used in home decoration, ‘ US resistant board’.

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We all MUST understand that Melamine is used in INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION — it CANNOT be eaten!

2.Why is Melamine added to milk powder?
The most important nutrient in milk is protein. And, Melamine has this same protein that contains ‘NITROGEN.’

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Adding Melamine into milk reduces the actual milk content required, and therefore it is cheaper than all milk. So it lowers the capital required in the production of milk products. Therefore it earns the business man more profit!

Below is Melamine; doesn’t it look like milk/milk powder? It doesn’t have any smell, so cannot be detected.

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3.When was it discovered that it had been added to milk products?
In 2007, US cats and dogs died suddenly, they found that pet food from China contained Melamine.

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Early in 2008, in China, an abnormal increase in infant cases of kidney stones was reported.

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In August 2008, China Sanlu Milk Powder tested for Melamine.

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Sept. 2008, the New Zealand government asked China to investigate this problem.
Sept. 21, 2008, they found that many food products in Taiwan tested for Melamine.

4.What happens when Melamine ingested and digested?
Melamine remains inside the kidneys. It forms into stones blocking the tubes. Pain will be imminent and the person cannot urinate. Kidney(s) will then swell.

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Although surgery can remove the stones, it causes irreversible kidney damage. It can lead to the loss of kidney function and will require kidney dialysis or lead to death because of uremia.

What is dialysis?
In fact, it should be called ‘blood washing’; it is filtering all of the body’s blood into a machine and then returning the blood back to the body.

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The whole process takes 4 hours; and it is necessary to have dialysis once every 3 days for the rest of your life.

Below: A dialysis centre.
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Below: A large dialysis centre.
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A small hole is required in the arm to insert the sub-dialysis catheter.
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Why is it much more serious in babies?
A baby’s kidneys are so very small and they drink a lot of milk powder.

Below: A baby undergoing dialysis.
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China currently has 13,000 infants hospitalized
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It does not matter how much Melamine a human being ingested (ate) (took).
The important point is: ‘MELAMINE CANNOT BE EATEN!’

5.What foods are to be avoided?
Foods from China that contain dairy products should be avoided.
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Remember: Foods with cream or milk should be avoided.

6.Which companies are affected?
Hereunder are the companies affected with Melamine.

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7.What do we do next?
Avoid the above foods for at least six months.

If you own or operate a snack bar, a restaurant, or a coffee shops, etc.,
stop selling dairy products for the meantime.

If you have infants at home, change to mother’s milk or find other substitutes.

Finally, share this information with friends so they will understand the risk of milk poisoning.

The whole world is very afraid of "Made In China" ‘black-hearted’ goods. Do you know how to differentiate which products are made in the USA, or in the Philippines, in Taiwan, or in China? Here’s How:

The first 3 digits of the barcode identify the country code wherein the product was made.

For example: ALL barcodes that start with 690, 691, 692, etc… up to and including 695 a really MADE IN CHINA. Barcodes starting with 471 are printed on products Made in Taiwan.

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You have aright to know. But the government and related departments never inform or educate the public.Therefore, we must educate ourselves, be vigilant, and RESCUE ourselves.

Today, Chinese businessmen know that consumer swill not select products ‘Made in China’. So, they make every effort not to show or state the country of origin on their products. However, you can now refer to the barcode.

DO remember if the first 3 digits are one of those between 690 and 695 inclusive then it is a product Made in China.

OTHER BARCODES:
00 ~ 13 USA & CANADA
30 ~ 37 FRANCE
40 ~ 44 GERMANY
49 ~ JAPAN
50 ~ UK
57 ~ Denmark
64 ~ Finland
76 ~ Switzerland and Liechtenstein
628 ~ Saudi-Arabia
629 ~ United Arab Emirates
740 ~ 745 – Central America
All 480 Codes are Made in the Philippines.

Please inform your family and friends. Be aware! And help others to be aware!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-kLUyic4TM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7616346.stm

http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/melamine-in-milk.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Chinese_milk_scandal

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article4758549.ece

Playing in the dirt makes you smarter

Apparently, yes, it does … according to this article (which is below for archival purposes).

If you need yet another good reason to convince yourself or your kids to go outside and get your hands in the dirt, here it is: new research reveals that a bacterium in the soil not only lowers depression and anxiety but also can make you smarter!

Science Daily reports that "exposure to specific bacteria in the environment, already believed to have antidepressant qualities, could increase learning behavior."

The new research was presented at the 110th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Diego.

"Mycobacterium vaccae is a natural soil bacterium which people likely ingest or breathe in when they spend time in nature," says Dorothy Matthews of The Sage Colleges in Troy, New York, who conducted the research with her colleague Susan Jenks.

Previous research studies on M. vaccae showed that heat-killed bacteria injected into mice stimulated growth of some neurons in the brain that resulted in increased levels of serotonin and decreased anxiety… "This research suggests that M. vaccae may play a role in anxiety and learning in mammals," says Matthews. "It is interesting to speculate that creating learning environments in schools that include time in the outdoors where M. vaccae is present may decrease anxiety and improve the ability to learn new tasks."

The science supporting the mental health benefits of gardening and outdoor activities in general just gets stronger with each new study. We need to help our kids — and ourselves — recover from what author Richard Louv (Last Child in the Woods) calls "nature deficit disorder."

These studies encourage all of us to support our local communities by building a school garden at every educational institution in our area, increasing the availability of community gardens for everyone who wants a plot of soil to dig their fingers into and — perhaps most important — shrinking our lawns and growing some of our own food.

Smart moves!