Melamine

[lizzybennet]

I've been thinking a lot about Melamine lately and wondering just how much of it I ingested when we lived in China. The boys' language tutor used to bring them White Rabbit candies as a reward for doing good with their lessons. It's a very yummy candy, sort of like a vanilla Tootsie roll with the consistancy of a Now and Later. I even brought some home to my family to give them a taste of Chinese candy.

When we first moved to Nanjing, my friend Mariannette's child was still on formula. Her first day there she went to Walmart and purchased the imported American brand of formula that her child was accustomed to. It just so happened on that evening that a news crew was at the store and they wanted to interview her on why she chose the much more expensive imported formlua over the Chinese formula. She stated it was because her son was used to this brand and she didn't want to mess up his digestion, etc. She didn't say that she didn't trust the Chinese formula, but that was also a factor. She'd heard of cases in the past, as had I, when Chinese formula didn't have enough nutrients in it to fortify the baby as needed. They simply do not have enough guidelines over there for such things. I spoke to her recently and she told me how very glad she is that she never used Chinese formula while we lived there. How scary to realize what a potential disaster it could have been.

The whole thing just drives home to me, yet again, how clueless and how blessed we were while we lived there. We were safe, with no major medical mishaps the whole time we were there. We didn't get poisoned from lead paint on toys or kidney failure from melamine infused candy. But it's not like we went out of our way to avoid such things. We bought toys from street vendors that were most likey made it that vendors living room. We tried all sorts of new and exciting Chinese candy.

And you know what? I can't wait to go back to China one day and do it all again! But this time, no White Rabbits.

Comments

[pearlgirl8.livejournal.com]

Haha, well at least it didn't ruin your enthusiasm.
I'm glad that you didn't die from lead paint or candy too.

China

[(Anonymous)]

Do you remember when Chris went to China the first time and ended up in a Chinese emergency room with an IV in him for food poisoning? Wasn't potato logs fried in a blend of motor oil or something like that suspect? Then there is all the pets killed in the US , a result of consuming tainted pet food made from Chinese exports. Most died of kidney failure. What will be next? I remember in Vietnam many GI's bought frozen popcicles made from rice paddy water and were stricken with severe dysentery. Some drank Vietnamese cows milk (unpasteurized) and were exposed to TB. Even Bubonic Plague and Cholera were endemnic then but we were protected by immunization. Malaria was also a problem. I'll stay in the good ole USA. Bill

Re: China

[iumentum-creo.livejournal.com]

I ended up with an IV in my arm during my stay in China as well. Mine was from some sort of banana milk drink I think (probably unpasteurized). I didn't feel like eating anything for like 4 or 5 days after that and probably lost near near 10 lbs. Shuzhen's dad was really concerned and went and bought one of the banana milk drinks and drank it to see if it would do the same to him. It didn't but it could have just been the batch I got, or it's possible that their immunities there can handle a lot of the bacteria and stuff ours haven't been exposed to. I saw a lot of babies in the hospital getting IV's when I was there. They had to attach the IV's to their heads cause their veins in their arms are too fragile.
But none of it put me off going to China or other places in the world. I'd rather not live in a plastic bubble. But in saying that, I probably won't be drinking any diary products in China again.

Bursting Bubbles

[(Anonymous)]

An estimated 9000 people die of food poisoning in the U.S. every year. I wonder how many die in China and other countries like India etc.? At least you didn't die from food poisoning in a country a half world away. I guess in this life we all pay our money and take our chances. If you die then you are no longer living in a bubble, at least not in this world. I'll take my chances here. I think the U.S. is a big enough bubble for me. Funny but there are so many trying to get inside this 'bubble' legally and illegally. Perhaps they fully understand how blessed we are and want to partake in those same blessings. I have nothing against traveling but my heritage is here. Bill