Dr. Oz warns against health dangers of processed chicken from China

The USDA is working to allow chicken from China to be sold to consumers in the U.S., but China has different standards when it comes food safety. The proposal calls for chicken to be sent to China for processing after it is raised in the U.S. or Canada, then sent back to the U.S. to be sold in grocery stores in the form of products like frozen wings and soups. Dr. Mehmet Oz wants people to know about the risks, saying, "This has me outraged. I'm calling on the USDA to shut down this proposal. You have America's health in your hands." Many other health experts agree that chicken processed in China can make Americans sick, especially because the Chinese don't have food safety boards like the FDA or USDA to regulate. In the past few years, imported Chinese products have caused many health problems, ranging from tainted baby formula to rat meat being passed off as lamb. Plus, an outbreak of bird flu this year struck Chinese chickens. Another incident in March of 2013 occurred when over 11,000 pig carcasses were dumped into a river in Shanghai because farms didn't have enough room. Charles Schumer, the democratic Senator from New York, is also against the proposal, arguing, "China has been a massive source of food poisoning here in America for years. China has a terrible record on health safety, and chickens are one of the things that need the most care and inspections."

Examiner, 12/10/13