Chinese melamine now killing children...

Way back in April, 2007, I wrote a piece ("Pet Food Scare Serves as Warning") about the contamination of pet food with melamine from China. Several readers accused me of being anti-Chinese or claimed it was a fluke. Sadly, they were wrong: investigation of the baby formula poisonings in China this week have found exactly the same compound (tripolycyanimide) was intentionally added to low-quality baby formula in order to fool lab tests for nutrient content. Six babies have died and many others have been stricken with the same sort of kidney ailments that killed thousands of north American pets in 2007.

This time the problem was not a failure of the US FDA, but it does point to the vulnerability of any food supply dependent on Chinese ingredients-- and virtually all US-produced processed foods include ingredients sourced at Chinese plants. This is a terrible tragedy for the families of the Chinese victims, and yet another alarm call for the United States. How much longer can we continue to play Russian roulette with our food supply? FDA reform and strict inspection/regulation of all food imports from China is the only way we will avoid a similar tragedy here.

CNN's report on the investigation includes more details.

Help me help Obama-- support progressive candidates

I've established a personal fundraising site I'm calling Central Minnesotans for Progress at http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/kiwanda. If, like me, you are concerned about critical issues like education, health care, energy, and the environment and want to see a departure from the politics of the past please join me in supporting the Obama/Biden ticket in 2008.

Just click on Central Minnesotans for Progress to make a donation directly to the campaign-- credit will go to progressive causes and help advance a rational agenda while electing the only candidates who are speaking for the sort of progressive, positive change our country so badly needs.

-Derek