Will you have chemicals with that?

Will you know if you have chemicals or other unwelcome additives in the food you buy?

It probably depends on where it comes from. Almost certainly you will not know if it comes from China, fair chance you will if it comes from Australia. Barcodes provide a very useful answer.

The problem is we need to think hard before buying any foodstuffs from China, Hong Kong, Vietnam or Thailand as these countries have little or no laws that regulate food production and processing and erratic policing of what controls there are. It is particularly wise to avoid buying processed food packaged in China, Vietnam and Thailand. We just do not know what else may be in those packages.

Also, do note that many Mainland Chinese companies now use a Hong Kong address in an attempt to avoid the poor reputation Chinese produce has developed.

Some companies are going to greater lengths to mislead you. For example, according to CBC TV’s “Marketplace”, Highliner Fish Products all come from China where they are pen raised using chemicals that are banned in Canada as cancer causing, but are legal in China. Once processed in Canada, their packaging quite truthfully declares “processed in Canada”! Clearly “processed” does not mean “ originated in”.

So do beware of items like a bottle of organic Tamari I saw recently. On the label was “Produce of China”, “packaged in Australia” and certified “organic” in Australia. I am sorry, but I do not have enough confidence in the Chinese food production system yet to buy that.

The fact is that some countries like Australia do have pretty good food regulation Laws and labeling to match, as do countries like New Zealand, the USA and Canada, Germany, France, Italy and Great Britain.  At least in Australia, buying Australian prepared food, you have a good chance of knowing what is in the food you buy. True you could buy an ice cream for yourself or a child and it could have 6 – 10 chemicals in it, but at least the label will tell you it has 6 – 10 chemicals in it. What you do after that is up to you!

So how do you know where your food comes from?

Look at the barcodes! The first 2 or 3 numbers on every barcode define the country of packaging. Australia is 93, New Zealand 94. These two countries are right up amongst the best food standards, and if it really was grown and packaged in either, what is on the label is likely to be what you will get (barring criminal activity which is fairly well policed). However, watch for the "packaged in Australia", "product of somewhere else" routine. Again, at least on produce packaged in Australia, you will be able to find this information if you look hard enough.

Clearly, the need is to read labels thoroughly.

Countries I avoid and their codes are:

China:  690 – 695

Thailand: 885

Vietnam: 893  

Japan (due to the radiation misfortune): 450 - 459 and 490 - 499

There are several others that warrant suspicion, so the full list is included below.

What to do?

First: Grow as much as you can. How is the home veggie garden going? If you are still thinking about it, this is a great time to start. If you need help, try the books listed below or ask a friend.

Second: Buy local produce.

Third:  If local produce is not easy to come by, try harder! Buy local produce.

Fourth: If you are still having trouble sourcing local produce, try really hard!

If we get into the habit of seeking local produce, it will get easier and easier. When I first developed cancer in 1975, there was one organic veggie shop in Melbourne. It was a big effort to get there. Now, in our small country town of Yarra Junction we have a terrific organic shop and who knows how many there are in Melbourne?

Buy local and our children may have more of a future. Less transport pollution, less unknowns in the processing, more local knowledge and suitability, more sustainable communities.

Buy local produce.

Fifth: If all else does fail, read labels. It makes heaps of sense wherever possible to choose foodstuffs from Australia and New Zealand. Heaps of sense to use organic produce. Heaps of sense to buy as much unprocessed food as reasonably possible – eg buy the raw ingredients and prepare your own sauces etc. It also makes heaps of sense to read labels if you do buy things that are processed.

Find out where things originated from, where they were packaged and what is in them.

Happy eating and good health!

Maybe this is a good blog to share with those you care about - you could save them a problem!

Here are the Country barcodes which are in numerical, not alphabetical order. Good luck.

code	country
000 – 019	U.S. and Canada
020 – 029	Restricted distribution (MO defined)
030 – 039	U.S. drugs (see U.S. National Drug Code)
040 – 049	Restricted distribution (MO defined)
050 – 059	coupons
060 – 099	U.S. and Canada
100 – 139	U.S. (reserved for later use)
200 – 299	Restricted distribution (MO defined)
300 – 379	France and Monaco
380	Bulgaria
383	Slovenia
385	Croatia
387	Bosnia and Herzegovina
389	Montenegro
400 – 440	Germany (440 code inherited from old East Germany on reunification, 1990)
450 – 459	Japan
460 – 469	Russia
470	Kyrgyzstan
471	Taiwan
474	Estonia
475	Latvia
476	Azerbaijan
477	Lithuania
478	Uzbekistan
479	Sri Lanka
480	Philippines
481	Belarus
482	Ukraine
484	Moldova
485	Armenia
486	Georgia
487	Kazakhstan
488	Tajikistan
489	Hong Kong SAR
490 – 499	Japan
500 – 509	United Kingdom
520 – 521	Greece
528	Lebanon
529	Cyprus
530	Albania
531	F.Y.R.O. Macedonia
535	Malta
539	Ireland
540 – 549	Belgium and Luxembourg
560	Portugal
569	Iceland
570 – 579	Denmark, Faroe Islands and Greenland
590	Poland
594	Romania
599	Hungary
600 – 601	South Africa
603	Ghana
604	Senegal
608	Bahrain
609	Mauritius
611	Morocco
613	Algeria
615	Nigeria
616	Kenya
618	Côte d'Ivoire
619	Tunisia
621	Syria
622	Egypt
624	Libya
625	Jordan
626	Iran
627	Kuwait
628	Saudi Arabia
629	United Arab Emirates
640 – 649	Finland
690 – 695	China, The People's Republic
700 – 709	Norway
729	Israel
730 – 739	Sweden : EAN/GS1 Sweden
740	Guatemala
741	El Salvador
742	Honduras
743	Nicaragua
744	Costa Rica
745	Panama
746	Dominican Republic
750	Mexico
754 – 755	Canada
759	Venezuela
760 – 769	Switzerland and Liechtenstein
770 – 771	Colombia
773	Uruguay
775	Peru
777	Bolivia
778 – 779	Argentina
780	Chile
784	Paraguay
786	Ecuador
789 – 790	Brazil
800 – 839	Italy, San Marino and Vatican City
840 – 849	Spain and Andorra
850	Cuba
858	Slovakia
859	Czech Republic
860	Serbia
865	Mongolia
867	North Korea
868 – 869	Turkey
870 – 879	Netherlands
880	South Korea
884	Cambodia
885	Thailand
888	Singapore
890	India
893	Vietnam
894	Bangladesh
896	Pakistan
899	Indonesia
900 – 919	Austria
930 – 939	Australia
940 – 949	New Zealand
950	GS1 Global Office: Special applications
951	EPCglobal: Special applications
955	Malaysia
958	Macau

NEWS

1. Any tired tennis fans? Wow, if you want a model of determination, perseverance, endurance, never give up attitudes and incredible skill, the Djokavic, Nadal final had it all! What a pair of champions. Congratulations to them both.

2. Happily the online Mindbody Mastery program can accommodate anyone who wants to join, but the meditation retreat Ruth and I will lead pre- Easter, "Meditation in the Forest", is filling, as is "Wednesdays with Ian", the follow-up program for people with cancer who have already attended a Gawler Foundation program. May be wise to book soon if you plan to attend.

RESOURCES

Books:

Esther Dean's No-dig Gardening Book: the simple, quick and reliable way to start a veggie garden.

Jeffery Hodges: The Organic Garden: another very useful guide.

You Can Conquer Cancer has detailed food guidelines for well people along with those dealing with cancer.

CDs: 

Eating Well, Being Well has the Wellness Diet outlined, ideal for all the family and the starting point for anyone interested in preventing illness or recovering from it.

Eating for Recovery is the specific Healing Diet for those seeking to overcome cancer. It builds on the first CD, e.g.  if you are dealing with cancer, you need both.

Programs

Meditation in the Forest and the full range of Gawler Foundation programs