First, PBS Newshour investigates China’s purchase of Smithfield foods in 2013, the largest Chinese takeover of an American company. Interestingly, the Chinese company that bought Smithfield paid 30% more for the company than its market value. Some speculate that the Chinese government had a hand in the deal, seeking to acquire overseas meat suppliers to keep pace with the meat consumption of its growing population. Smithfield constitutes 25% of the pork industry in the U.S., 25% which is now controlled by Shuanghui Foods. This raises concerns of American food security if major food processors are owned by foreign companies.
Second, why does the U.S. chill its eggs? Many countries around the world do not. Eggs do not need to be refrigerated unless they are washed right after coming out of the chicken, which is standard practice in the U.S. We like our eggs clean and this means that they must be refrigerated all the way through the supply chain.
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In response to the article on eggs, I never knew producers washed eggs with both soap and water. At home, where we use our own eggs, we simply rinse the dirt off the egg with water right before using it. The thought that producers are basically making the eggs porous by removing the eggs’ natural lining through their washing is alarming. This allows for pathogens to potentially enter the egg. They then spray eggs with oil to replace their natural protection; they should leave the egg as it came, protective lining and all. Is washing the eggs really going to remove salmonella? Doesn’t that occurs within the egg itself? This method of egg care increases risk of contamination, as the egg must be refrigerated from that time on.