KEIKO SHIBAGAKI
NOV/11/98

The article "Maybe jell-O wasn't so bad" was about how dangerous the imported food during winter from Mexico is. The imported food consumption from Mexico during winter is highly demanded since 1989. Imports are mostly fresh fruits and vegetables. They are tested by the US government to find out if the products contain illegal drugs and insects or not. The government collects 3 percent of products as sample to find out if they are containing pesticides more than their requirement. However, this testing does not guarantee that the imports are safe. Because the government does not test the samples biologically, such as bacteria some of which neither activated, nor affect all the products when they go through inspection, nor thrive before displayed in the markets. It means that even domestic products are not safe. Decades ago, it was typical to spend money to get fresh fruits and vegetables, because the government did not import them during winter. It was very common to use canned and frozen vegetable for cooking and jell-o in salads. It is obvious that the imported food demand keeps growing, but the government is not going to change the amount of the testing sample.

I choose the article because I consume food very day and it gives me the new information that I have ever known. I think the article is good because I have some knowledge of imported fruits and vegetable, and how bacteria grow in food. First of all, my knowledge of fruits and vegetables are clean but not safe to eat without washing, because of pesticide. Actually, according to the article, I always have a chance to get food borne illness even I wash them. Also, I did not know they are from Mexico, I thought the fruits and vegetables I eat during winter are all from southern part of the US. I learned not only about food but also I learned about American culture for instance people ate Jell-O as substitution of salad. It does not make any sense to me to eat Jell-O as substitute of salad, but it is possible that they ate Jell-O with caned and frozen fruits and vegetables. Finally, this article mentions that government is not going to change the way they test the imported food products. I strongly believe that it is not possible for them to test every single product from Mexico, or guarantee that domestic products are safe. Actually, this article does not take about the domestic product at all, so that it might be possible for the domestic product to be more riskier than the product from Mexico. My conclusion is if I have a chance to food borne illness, it could be domestic or imported product, or both at any time.

Sheer (adj) ~clear
Sheerness (n)
Sheerly ( adv)
"Yet the sheer volume of trade means that about 70percent of the truck sail through the Nogales entry gates without anyone from any agency inspecting the cargo at all."

Compliance (n) permit
Compliancy (n)
Compliant (a)
"Customs Service, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Department of Agriculture-use the threat of random inspections to ensure compliance."

Pesticide (n) chemical especially for fruits, vegetables, and flowers
Pesticidal (a)

Residue (n)
Residual (a), (n)
Residually (adv.)

Tariff (n) taxation, a list of duty,
Tariff (v) to tax

"The FDA is the agency primarily responsible for food safety, but its purview is mostly limited to testing for excessive pesticide residue."

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