@deserthiker: you can't eat peas in a restroom?

good one@Trai_Dep:

I'm ALL for this. I wish other stores would get the hint!! Give me a choice and I'll pay a little more from somewhere else - especially if it came from the good 'ole U.S. of A.

Will they ban American food next time there's a Salmonella/Listeria/e-coli death?

Pees is what someone does in the restroom.

I *heart* TJ's. I'm not worried about their prices because of the store philosophy. Good for them!!!

In other news: I'm so glad I live in California! fresh, lovely local farmer's market produce everywhere and for a pittance.

Trader Joe's might also want to consider better factory/manufacturing processes to avoid cross-contamination issues for people with severe allergies, i.e., not packaging/manufacturing stuff like on the same equipment that processes also seafood items and tree nuts.

Although they do specify it on their labels with a clear warning - it is still a problem, especially with how many people purchase lots of TJ's stuff for parties. I've had horrible reactions (shellfish allergy) and now just avoid anything Trader Jo's b/c of it. I've heard other horror stories as well.

I simply avoid anything that says "Made in china" whenever possible. While this may not work when I'm looking for a new microwave oven, I've managed to bypass china when purchasing food, clothes, shoes, and shop tools. Sadly, it always makes me feel like I've beaten the system because it's becoming increasingly hard to do...

It's hard to find peeled garlic, apple juice, frozen edamame and frozen broccoli that is not from China these days. I checked 7 different Edamame products at Whole Foods the other day and they were all from China, even the ones with Dora the Explorer on them.

@PotKettleBlack: In your example, I think the invisible hand is still working for the lower class portions of our society, giving them tainted and questionable food and somewhat affordable prices. So, yes, things are getting faster and cheaper, but at the cost of a great deal of quality.

Hooray, free market!!

Only way that China will improve - good gods, they're poisoning their OWN people even worse than the world's - is for them to get spanked.

Granted, it will take a 1,000 person fraternity, each holding a wooden paddle, lined up next to China's exposed backside before it has an impact. But: reddened buttocks, small strokes. Every one helps!

When goods don't cross borders, armies will.

--Frédéric Bastiat.

TJ's attracts a certain type of buyer and that demographic is more sensitive to this issue than most other grocery store patrons. Ergo, this decision was for business reasons, not safety reasons. They know it's an irrational decision and hate to do this because it's driving up the cost of their food. But the customers have spoken.

(Yes, I have inside information on this. No, I don't speak for TJs)

That said, the invisible hand is supposed to move inexorably towards bigger better faster, stronger, cheaper, etc. So, maybe not. Maybe the invisible hand of those rules by the culture of fear moves inexorably away from progress. Or maybe China just makes crappy crap. Either way. Xenophobia can be the tool that drives Adam Smith's invisible hand.

I try to not buy produce or fish from China. The lack of monitoring and high levels of toxic pollution concern me. But I also won't buy farmed fish from Chile because they use Malachite green and get away with exporting said fish.

@sam1am: That village put a bunch of American farmers out of work 20 years ago. I'm wouldn't get upset about it.

@yesteryear: So true (the Kunstler reference). It really stinks that people are just now realizing that transportation (oil) costs are pushing up food costs. Suddenly the local farmers market will be the cheapest option.

Get your exotic fruits while ya can, folks!

Dont worry it is a two way street. If we quit buying, they tank as well.

This would never had happened if China did not peg it's currency to ours. As we bought stuff from them and they loaned it back to us the Yuan (i think it is called) would have gone up against the Dollar, correcting the imbalance by raising prices for their goods and reducing the return on the investment here. That is the real bubble that drives the housing bubble (among others): keeping Chinese goods cheap and lowering the risk for Chinese investors that Dollars might become worth less and reduce the rate of return.

Holding it artificially is what is creating the economic "stress" and boy is it gonna hurt if something let's go.

China has started to react by changing the exchange rate, but it should be done faster to reduce the pain. Too fast and both sides would collapse, to slow and it gets drawn out for a long time.

US dollar falling against world currencies is the start, and it will help as the Yuan falls (tied to dollar at fixed rate) then Europe will buy more from them.

Good teas come from all over, and not all are from China:

www.holymtn.com has them by origin.

My fave is Golden Monkey, but the Shan Tea from Vietnam is just as good.

And this is a good example of "invisable hand". No one is put out by this and if you really want it, you can get it elsewhere.

I understand the concern, but TJ's should be placing requirements on their suppliers instead of eliminating products. China holds A LOT of their reserves in U.S. money (bonds and dollars). They have the power to basically sink America financially. Though what we need is smarter economic policy and more restrictive purchasing power (since that's what got us in this hole in the first place), antagonizing the people whose government supports our buying habits pretty heavily will not help us in the long run. Every action has a resulting reaction...

From International Herald Tribune:
"Garlic, frozen organic spinach and other "single ingredient" food items from mainland China will be phased out by April 1, although products that include ingredients from both China and other sources will remain."

Sounds like if everything in an item is from China they will also discontinue that item. I think it's a good call, when it comes to food I'd rather be safe than sorry.

@melmoitzen: Japan.

On the other hand, I don't think it would be difficult to remove things that said "Product of China" either. (i.e. the whole thing comes from China)

@wilmawonker: Not true, all produce I have ever seen in TJ's is imported, and a lot of it is from China.

Why are we buying fruits & vegetables from China to start with? I don't understand how that could be profitable with the shipping costs.

I worked with a producer off & on for years as a summer job as a kid & I can honestly say, I've never seen a standard-type produce item that came from China. Lots & lots from South America, Mexico, etc but none from China.

I need more information - why the "single ingredient" thing? Is there something bad about that I am missing. I love Trader Joe's, and they have a higher-than-average trust rating with me, so if they are doing it, it's probably a good thing. I really miss Trader Joe's since moving.

@BugMeNot2: I don't think Trader Joe's should be selling pee, no matter what its country of origin.

Apple juice- which is becoming increasingly difficult to find:
A) Source of apples
B) Non-Chinese apple juice

K.

but if its edamame with salt isnt that two ingedients?

how many 'single item' foods are there, besides the fresh food? I can't see how this will affect much, since most of those are probably not from China anyway.

And, no, I don't think it's xenophobia. I don't think customers would've acted any differently in the least if we relied a ridiculous amount on Canada for food/toys and they were selling us tainted goods. I guarantee Trader Joe's would be pulling Canadian stuff left and right.

I wonder if they were implementing that policy early, or if "it comes from China, we discontinued it" was just a lulzy excuse for that stock worker?

so they are banning pees from china and nuts from china, but if the pees and nuts are in the same package then it is fine?

So where can I get my edamame fix?