Food labeled “Made in the U.S.A.” can still contain tainted ingredients from China. Amid recent concerns over the safety of food products from China, the FDA says it has stepped up efforts to increase screening imports. But the screening applies only to food products, and not to raw ingredients.
Under FDA rules, when reprocessing occurs or material is added to the imported product, it results as a “substantial transformation” of the product. The country of origin label can then be changed on the product. This means that ingredients such as milk powder, whey powder, milk concentrate and other items from China could be put into products that could then be labeled “Made in the U.S.A.”
The FDA has stepped up efforts to root out the tainted products which have made their way into products sold in the U.S., such as White Rabbit Creamy Candies and Mr. Brown instant coffee. Recalls of the products are underway.