Forum Thermomix
Welcoming Center, Management and General Chat => Chit Chat => Topic started by: cookie1 on December 06, 2011, 01:28:42 am
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I'm feeling a little put off. :'( :'(I now find that the Chinese company Bright Foods (responsible for the contaminated milk in China) has major shares in The Margaret River Dairy Company, Sunbeam Foods, Angas Park and Castello Cheese.
I was wondering your feelings on this.
I am sure I'll get over it as we sell most of our ore and gas overseas. I always try to buy Austalian products and made in Australia things. I guess this will remain the same they profits will just go overseas.
Ok off my soap box. :'( :'(
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It will only get harder and harder to find anything made in Australia and that is 100% Australian owned
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A product only requires a fairly low percentage of it's total production to be undertaken in Australia for it to claim "Made in Australia".
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It is increasingly frustrating Cookie. I noticed they owned Angas Park but didn't realise the rest. :(
Have you ever shopped at Only Oz groceries? https://www.onlyoz.com.au/ (https://www.onlyoz.com.au/)
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Thanks for the link Ceejay. I think I may have to look into it.
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Buy Bega cheese, Aussie made and owned.
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I love Bega cheese, especially the Strong and Tasty. I usually buy the low fat one. I've been a converts since we went there several years ago. I love Tilba cheeses too.
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does anyone else find buying groceries daunting? first of all we are concerned about what is hidden in our food that could hurt us, then secondly i like others want to support locally owned and made products but it just seems like we are constantly deliberatly fooled to better the manufacturers. labelling is not great, not enough has to be disclosed in my opinion, for us as consumers to make fully informed choices. ok rant over...
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Don't have the energy to get on the box for this one, know that I am waving a HUGE flag in agreement of everything said so far from the bottom of the box!!!
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Don't have the energy to get on the box for this one, know that I am waving a HUGE flag in agreement of everything said so far from the bottom of the box!!!
What faffa said . . . . ;D
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What is even worse is the the Chinese company, Bright Foods, was indicated in the Melamine contamination of milk powder!!
I will NOT buy any of the products from these companies on principle.
I'm so cross that the Australian regulatory groups that allowed this sale to go through! The paper doesn't state the names of the groups, only the Chinese ones.
The Manassen Food company (bought out by Bright Foods 75%) owns Margaret River Cheese, Fonti Farms Sunbeam Foods, Angas Park, Jelly Belly and Castello cheese
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>:( I'm not getting off my soap box, I'm standing on it proud and tall.
I've sent an email to 'enquiries@manassen.com.au':
To Whom It May Concern,
I’m devastated to read in the newspaper today that the sale of 75% of Manassen Foods to Bright Foods in China will go through.
In 2008, Bright Foods were implicated in the Melamine contamination of powdered milk where six babies died and 300,000 fell ill.
How could you do this?
Australian products should not be sold out to Chinese companies that have little or no respect for health standards and ethics in food production.
I will not be purchasing ANY of the products which Manassen Foods used to fully own. No Margaret River Cheese products, no Angas Park products, no Castello Cheese, no Fonti Farm foods, no Jelly Belly beans, no Sunbeam Foods.
My choices will be very limited, but I’m prepared to take that stand.
Again, I ask, How could you?
I urge you to do the same.
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Bravo MJ, well done.
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This is one of the reasons I bought a TM. I can now control a lot of what my family are eating and am cutting out a lot of preservatives and unknowns in food and my family LOVE it!!!!!
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Meganjane, that is a very well worded email. I just took the liberty of copying it and sending it off to Manassen as well. Hope you don't mind me doing that.
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MJ, thanks for sharing this with us. Clear, to the point and well expressed. How can our Government let this happen? It looks like the 'little' people have to act by not buying these products.
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I am with you guys all the way
Aussie farmers is a free delivery company. We get milk, cheese, eggs all dairy delivered twice per week
Fruit & veg once per week & the option to buy meat & fish twice per week.
We love it, all Australian & the majority is from your local state.
http://www.aussiefarmers.com.au
I cant believe they are selling out, it terrible. How could the Margaret cheese company do that, the name makes you think its WA owned.
Castello is my only problem, i love their blue, any suggestions.
H :)
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MJ I've also copied your email, hope you don't mind.
Hally I love Castello too but I'm going to try and give it up.
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I've put the email on here so you can all copy it and send it off to Manassen foods. Please do and pass it on to anyone else you know who may like to do the same.
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Thanks MJ.
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Wow! Am I glad I read this! I've been really anti anything made in China for a while thanks to their seemingly total lack of any quality control whatsoever! (Have you ever seen the forum on Amazon regarding items made in China?? - just incredible) Not only shoddy workmanship but that business about the polluted milk products is just criminal. Ironically enough, when I found surfaces flaking from kitchen items, etc. I headed for German made via the internet because all I could find was more of the same cheap *&%^$ in all our shops here in Sydney. And that was all before I'd even heard of the TMX - which now has pride of place in both my daughter's kitchen and in mine! :)
Thanks so much for the info on those products - particularly the Castello . . . . . will add my written protest and will also steer well clear of these products! So sad we can't even seem to be able to trust our own government!! >:(
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It is just as bad here in the UK. The Kenwood Chef which was a great British icon is now Italian owned but made in China. Although we produce small amounts of garlic, the majority now comes from China. I realise that we do need to import it as our rotten climate is not suitable for large production, but why do we not get it from countries such as Spain? Cadbury's, a traditonal British chocolate manufacturer has been taken over by Kraft who are American and are now making 2000 people redundant and can you buy a fridge or freezer which has been made in the UK? Not as far as I am aware and apart from top end appliances such as Miele (German) they are mainly made in China.
JB
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Thanks MJ. Very well said. I copied, then varied your letter a little to 'personalise' it and sent it off.
It may be too late, But this way at least they have to realise that we do care.
I am so tired of hearing of all of the sell offs of old Aussie companies.
I said to my DH just yesterday that we are going to have to unite with NZ as a way of returning a lot of our companies to Australia. :D :D :D
But selling to China is just not on.
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Thanks Meganjane, I have copied your email and sent it to them. Very well said. Wish there was some law that stopped Aussie company's being sold off to O/S company's. Its going to be hard not buying these brands.
We don't buy much cheese as I make my own, going to have another go at making blue cheese my first cheese failure. Camembert will be ready on Friday, Farmhouse cheddar next week.
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Go Jen on the cheese let me know how the blue goes, if yiu can make it similar to costello i will be a happy bunny :D
H :)
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I woud like to add i do not buy Bonds anymore and have not since they started manufacutring o/s
H :)
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I dont think you can blame the compagnies as often they have no choice as so much of their competition is 'selling out' and often their hand is forced ie either sell ot or lose everything..we dont live in a world where everything is so black and white. What is going to happen is not only will alot of these companies be owned by foreign elements but then prices will sky rocket as they will have driven out all locally owned and produced compagnies and as far as products being made in china or other parts of asia and or the middle east wherever labour is cheap...eventually when all the local factories close down in each western country and there are more and more closing down every year. ...prices will all of a sudden not be so cheap and be driven by those labour cheap countries and basically we will have no choice. I can see a future where more and more people go back to basics, homegrown etc which is incredibly popular in France. Sad really but if people dont take a stand and wake up there will be nothing left to fight for! Also certain countries allow foreigners to do whatever htey want, buy how much they like, have no rules regarding foreign integration either etc etc alls that does is create anger and hatred..governments are to blame for alot of problems but thats nothing new..the only way to change it is to fight to change the laws that allow these things to happen.
As far as labels go I dont trust anything written on a packet...there are alwyas percentages involved and loopholes which is why most of the time if I cant make it myself then I try and do without. Thankyou THermie! The one thing I adore about France is you have access to so much artisinal basic products...there is something to be said about tradition and some producers are even going back to older methods as they were all organic and natural even though time consuming...as there is now a larger market for this kid of product :)
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Well said Frozzie!!
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Frozzie, you've got it right and it is already happening here in Australia (regardless of the country of origin of the product).
We've been aware of it for some time, and I read an article in one of our major newspapers the other day that, in essence, said that consumers were complaining about the quality of "home band" products which are now starting to take over supermarket shelves (that is, products which are put out under the various supermarket's own name / label). The article went on to say that people are always asking for the cheapest item or the 'best price' and that is exactly what they are now getting - the cheapest quality because that is what they have been requesting. Now they are not happy because the quality has dropped ... well, what do they expect - a Rolls Royce for the price of a cheap car?
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Thats why i dont buy homebrand, I pay more but if we dont keep buying the named brands one day there will be no more. Then we will have home brand products at a high cost.
I thoroughly recommend aussie farmers for a lot if your milkman & grenngrocer needs. I actually think the fruit & veg packs work out cheaper, the quality is fantastic too.
H :)
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;D
so true cuilidh but I think there are alot of consumers who do actually want a rollys royce for the price of a cheap car!!..
old saying goes you get what you pay for which is true in most circumstances..not always i admit!