China FREE- Does It Really Matter?
by kimberly Puffenbarger
- Published in: April-June, You May Never Be Sick Again|
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First and foremost let’s be clear: All OneLifeUSA and Brabec Basic products are ‘CHINA FREE’. They are not manufactured in nor do any of their ingredients come form China.
If you’re buying a $2.99 undershirt, then the ‘Made in China’ label probably isn’t all that significant. However, when it comes to the health of you, your family and pets, then perhaps you’d better think twice.
Each day the negative news continues to pour in as China’s reputation maintains its’slide (downward). As reported on CNN news, August 19, 2007, bogus (knock-off) test strips used by over 10-million Americans to measure blood sugar levels were sold in US pharmacies. Their origin was traced to China.
The danger is monumental. Inaccurate test readings of blood sugar levels can cause a person with diabetes to inject the wrong amount of insulin; resulting in harm or death.
These counterfeit test strips were copies of the OneTouch test strip sold by Johnson and Johnson’s (J & J) LifeScan unit, and surfaced in American and Canadian pharmacies last year. According to federal court documents unsealed in June, J & J, learned of these bogus strips from patients’ complaints in September 2006.
The fact that the source of these bogus strips was tracked down is due in large part to the company the Chinese decided to copy. J & J has the manpower and financial resources to pursue this type of investigation. The potentially dangerous results that might have occurred had a smaller, less substantial company been duped, are monumental.
If that’s not bad enough, there are more chilling facts. The Chinese company that made these strips, Halson Pharmaceuticals, based in Shanghai, as of August 19, 2007, is still in business. They are still making and selling a variety of test strips. The fact that their president is in jail, didn’t seem to curtail their production process.
CNN interviewed market experts and their general consensus was “We shouldn’t be surprised.” The Chinese are experts in the ‘copying’ business. When J & J started the investigation, they had one counterfeit box and according to the lead attorney for J & J, “The box looked like a counterfeit $100.00 dollar bill looks, perfect.” This means your chance of knowing, just by looking, that you were buying a counterfeit medical product is zero.
When it comes to your vitamins and dietary supplements, it’s great start with products ‘Made in the USA’. The origin of the ingredients is important, but not as important as the lab that makes the product. Remember the e. coli outbreaks last year…all of those ‘ingredients’ originated in the USA. Knowing facts about a company’s manufacturing laboratory facilities and practices are the most important component to purchasing safe products!
