Cupboard Part 1

Going through my cupboards...

Have been reading the ingredients on processed foods packaging. I called General Mills about some Betty Crocker products. Jenny answered my call, and I asked her where Betty Crocker manufacturers are located. She said all over the world, and there are so many she couldn't tell me. I asked if some manufacturers are located overseas or in China. She said they do have manufacturers "outside of the U.S." I asked again about China but she said she couldn't tell me. I asked her if ANY ingredients in any Betty Crocker products came from China. She said she doesn't know and doesn't keep a list of suppliers. She added that she cannot give out the list or location of suppliers. I asked her if all Betty Crocker products have been tested for melamine. She said she didn't know so she took my info and said she'd call me back. 

I also called Alba Consumer Affairs, about Alba Shake Mix distributed by Hain Celestial Group, Inc., and spoke with Kimberly. She said she could guarantee that all milk and dairy for Alba comes from the U.S., and that none come from China. She said she is not allowed to tell me the locations of the milk suppliers except to say they're in the U.S. She added that "all raw ingredients are tested for purity" but that they "do not test for melamine." I asked her if she could guarantee that all raw ingredients in Alba or other Hain products are from the U.S. and she said she could not guarantee this, citing the example that calcium carbonate for example, comes from Israel. She would not tell me where any other raw ingredients come from. 

I have been going through my cupboard for the last few weeks. I have such a heightened awareness of the overall yuckiness of processed food these days that I can't believe I even  still have this stuff in my cupboard. When I have the time to write up more of my notes regarding other companies that I've called, I will post.