EDITORIAL PORT ALERT IMPORTS DON'T HAVE TO BE RADIOACTIVE TO BE DANGEROUS.WELL, it's taken nearly six years, but the federal government expects to soon be scanning all incoming cargo at the nation's ports for radioactive material radioactive material Radiation A substance that contains unstable–radioactive–atoms that give off radiation as they decay. See Radioactive decay. . This means we can now turn our attention to a less dangerous, less sensationalized, but very real threat -- toothpaste. Well, not just toothpaste, actually. Dog food, too. And cat food. And probably a whole lot of other consumer goods consumer goods Any tangible commodity purchased by households to satisfy their wants and needs. Consumer goods may be durable or nondurable. Durable goods (e.g., autos, furniture, and appliances) have a significant life span, often defined as three years or more, and . The federal Food and Drug Administration reports that tubes of toothpaste coming into our nation's ports by way of China have contained a poison related to a chemical found in antifreeze antifreeze, substance added to a solvent to lower its freezing point. The solution formed is called an antifreeze mixture. Antifreeze is typically added to water in the cooling system of an internal-combustion engine so that it may be cooled below the freezing point . Although the amounts have been small, they are large enough, the FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. warns, to endanger small children and adults with liver and kidney problems. Then there are pet foods. Recall the scare from earlier this year, when numerous dogs and cats, world over, died after eating pet foods made with tainted taint v. taint·ed, taint·ing, taints v.tr. 1. To affect with or as if with a disease. 2. To affect with decay or putrefaction; spoil. See Synonyms at contaminate. 3. Chinese vegetable proteins. The common thread here is China -- imports that clearly do not meet U.S. regulations. It seems we need to be paying more attention to what's coming through our ports. Just because it's not radioactive doesn't mean it's safe. |
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