Would you use this product?

Recently, we received a gift basket that contained food related products. One product, Malibu Caribbean Spice BBQ Rub, is a product of China and assembled in China. It contains: onion flake, salt, fine dry orange peel, coriander seed, black pepper, and Malibu Caribbean Rum with Natural Coconut Flavor.

With all the hype and recalls on Chinese products, would you use this product?

Recently, we received a gift basket that contained food related products. One product, Malibu Caribbean Spice BBQ Rub, is a product of China and assembled in China. It contains: onion flake, salt, fine dry orange peel, coriander seed, black pepper, and Malibu Caribbean Rum with Natural Coconut Flavor.

With all the hype and recalls on Chinese products, would you use this product?

You bet I would! But only if my boss were coming over for dinner and only on his food.

[Jenise]

I probably scare too easily, but nope. And you--you're such a terrific cook, Karen--I know you can whip up a terrific BBQ rub any ole time you want. Why take chances?

Dave and Jenise - you said just what I was thinking. Probably has some arsenic or lead particles in it. So out it goes!

Karen, I use a lot of Chinese products - such is the lot of being Asian, it's almost impossible to get all the ingredients you need if you never buy Chinese made, particularly if you're going to stop using products from Hong Kong as well.

My personal rule of thumb has been not to buy any fresh or frozen produce from China, but I still buy ground herbs and spices, teas and sauces. If you stopped buying sauces, you'd just about have to give up on stirfries. But where there's a viable alternative from a manufacturing country I have more confidence in, I'll happily buy that instead.

In the case of a Malibu Caribbean Rum BBQ Rub, I'd actually pass, because it's not a traditional Chinese ingredient, it's just something that's been outsourced, or concocted specifically for export.

Yeah, I think most food products from China are safe. I'm guessing most of us end up getting more into our bodies from that country than we'll ever know. That said, I don't think you should ever eat anything you're not reasonably comfortable with.

[Jenise]

but I still buy ground herbs and spices, teas and sauces....In the case of a Malibu Caribbean Rum BBQ Rub, I'd actually pass, because it's not a traditional Chinese ingredient, it's just something that's been outsourced, or concocted specifically for export.

Very reasoned answer, Celia, I do buy a number of Chinese products--where would I be without my Chianking vinegar, just for one? All my tea is Chinese, too. If Karen had asked about a product or manufacturer that I was familiar with, I wouldn't have hesitated to reccomend it. The big turn-off about Karen's sauce is that it's so very unChinese.