By Antjuan Seawright, Columnist
Do you feel sick to your stomach? Well, there’s a good chance that it isn’t just because of your conscience reacting to the bigotry and corruption coming out of the White House these days.
In fact, thanks to the Trump Administration firing inspectors and gutting CDC surveillance, there’s a decent chance that the food you’re eating is actively poisoning you.
I’m sure you’ve heard about how lettuce grown and distributed by Taylor Farms, a major Trump donor, caused a national cyclospora outbreak. I’m sure you saw how, just this week, the FDA upgraded a recall of frozen blueberries and mixed berries to its highest Class 1 level “in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”
You might have even heard how the FDA published a new recall of sourdough bread out of concerns that the bread actually contained dangerous shards of metal along with Outshine Fruit Bars contaminated with glass. Isn’t this the kind of stuff paranoid parents thought might be in our Halloween candy in the 80s?
Well, the nightmare is real today.
The truth is, that this news doesn’t even scratch the surface. Since Donald Trump became president, the following foods have been recalled:
- Rice (Foreign Materials Contamination)
- Mangoes (Salmonella Contamination)
- Guacamole (Salmonella Contamination)
- Frozen Blueberries, (Possible E. Coli Contamination)
- Iceberg Lettuce, (Possible Cyclospora Contamination)
- Shell Eggs, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Mixed Berries, (Possible E. Coli Contamination)
- Pistachio Nut Butter, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Green Powder Supplements, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Jalapeño-Containing Dips, Salsa and Guacamole Products, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Soup Kits, (Listeria Contamination)
- Salad Dressings, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Granola, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Dog Food, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Jalapeño Peppers, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Pizza Cheese Bread Products, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Dried Herring Fish, (Botulism Risk)
- Requeson Cheese, (Listeria Contamination)
- Soft Ricotta Cheese, (Listeria Contamination)
- Infant Formula, (Botulism Risk)
- Multiple Cheese Varieties, (Listeria Contamination)
- Cottage Cheese and Ricotta Products, (Listeria Contamination)
- Organic Moringa Capsules and Powder, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Smoked Whole Herring, (Botulism Risk)
- Enoki Mushrooms, (Listeria Contamination)
- Parmesan Ranch Seasoning, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Cheese and Garlic Croutons, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Tahina, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Specialty Beverages, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Multiple Green Superfood Supplements, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Powdered Beverage Mixes, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Infant Formula, (Bacillus Cereus Toxin Contamination)
- Potato Chips, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Pork Rinds and Seasoning Products, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Snack Mixes, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Sour Cream and Onion Cheese Curds, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Flavored Popcorn Seasoning, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Coleslaw Products, (Microorganism Growth Risk)
- Pita Chips, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Chocolate Bars, (Salmonella Contamination)
- White Cheddar Seasoning, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Kippered Herring, (Botulism Risk)
- Peeled Garlic, (Botulism Risk)
- Raw Milk Cheddar Cheese, (E. Coli Contamination)
- Brain Tonic Supplements, (Botulism Risk)
- Dried Croaker Fish, (Risk Of Harmful Bacteria and Toxins)
- Salmon Products, (Listeria Contamination)
- Cream Cheese and Tofu Spreads, (Listeria Contamination)
- Chicken Dog Treats, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Yellowfin Tuna, Clostridium Botulinum Contamination
- Organic Chia Seeds, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Green Superfood Supplements, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Tamales, Potential (Listeria Contamination)
- Shrimp Paste, (Lead Contamination Risk)
- Chocolate Bars, (Salmonella Contamination)
- Sea Moss Gel Superfood, (Botulism Risk)
- Cheese Products, Potential (Listeria Contamination)
Of course, this all comes after, last year, the Trump administration announced their plans to end the program to limit salmonella in America’s poultry products and halt USDA inspections of meat, poultry and even milk. Now, Trump is shutting down the USDA projects that help fight cyclospora, the foodborne parasite giving thousands of Americans explosive diarrhea.
Folks, nearly 25,000 pounds of frozen buffalo chicken products were just recalled because the Trump and RFK USDA didn’t even bother to inspect it.
But while that’s all bad enough, think about how your grocery store prices have spiked 18% to 30% since Trump took office and realize that, thanks to this administration’s incompetence, we’re paying top dollar for our own food to make us sick.
I don’t know about you, but I think we should hold these extremists accountable in November. After all, we were able to eat food under Biden.
