The reason for businesses to be part of the Anguilla Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACOCI) became more clear this week as they conducted a forum with members and the Customs Department.
Coming out of this meeting, the news reported that merchants in Anguilla were importing meat, chicken/poultry products, eggs and fish that was *not fit for humans*
What does that mean? It means that those products were either imported past their best date and the meats etc were not of human quality. Perhaps made for the production of animal food mostly, dog and cat food yet, Chinese merchants have been putting them into the food chain of the Anguillian people.
This was discovered months ago and the Customs Department has pressed on the government to do something about it through legislation and other means.
It appears that the government of Anguilla is either reluctant to do anything. It seems that even though they now know, they just do not care.
Customs has confiscated containers of product from the Chinese merchants and it has been reported to these independent observers that the Chief Minister has requested that the containers be released to the Chinese. Customs has stood firm and has not released the containers that are being held in the ‘Pound’.
The Chinese grocery and restaurants import a product called Formaldehyde (aka embalming fluid). They use this product to extend the life and freshness of the meat, chicken and fish. Formaldehyde has proven to help delay the damage caused to meat and poultry brought on by lower temperatures and expiration.
It was also found that the Chinese merchants make liberal use of a product called Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) in their restaurants. This product is called the silent killer. It has been proven to cause brain damage, learning disabilities, cardiac arrhythmias, depression, eye disease, headaches, fatigue and much more including death.
For the full presentation of the ACOCI and Customs presentation on this troubling food crisis in Anguilla, watch https://youtu.be/mMVBLgoy7O0
Even in the wake of the revelations of this information, Anguillians continue to patronize the Chinese merchants in large numbers which means government has to step up to protect its citizens from themselves.
In the meantime, the cancer and non communicable disease rates escalate in the tiny Caribbean island.