Gatekeepers: Working the Chains and Supplies

Whatever your market, you will find gatekeepers working the chains – manufacturers, distributors, vendors, and retailers.

Let me be clear, I share here that which I’ve shared in the past with family, friends, and colleagues. Focus now is on living. When the time presents itself, aim for living well.

In this pandemic, alternative vendors’ products on shelves may not be a recognizable household item. What is important NOW is to get what is available. When you can, grab a product you see as a trusted source. When possible or when situation is “normalized” inspect the label for cautionary warnings.

For example, does the water come from a natural or mountain spring and bottled at the source or is it diluted with other water? Or, is it desalinated or “purified water”? Do gloves indicate on box that the “material from the product may cause cancer”? Does the disinfecting wipe have a have a toxic odor and/or in opening container your eyes sting?

One needs to take into account the country they are in and understand its policies as it applies to food and drugs. Second, note the wording. For example, the company and the product design may be in the U.S. but where was the product grown, developed, assembled or manufactured?

If U.S. product, why should one consider it of top quality? If U.S. household products are anything like the reported agriculture and factory farm items, shouldn’t one question them? Organic? Does the label “no added hormones” mean that the product originally comes with hormones but more were not ADDED?

Ingredients for vitamins manufactured in the U.S. may or may not be from U.S. companies. Vitamins manufactured in the U.S. are also exported abroad. Ever look who your vitamin company exports to? Then again, you do know that the FDA does not regulate this item.

Like Seafood? Again, the company may be in the U.S. but whether your fish is farm raised or wild caught, purchased in the “fresh” meat section of your market or canned (i.e. tuna) one needs to ask where was it “raised” or what waters did it come from?

Fruit, what better item to go with a bowl of cereal? Do you like blueberries?  In some produce sections of some retail markets one can find two options from the same distributor, “Berry Fresh.” Their labels which includes, “Dominguez Hills, California” are almost identical except for a few details: 1. One label reads, “Product of USA” and the other “Product of Mexico.” 2. USA product includes, “U.S. No. 1.” 3. Mexican product includes a separate blue label with numbers. 

Two questions: 1. Why does the product label from Mexico not include “No. 1”?   2. Are the field workers in Mexico paid commensurately with their counterparts in the U.S.?

Speaking of berries, like grapes? Have a taste for wine? No, I am not a wine connoisseur but I have had the pleasure of tasting wines from the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Australia. Still, one does not need to travel to enjoy imported wines. Then again, I was recruited by a top California winemaker, The Robert Mondavi Winery. But note that when it comes to the sunshine state, not all winemakers or wines are the same.

Two key factors: vineyard location and year. California wines from the vineyards in Napa Valley are popular. But 2017 was not a good year as the fires spread across several vineyards. Future production may have been altered with some winemakers finding it necessary to go to the port industrial region as some wines labels indicate (i.e. 2018 labels with “vinted and bottled at” Manteca or  Acampo, California).

I had the (un)pleasure of wine tasting some and found the “winemakers” confused vining with farming. Sure the bottle’s label may speak of the revered Northern Valley or include an image with the well-known cities in Northern and Central Coast but that’s marketing.

All these considerations need to be taken into account irrespective of the vineyard being in a pristine location like Napa. Makes one wonder where wine clubs obtain their wines. Do location, year, natural disasters and man-made products alter the wine’s quality and price? Speak to a wine connoisseur.

Attractive labels can also disguise a wine whose grapes are compromised by a substandard process, added questionable spices, or man-made toxins as pesticides. Sure the three “cides” (pesticides, herbicide, and fungicide) used on crops may not be “agent orange” where in one application crops like forests can be obliterated. However, I imagine that accumulated consumption over time of the “cides” can’t be good for the body.

Speaking of orange, the Florida state in the U.S. is well known for growing oranges. Farmers see the use of chemicals as a “necessary evil.”  No pesticides, no oranges, no farm, no business.

Cooking at home? Yep, lots of work. Again, welcome to my world. Where is your olive oil from? Italy, or from different countries? A label I found listed these five: Greece, Portugal, Argentina, Spain, and Tunisia. If it’s from Italy, is it from the northern or southern province?

Many praise the north western region of Liguria, Tuscany, and Lake Garda. I am now finding it difficult to obtain olive oil from this region. Instead, I easily find olive oil from the southern region of Sicily, Calabria, and Puglia. Which is best? Like wine, ask an Italian olive oil maker.

However, some would argue that you cannot compare olive oil with those seed oils found in the U.S. Most of the country’s shelf and frozen products are laden with one or more of these oils. But what about their wonderful organic salad dressings? They just replaced pesticide with seed oils. Good luck finding a dressing without them.

Why aren’t corporations using olive oil in these products? Because, “America has a weakness for low prices.” Does economic weakness translate to weakness of the body? Ask Scientists and Nutritionists.

Speaking of oils, cosmetic companies are known to use several plant based oils in their products. One French company recently caught my eye as it appears to have almost totally revamped its ingredients in one of their face creams. Why now?

Several possibilities: P&L sheets have been tanking; Stock price plunging, Cost to benefit ratios in the ingredients used are not measuring up; Competitors are outcompeting them with similar products; New ownership; Change of leadership, etc.

I found the cosmetic company came under new ownership after the founder’s passing several years back, and in the past year elected a new CEO. Circumstances like these are not uncommon. In business, it has been said that the founder builds the company, the second generation develops it, and the third generation destroys it. Let’s hope development is not business as usual where quality is sacrificed.

What of international products? Let’s all be clear here. U.S. products manufactured outside the West are typically done so under Western corporations’ design and specifications leveraging a foreign country’s own regulations or lack thereof. Responsibility of product standards lies with the corporations, not the country or people manufacturing or producing them.

From Wholesale to Retail or to Restaurant, the end product’s destination is the Consumer. Is the steak you buy at the market fresher than the one you order at a restaurant? Your guess is as good as mine. Of course, you can consider factors affecting the end product: source, transportation, and retailor/restaurant reputation. Take a closer look and refer to the Distribution Channels section below.

Markets vs membership warehouses? Have you ever purchased a product in one store and found the same item differed from that of another store? Store and vendor contracts are not the same across the board.

For example, Vendor X may have a contract for the same item with Chainstore A while at the same time a different contract with Chainstore B (different standard, i.e. organic, quality and freshness).  Another difference may be found when purchasing a brand item of top quality from a membership store only to find the same brand name item of lesser quality at a market.

Suspect branding and marketing words to examine are those synonymous with pure, natural, healing, healthy, family, whole, fresh, nature, real, made with 100% (of what?), rich, hearty, original, best, etc. Interestingly, I came across a European transnational company last year that marketed one of its products as helping “people living in crisis and disaster.” Timing!

However, the companies I find need to be watched closely are the bastards that put “family” in their branding as some of these companies are known to make both toddler and bug spray products.

Think about it. Was the same manufacturing plant used in making both products?  Did one product derive its toxicity from its own inorganic chemistry or from its interaction with the toxicity of the bug spray?

Would you use the company’s other “family” products? Or, buy shares in their stock, even if Wall Street or the investment market has not classified their company shares as “sin stock.”  Right, not yet. Of course, some may argue that investing in a company is a business and not a personal decision. I see the complexity where some companies have diversified portfolios of products.

Sure an investor may not necessarily care one way or another for them personally. But what if the same company allegedly obtains a patent for an important life changing or lifesaving drug you or your family needs? It now becomes a business and personal decision. One could go through a list of stocks and find justification questioning whether a “good deed” justifies a “bad deed.”

Speaking of the stock market, I find it helpful to take a cue from the investment sector and “diversify” purchases as opposed to buying most or all products from one company. Of course, there are exceptions. If a company has been found highly suspect, guilty of fraud or endangering the consumer, then one may need to find an alternative.

Yes, bundling is convenient as the communications sector has sold the public. But there are hidden costs, your personal data. On issues of privacy and personal contact info, I find the key is simply to Fk it.

Key phrase in 2010s was “sustainability,” especially across the energy sector. In agriculture, one known phrase was “implement responsible agricultural practices” or in horticulture, “responsibly managed forests” or “taking care of you and our planet.” Brazil comes to mind. But who is taking care of the people who face the consequences of corporations bulldozing down their rain forest?

Western phrases suggesting “we’re here to help” can be seen across various products derived from South America, Africa to Asia. Would these same companies allow our auditors to look at their financial statements or schemes? Who is providing the oversight?

In this pandemic are workers provided with PPEs? Or, are the Ecuadorians forced to label and package bananas with their bare hands? If Northern American companies are not supplying their workers with supplies and forced to work sick, are we to believe this is any different in Latin American countries like Mexico and Guatemala who work in the meat, agriculture, and vehicle manufacturing plants owned by Northern American companies? 

Also, if some company product labels read, “Certified Organic by …” labs, why can’t they also have labs certify it virus free? Think about this next time you bite into your pork, cereal, blueberry, banana, avocado, or ride your U.S. vehicle. 

Companies print on boxes or labels that they’re planning to grow organic. But until then ask you to buy their product because by doing so you’re helping THEM help people of developing countries. Blah, one of the oldest schemes promoted via their marketing and public relations.

It is important to point out that corporations’ affiliation with community organizations, sectors in Health, Education, and Faith need to be examined – especially POLITICS.

No Joke, the “Comedy and Tragedy” of Business & Politics

U.S. Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on June 2, 2020, “FDAs Foreign Drug Manufacturing Inspection Process” with drug manufacturers and FDA officials.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Finance Committee Chair concluded with, “We have a good idea of who the bad actors are in the supply chain.” Sir, so what? Identifying these “bad actors” is necessary but not sufficient. 

Even if new start-up companies bring manufacturing back to the U.S. as was suggested, how will their products compete with Big Pharma? I imagine those companies whose products were found to have toxic chemicals are still in business offering cheap drugs.

Will the public take the word of their regulatory or compliance departments? In the U.S., that would be their Inspector General or the FDA. Politics, however, may present a challenge especially if their leader does not agree with them.

Reportedly, four U.S. Inspector Generals have been relieved of their duties, leaving the people to take on the responsibility of reading labels, research the company and ALL its products, and make an informed decision. You mean you weren’t doing this all along?

Speaking of politics, in my August 2018 paper, “U.S. National Security Special Report – Remotely Disabling Weapons: A Policy Analysis & Proposal Recommendation,” I point out that depending on who the country expects to take the Presidential chair appears to correlate with the increase or decrease of gun sales.

In the article, “US Gun Industry is Thriving,” the author notes “Sales spiked in anticipation of President Obama’s election…as buyers feared legislation that would clamp down on Second Amendment rights.” Having seen the spike in sales in 2016, one can easily deduce that the 2016 Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary R. Clinton may have been expected to win. It stands to reason that since President Trump’s election, sales may have plummeted.

Will Election 2020 continue the trend? Argument against term limits points to less experienced candidates susceptible to funding by lobbyists. Weak and Wrong. Qualifications needs to be the determining factor.

Consider how many candidates with little to no experience in politics have been elected to president serving two terms and who were clearly not qualified?  Newly elected representatives are more likely to change the status quo and shun lobbyist efforts. 

The people know better. For example, in moving the nozzle from one state agency to another, funding may be redirected but it ultimately makes its way to Congress. Interest groups control which way the nozzle turns. In defunding an agency its funds are reallocated elsewhere. For example, if Health or Education has depleted its funds, it can lobby Congress for the agency (i.e. Law Enforcement) that was defunded.

Simply defunding an agency does not guarantee accruement by another. Ask yourself, do the two departments in need of funds have bipartisan support or are they under the direction of the Republican-led party? The party in office runs the show. 

Wait, if that’s the case, you may ask, why didn’t the Democratic-led party redirect funding to Health and Education during their eight years in office? Simple, “electoral discretion.” They may have your vote, but the actual power of being voted into office comes from outside interests → $$$.

Capitalism is all about profit, right. Wrong, other countries practice capitalism without gutting their economies and bleeding their people dry. Congress, in the course of the pandemic, I imagine your portfolios are still quite “healthy.” Yes, but you let greed get the best of you, the people be damned. 

Strategies? Consumers, you have two choices: Rely on the soft, quick, and vague selling words of marketers and politicians OR inspect your home purchases from A-Z. 

If you can’t beat them or own them, BREAK THEM. Citizens and countries across the globe have participated in some form or fashion in boycotting.

Although the intended action of boycotting is to affect corporations and/or countries economically, it also brings attention to a company or countries conduct resulting in political and name brand implications. Learn the scheme and break down the gates of the gatekeeper.

Gatekeepers’ Scheme

→International companies, regardless of their headquarters, have retail stores operating across the globe. For example, a company founded and headquartered in Germany may have retail stores in Europe and America, conforming to customs and “laws” of that country or state. 

→U.S. companies are DISTRIBUTORS of a majority of their products

→Retailers obtain products from Vendors (2^nd and 3^rd party) doing business across the globe

→Vendors, like markets come in many sizes, colors, local, global and the cloud

→Distribution ≠ Production with some exceptions

→ “Product of Country” is where manufactured but ingredients may be of that country or many others. (i.e. lotion, powder, cereal, pizza, olive oil, etc.  

→ Product design and parts may be of said country but assembled in foreign(s) countries (i.e. smartphone, vehicle, guitar, computer, piano, etc.

→ Sample label, “Made in the U.S.A. with U.S.A and imported material/ingredients/parts.”

→ Sample label, “Canned in the U.S.A.  Bottom of can for country of origin.” Turn can and you find “Product of …”  outside the U.S.

→ Sample label, “100% of our fiber suppliers are certified.”

The last one is quite funny.

Two points: Who are these suppliers and what are they certified in? It reminds me of a video I came across on the net for a dental product where it stated, “one out of three dentists recommends…” Who is this one dentist? Did anyone question their credentials or if she/he was paid to recommend the product? And why didn’t the other two recommend the product?

Right, information overload. Confused? It gets better or worse depending on how you look at it. Vendor and subcontractors’ products and services are not uniform across all stores and sectors. As they outprice one another, retailers typically go for the lowest bid. Once the deal is set, distribution comes next.

Distribution Channels

Less talked about are how products go across distribution channels. Briefly, let me give you an idea of its journey using two products, eggs and deli meats.

I chose these two because quite frankly it’s become “hit and miss” to find fresh eggs that won’t make you sick. I figured that either the products’ poor quality stemmed from the source (chicken and/or the environment where it laid its eggs), in transport, or at the retail store.

Also, I cannot remember the last time I had a sandwich where the packaged meat did not turn green within a few days. Why not buy from the deli section of a market. I did, until the chain was bought by a company that reportedly has its employees working in a toxic environment exacerbated by the virus outbreak. I thought it best to take my chances from a then well-known importer of deli fresh packaged meats. Until the meats like the eggs consistently were rotting early.

Assuming the products’ original source was not the problem, then the transportation company was likely not equipping its vehicles with cooling devices appropriate for its cargo. But, if transport was not the source of the problem, then the last possibility was inadequate storage measures by way of the retailers. Three possible scenarios for why a product does not meet temperature requirements and/or kept refrigerated:

1. Employees are not removing items quickly from crates and shelving them; 2. Temperature gauge is not set at legally required temperature and consistently; 3. Blackouts. Retailers without back-up generators leave their products open to the elements risking products spoiling or worse toxic.

Few retailers practice taking appropriate measures of disposal as well as damage control. For example, I once came across an employee wiping down mold on an open refrigerated shelve where meat products were placed.

Also, after returning an item, and shopping for about 30 minutes, I saw the same item I had returned (cheese) still lying near the cashiers’ register. I brought it to the managers’ attention wondering what poor bastard wasn’t going to be so lucky the next time a product was returned.

Buying food has become like involuntarily playing the “food lottery.” In better times, returning an item was an inconvenience. In these times with virus outbreaks, you discover the compromised products and return them. At worst, you or a family member becomes sick or the item cost you or loved one their life. 

Who do you blame, the gatekeeper or a virus? Either way, across a global moving supply chain, the chain of command is led by a prime mover at the head of table.