The email from U.S. Customs and Border Protection landed in my inbox with a dire warning.
"Animal Food Contraband from China Remains at Record Levels at LA/LB Seaport ... China is affected with Several Contagious and Deadly Animal Diseases."
Sounds serious, I thought. But when I opened the email and clicked on the pictures of the contraband, they depicted prepackaged, branded products for human consumption. I even recognized a few of them as nostalgic snacks from my mother's childhood in Taiwan. Similar products are sold in grocery stores all across Southern California, but the most nostalgic flavors are back home in Asia.
