Most Americans are familiar with the ‘Made in China’ label covering most of their products, but it might come as a surprise that a lot of foods are imported from China as well.
Like the famous subpar quality associated with products produced in China, Chinese imported foodstuffs are often of equal lower quality than what most Americans are used to.
The reason behind this is that there aren’t as many legal restrictions on Chinese production standards, so they can get away with using cheaper materials and techniques even if they create dangerous products.
One of the most popular items that comes from China is garlic.
The plant is easily grown in Chinese soil, and as a result, nearly one third of all garlic in America comes from China.
However, Chinese garlic often undergoes a lot of additional processing that makes it no where near as safe and healthy as raw American garlic.
Most Chinese garlic is full of dangerous pesticides that are banned in the United States, and China has even started bleaching their garlic before shipping to America.
There are a few main ways to tell if garlic in your pantry is from China, and if it is, you should consider tossing it. Chinese garlic will be thinner and less bulbous than America garlic, and they will be free of roots and stems.
American garlic growers leave the stems and roots attached. Tasting the garlic is another great way to test it. If it has a bold, traditional garlic taste, it is safe to eat.
