Much of the food found in America and Europe is imported from China because it is cheaper, but it comes at a cost.
Recently, there was an article about companies in China mass producing fake rice out of plastic, which can cause serious digestive issues, and even be fatal if consumed daily.
See below is a list of ten foods made in China that we all should avoid!
1. Tilapia Fish 80% of tilapia in America comes from China. The fish are bottom feeders and will eat almost anything. With water pollution, the way it is in China, eating anything raised in that water would be unsafe to say the least. There is, also, one study that states tilapia is less healthy than bacon.
2. Cod Fish 50% of American cod comes from China. Yet again this is a water pollution and feeding issue. There are few restrictions in China for these types of exports.
3. Chinese Apple Juice About 50% of all apple juice sold in the US comes from China. China has been known to use harmful pesticides on their food. Even pesticides that have been banned by their own government. Making apple juice at home from local organic apples is the best method.
4. Processed Mushrooms 34% of all processed mushrooms come from China. Just as we saw with apples, one does not know what the mushrooms are grown in and exactly how healthy they are. Just to be on the safe side, buy mushrooms local or from trusted American-based or Canadian-based farms.
5. Chinese Garlic 31% of garlic sold in America comes from China. Like with other grown foods, the pesticides involved in the process (mainly methyl bromide) are just not safe and should be avoided
6. Chicken In 2013, the US Department of Agriculture approved the sale of chicken from China in the United States. As with fish (mentioned above) this is a pollution and feeding issue. China is commonly plagued with avian flu and other foodborne illnesses.
7. Plastic Rice Huge amounts of fake rice has been seized in China, and it is believed that much of it is produced from potatoes combined with a synthetic resin. The goal? To make money, of course, as scam artists have been imitating a popular type of Chinese rice called “Wuchang”. This rice stays hard after boiling. Long-term consumption of this food can cause cancer.
8. Mud (Sold As Black Pepper) One vendor in China was caught selling mud as black pepper. Although this seems like a local issue, one must always verify quality.
9. Industrial Salt Salt produced for industrial purposes is finding its way onto the tables of China. Any salt from China may also contain industrial salt. Consuming this salt may contribute to high blood pressure, hypertension, and the risk of heart attack and stroke.
10. Green Peas The fake peas are reported to be very profitable, and one illegal workshop was producing them for 3 years before it was investigated. They are created with snow peas and soy beans, added with green dye and sodium metabisulfite (used as bleach and preservative). This dye is forbidden to use on food because it may cause cancer, as well as affect the body’s ability to absorb calcium.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to tell if your apple juice, garlic or mushrooms are from China. This is why we recommend shopping locally at your farmers market, and getting to know your farmer or supplier.
