A lot of the food items on the shelves of American grocery are sourced from China. However, there are items that you need to avoid at all costs!
Believe it or not, America imports a lot of food items from China. Unfortunately, a lot of these food items do not meet proper safety standards.
According to Food and Water Watch, many food production businesses in China are forced to cut corners and overlook safety standards to maximize their profits. As a result, the food produced from these facilities often contains toxic chemicals.
Food items from China may be cheaper, but, unfortunately, it comes with a price. In case you don't know yet, here are food items from China you need to avoid.
Mushrooms
One-third of the processed mushrooms in the country are from China. According to Straits Times, in Xian's capital in northwestern China, the mushroom suppliers admitted that they often use potent chemical additives to bleach mushrooms to appear fresh. Using this chemical on food items such as mushrooms can cause kidney failure or death.
Apple Juice
Americans are fond of apple juice, and about 50% of these come from China. The problem is that China uses more pesticides compared to other countries in the world.
Additionally, these pesticides are not correctly indicated on the food labels.
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Cod Fish
Related reports reveal that there are minimal restrictions implemented in China when it comes to exporting codfish. Furthermore, fish farmers in China breed these fishes in poor conditions and use massive doses of antibiotics to keep them alive. These exported codfish make up for half of the supply in the United States.
Tilapia Fish
Reposts say that 80% of tilapia fish in America journeyed 7,200 miles to get here. Tilapia fish are natural bottom feeders, and that is where the problem starts.
In China, fishing farms are often kept in poor condition, suggesting that the bottom part of the fish farms contain tons of industrial waste, heavy metals, and even chemical fertilizers.
Plastic Rice
The alleged plastic rice was reported to be fake rice created from potatoes and sweet potatoes with synthetic resin. This is a serious reason to be vigilant with rice sourced from China as sellers are mixing plastic rice with real rice. Again, due to the lack of regulation rules, this is often overlooked.
Garlic
Just like processed mushrooms, one-third of the garlic supply of the country comes from China. Sadly, pesticides like methyl bromide are heavily utilized in garlic farming in China. Ingesting this chemical gives an unpleasant aftertaste and can have serious health risks.
Industrial Salt
Salt is used by everyone in almost any type of dish. However, using industrial salt as an alternative is the wrong decision. Unfortunately, a couple in China were apprehended by authorities for purchasing industrial salt and selling it.
Chicken
Another popular food item that is often seen on food tables is chicken. Among China's most significant issues on chicken exports are the presence of several highly lethal and contagious strains of avian influenza. In addition, there is also a fear of melamine, which also surfaced a few years back in China.
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