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Nowadays we increasingly have to get used to the fact that not only consumer goods or electronics are imported to us from China, but increasingly also food.
However, it is worth considering why we actually import food when we ourselves have enough fields and farms to grow our own?
The answer is probably their price.
With cheap food, however, the problem is often that their quality is low. And China also does not have a very good reputation when it comes to food safety.
Food scandals in China
You may have already heard about various scandals involving contaminated food originating from China.
For example, the 2008 scandal when the chemical melamine was added to powdered infant formula to create the illusion of higher protein content.
More than 300,000 children were affected at the time, 54,000 of whom had to be hospitalized and 6 children even died. Many of the survivors ended up with damaged kidneys.
In today’s article we will reveal 7 of the riskiest foods produced in China that you should avoid under any circumstances.
1. Apple juice
China is known for using dangerous pesticides when growing fruit and vegetables, including some that are banned.
In some Western European countries and the USA, imports from China now make up as much as 50% of the apple juice sold.
When buying it, you should also check traditional brands to see where the juice being sold comes from. It may be packaged in Europe but originate from China.
2. Industrial salts
The Chinese often use salt intended for industrial purposes as a substitute for table salt.
When buying salt, therefore, be careful whether it might come from China.
Such salt often contains various impurities and chemicals from the production process that can lead to stroke, heart attack, or high blood pressure.
3. Cod
A large portion of the cod imported to Europe comes from China. You’ve probably already heard about the problems with polluted seas around China.
Therefore, when buying either whole fish or products made from cod, check whether the raw materials used in their production do not come from this Asian country.
4. Chickens and chicken meat
China often has problems with avian influenza and other foodborne diseases.
In 2013 Chinese chicken began to make its way to the West. Few people, however, know in what terrible conditions the chickens are raised there and what they are doped with.
5. Garlic
About a third to half of all garlic sold in our country comes from China.
A few years ago a scandal arose around Chinese garlic because harmful chemicals are used in its cultivation and storage.
The worst of these are bleaches used to whiten the garlic. Also problematic are substances aimed at killing insects and those used to prevent sprouting.
An example is methyl bromide, a very dangerous pesticide that damages the respiratory and central nervous systems. According to the UN, it is up to 60 times more harmful than chlorine.
6. Tilapia
Over 80% of frozen tilapia comes from China, where it is farmed in terrible conditions.
This fish, like carp, lives in mud and feeds on all the impurities found at the bottom.
If we consider how polluted the rivers, ponds and lakes are in China, then consuming this fish can be not just harmful but directly dangerous.
We should pay even more attention to this problem when we realize that nearly all fish served in our school kitchens is tilapia, because it is the cheapest.
7. Plastic rice
We have already covered artificial rice from China in more detail on our site in this article.
It is rice that is made from potatoes and other chemical substances, including plastics. You can tell it, for example, because it remains hard even after cooking.
Conclusion
We believe that the facts presented in our article were helpful in keeping you safe.
Instead of various imported foods, and this applies not only to Chinese foods, prefer our domestic foods. They are not only healthier, but by doing so you will also support our local growers.
