A few days ago, I saw something on the internet about fake rice being made in China. Thanks to years of Chinese takeout, when I think of China I think of a nice, clean bowl of steamed rice. Sadly, this rice is not rice at all, but bits of plastic!It should go without saying that eating plastic is bad for your health. The Bisphenol A (BPA) in plastic causes a spike in estrogen levels, and eating plastic rice is basically a one-way to ticket to getting breast cancer. Sadly, this isn’t the only example of shady edible originating from China. This isn’t just ethically unsound, it’s just plain terrible for anyone unlucky enough to consume these products.The label “Made In China” is so ubiquitous in the U.S., that we expect to see it on the majority of goods in our homes. However, one place you may not expect to see it is on foods you eat every day. This list of “10 Common Foods You Had No Idea Come From China” comes from and it might just surprise you.
Foods You Need To Avoid
1. Tilapia
Tilapia is the most commonly farm-raised fish in China. While not technically a “bottom feeder,” they will eat virtually anything and are generally raised in crowded pools of increasingly dirty water (as more waste accumulates from the fish). In China, many seafood farmers won’t let their families eat the fish they raise due to the conditions they’re raised in. Nearly 80% of America’s tilapia is from China.
2. Cod Fish
Like tilapia, cod is also an unhealthy fish that is raised in filthy conditions. America currently imports about 50% of its cod from China.
3. Apple Juice
Despite the fact that China is the largest pesticide producer in the world, a stunning 50% of America’s apple juice – that you give your kids for lunch daily – comes from China.
U.S. inspectors have reported multiple cases of tainted mushrooms from China. Sneaky manufacturers will even put fake “organic” labels on their products to increase profit margins. 34% of processed mushrooms in America come from China, so the best bet is to buy them from a more local source instead (if possible).
Garlic from China is often sprayed with a host of chemicals and preservatives that give it a terrible aftertaste. Nearly 31% of garlic in the U.S. is from China.
Chinese chicken was approved for sale in the U.S. back in 2013, but health experts haven’t stopped voicing concerns over the conditions in which these birds are raised, which tend to promote diseases like the avian flu. Furthermore, China’s rampant production and usage of pesticides has tainted much of their food supply.
Fake, plastic rice is usually made of potatoes and a synthetic resin. This rice doesn’t soften after boiling, and ingesting it can lead to cancer in the long term.
Chinese food safety and regulatory standards are… lax, to put it mildly. One unscrupulous vendor actually managed to pass off mud as black pepper and flour as white pepper! Not that the FDA couldn’t use improvement either, but still.
Industrial salt is salt that is considered unfit for human consumption, but can be used for other purposes like increasing mud/soil density to make oil drilling rigs more efficient. Sadly, shady merchants sometimes attempt to sell industrial salt as table salt. Consumption of industrial salt can lead to thyroid issues, reproductive problems, and more.
In 2005, fake green peas were found in China, consisting of a mixture of snow peas, soy beans, a green dye that is a known carcinogen, and sodium metabisulfite (a chemical that’s often used as bleach). These “peas” did not soften when boiled, and turned the water a sickly green color.
