Is The Garlic You Are Buying…Bleached From China?

Learn how to spot the right garlic. Check out the article we found over at Mr. Healthy Life.

Garlic is used as a flavoring enhancer for meat, fish, poultry, vegetable, legumes, rice, pasta and casserole dishes liberally in a variety of recipes. This amazing ingredient has played an important role in the field of medicine a

Facts say that USA imports 138 million pounds of garlic from China. The situation has changed a lot, since 15 years ago, California produced almost all of the garlic sold in the United States., and now China produces more than half of the garlic sold in the United States.

There were a few reasons why garlic growers in California were out of business. First of all, the food safety regulations in China are known to be lax and land in California is stringent in pesticide. Consequently, in the late 90s, China began flooding the market with inexpensive garlic, as so growing garlic in California is more expensive than growing garlic in China.

Henry Bell of the Australia Garlic Industry Association suggests that the organic garlic from China is sprayed with chemicals in order to whiten it, to stop sprouting and kill the pests. Chinese garlic is treated with harmful compounds such as lead or sulfites.

So how to spot the difference whether it is American or Chinese Garlic?

Here’s how:

• American garlic contains some roots on the bottom
• California grown garlic is heavier than the imported Chinese garlic
• American garlic has more flavor than imported garlic
• California garlic has been shown to have a higher sugar content (Brix) than Chinese garlic which is a factor associated with improved taste.

Next Article: Why You Should Eat Garlic On An Empty Stomach

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