Breaking: Why You Need to Know Where Your Store-Bought Garlic is From

You have good reasons to ask where your garlic has been grown. A sizable percentage of the garlic found in U.S. supermarkets is imported from China, where it has been heavily sprayed with chemicals. Here are the problems associated with Chinese garlic as well as how to tell if bulbs have been grown in that country.

For centuries, garlic has been prized among many cultures for its flavor and therapeutic benefits. California used to be considered the garlic capital of the world, but in recent years China has dominated the market, being the source of more than 80 percent of the global supply. Even much of the organic garlic found in U.S. groceries is imported from China, where the certification methods are untrustworthy.

Problems with Chinese Garlic

Garlic grown in China is not a desirable product due to that country’s agricultural practices. The crop has been bleached to produce a white color, doused with chemicals to kill insects, and in some cases, fertilized with raw human sewage. It has been liberally sprayed with methyl bromide, a chemical that in high concentrations can harm the respiratory and central nervous systems. Chinese garlic is also contaminated with other harmful chemicals, such as sulfites and lead, and may be treated with growth inhibitors. In addition, it is subjected to over-storage, a measure that causes levels of its flavor and health-producing constituents to decline.