We all know that McDonalds, Taco Bell, Burger King, and other fast food chains all offer snacks, meals, and desserts that are, let’s be honest, not 100%-real food. How else could they make their menus so cheap? But did you know that China is dishing out food item after food item that is made of plastic – and you’re probably eating it?

China’s Plastic Food

Maybe you heard of China’s plastic rice manufacturers back in 2011 (1). Research claimed that China was selling rice made entirely of plastic to other nations without ever warning of its non-food-like qualities (1). It’s not surprising that this was only one of the many “foods” that China has manufactured. Since China is one of America’s biggest food suppliers, you might want to see the following list for more information on foods you should avoid:

1. Apple Juice:  Did you know that 70% of the apple juice consumed by Americans is imported from China (2)? Did you also know also that China is the largest pesticide producing country in the world and has yet to address chemical or pesticidal affects on food (3)? Studies have shown high levels of toxic arsenic in many of the most popular apple juice brands. Many experts are suggesting you should avoid consuming apple juice altogether, unless juiced at home.
2. Industrial (Table) Salt: Did you know that China is one of the top salt manufacturers on this globe? 90 million pounds of salt is produced in China every year, and 91% of that is not safe for human consumption since it is mixed with metals and other toxic substances (2). Industrial salt has been sold as table salt for over a decade (3).
3. Fish—mainly just Cod and Tilapia: Approximately 50% of America’s Cod and 80% of America’s Tilapia comes from China (3). Both breeds are very commonly farmed in China, but Chinese fish farmers won’t even let their own families eat the fish they farm due to toxicity. That should tell you something, right? Tilapia is possibly the worst, most toxic fish you can find, as it eats absolutely everything and lives in pools of wastewater (2). Cod is similarly terrible, as they live in their own waste before farming. In addition, China has been known to sell things labeled as “Cod Fish” when they are not, in fact, fish at all.
4. Garlic: China is responsible for importing up to 31% of America’s garlic. Thanks to China’s nonexistent pesticide laws, however, their garlic is heavily treated with rodent-killing pesticides. And of course, they do not scrub the crops before importing to your grocery store.
5. Chicken or beef: China is almost infamous for selling diseased or contaminated meats. Additionally, Chinese meat shops have been known to mix pork, paraffin wax, industrial salt, and chemicals only to label them as “beef.”
6. Black Pepper: China has been known to sell a mixture of flour and mud labeled as black pepper. Delicious. right?
7. Mushrooms. Similar to garlic, mushrooms are loaded with the pesticides. On top of that, Chinese farmers spray their mushrooms with preservatives to make old mushrooms appear fresh.
8. Baby formula: China has been known to take inexpensive or defective formula packages and resell them under the reputable brand names. Since the China Food and Drug Administration didn’t want to cause the people to panic, they hovered and sent out a recall (3).
9. Green peas: More like, pesticides and artificial peas. There are pea factories in China that pump out light green things that are covered in preservatives and then marketed as vegetables (3).
10. Plastic Rice: After the incident in 2011, this goes without saying.

Conclusion

China’s terrible food conditions are ultimately the result of their lack of initiative in regard to food laws. The fact that many Chinese people won’t even allow the food they have farmed to reach their family’s dinner table ought to be a wake-up call to Americans everywhere. Why are we eating poison? Maybe it’s time to stop.