Your Health Detective: Food Labeling

As a Doctor of Natural Health, Health Detective and Investigative Health Journalist, I’ve reported on some devastating findings in that which we eat, are exposed to environmentally and everything in-between…this report is one of the most disturbing – we each need to stay informed, these findings are what “feeds” my passion and commitment of Health thru Education^© – now more than ever!

I’ve reported on China producing PLASTIC RICE, you read that right, PLASTIC RICE! Ingesting even small amounts is dangerous. In addition, the BPA chemical in plastics mimic estrogen – skyrocketing in the body every time its ingested. If you ingest plastic rice, you’re basically signing a death sentence to die young of diseases like breast cancer.

I’ve always stayed away from products made in China as much as possible, especially food. Making cheap, fake food that looks and tastes like “real food” in order to add to their bottom line without any consciousness of consequences to me is criminal.

The following is a brief summary of my latest research on Chinese food you should completely avoid, in my professional opinion:

Tilapia Fish: Commonly farm-raised, these fish are the worse, most toxic and unhealthy fish you can consume. This fish will eat anything – comparable to bottom-feeder varieties of other fish. They’re farmed in small pools of waste water. It’s common that Chinese fish farmers won’t even allow their own children to eat the seafood they farm – that tells us A LOT! Keep in mind that over 80% of all Tilapia in America comes from China.
Cod Fish: Another farm-raised fish is cod – its not healthy and literally lives in its own waste. Beware, over 50% of American cod comes from China. I only eat cod from the deep cold waters of Alaska, it’s not negotiable for me. When I’m out of the U.S. I ask a lot of questions when ordering fish so I can be as sure as possible the source and then make an informed decision.
Apple Juice: Okay, this one is literally hard to swallow. Approximately 50% of apple juice sold in the U.S. comes from China. While “digesting” that, consider that China is the world’s largest pesticide-producing country. I recommend avoiding apple juice unless you know the source, period. I buy organic apples and have them juiced locally. By the way, having lived for several years in WA state (a huge apple producer), I know that a great majority of apples grown here are exported to China, wonder if they return in juice laden with chemicals?
Processed Mushrooms: When Chinese mushrooms were tested by US inspectors, they found they were tainted. CAUTION: some manufacturers in China actually label these processed mushrooms “organic” just to increase profits. If you do your research, like I do, you’ll find that there are a variety of “mystery mushrooms” from China, they are completely fake, that’s right, not mushrooms at all. In the U.S., over 34% of processed mushrooms are from China. Don’t risk it, buy local organic and know your source.
Garlic: Garlic from China was also found to be tainted when U.S. Inspectors tested it. Chinese garlic is laden with chemicals more so than other and you can tell because it leaves a bitter aftertaste of the chemical concoction. Over 31% of garlic sold in the U.S. is from China. I make sure my garlic is from the U.S. and, when possible, buy local organic from my farmers’ markets.
Chicken: Believe it or not, since 2013 the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture approved the sale of Chinese chicken in the U.S. There is wide-spread concern about this practice since avian influenza and other food-borne illnesses are so common in China. AND, because China produces and uses more pesticides than any other country, the contamination in their mass production and industry techniques are of great concern. To avoid this, buy organic and local.
Rice: As I referenced earlier in this report, fake plastic rice is widely being produced in China. It is believed by researchers to be made from potatoes and a synthetic resin. This particular rice doesn’t react like normal rice, beware…when boiled this rice stays hard. Scientists believe the long-term effects of this food is most likely cancerous…dah!
Black Pepper: Here’s another hard to believe fact. Black pepper in China was actually mud, you read correctly, mud! In addition, some manufacturers admitted to coloring flour and selling it as white pepper…OMG. There isn’t much, if any, due diligence in the Chinese food and safety regulations, know the source of your pepper.
Salt: I’ve written extensively about the health benefits of salt, the right kind, that is.
That said, some Chinese manufacturers have been selling industrial salt as table salt and industrial salt is NOT fit for human consumption, period. It can cause both mental and physical diseases and disorders, especially hypothyroid and reproductive system disorders. I love salt and rotate between various natural organic varieties like Pink Himalayan, Israeli Dead Sea, Hawaiian Lava and others from natural sea beds around the world – each regional salt imparts a completely different flavor.
Green Peas: China is the worst offender of fake peas. These “wanna-be” peas are created with snow peas, soy beans, green dye and sodium metabisulfite (a chemical used as bleach and as preservative). This dye is banned on produce because it was identified to cause cancer, as well as inhibit the body’s natural ability to absorb calcium. These “wanna-be” green peas also don’t soften when boiled and the water turns an unnatural green. Avoid peas from China.

The Way I See It…

China is one of the most polluted regions in the entire world – 70% of its rivers are heavily polluted, the air is so toxic I had to wear a mask all the time on my last trip there a couple of years ago when I was invited to teach, the air is a “toxic soup” of pollutants and chemicals that breathing it in large cities like Beijing and Shanghai does as much damage to your lungs as smoking 40 cigarettes’ a day, according to studies conducted in 2015. I love the Chinese people and their culture but I won’t be returning, it’s not worth the toxic exposure! I have made dozens of trips to various parts of China since the early 1980’s, it sad to me that a country so rich in history has succumb to being the leader in toxic products – all in the name of “progress.”