Organic food is very important. In the United States, organic food sales increase at least by 20% annually. When domestic supplies can’t satisfy such enormous demand, the vendors look internationally, in order to keep the market in stock.
A major part of the imports come for the European Union. Their organic standards are very different from those in America. Also, a great part of them come from China, which have poor quality and questionable safety standards. Ironically, even the Chinese farmers won’t consume it themselves. So, why consuming it when it’s not safe?
This means that some of the foods labeled as organic, was never actually organic. It turned out that it is a result of the substandard Chinese production. The US Customs authorities reject entire imports of food from China. Why is that so? They contain harmful additives, drug residues and poor hygiene. They also don’t have the required label. To prevent rejection, Chinese exporters label their products as organic.
The Chinese government hasn’t established a system of labeling the products which are really organic and those that are not. Hence, the Chinese producers mislabel the food completely.
Even the food from China which is purely organic, is produced in contaminated conditions, that people cannot control. Many of the Chinese agricultural lands are near Yangtze and Yellow rivers, which are the most polluted rivers in China.
Thousands of factories, built along these rivers, are the reason for the enormous pollution. They infuse their chemicals into the water, which damage the rivers and the environment. One time, there was a chemical fertilizer which discarded ammonia into the Fu river, and killed 110 tons of fish. But, Chinese producers didn’t stop using this river for agricultural and industrial purposes.
Unfortunately, these rivers are also loaded with heavy metals and harmful chemicals. Moreover, the Chinese sewage, bottled drinking water, rice, and milk have been proven to contain the toxic substance perchlorate, which is the precursor of rocket fuel. How shocking this data is. This substance is also described as an endocrine disruptor. Its presence can lead to metabolic disorders and thyroid problems. It can also affect the proper development of children.
Certain Chinese products are more contaminated than others. For instance, mushrooms, rice, green peas, apples, chicken, fish, garlic, and black pepper are found to be the most contaminated foods that should be avoided.
It looks like that the best way to eat completely safe and organic food is to grow it yourself. These gardens don’t occupy large space.