Around here, we try to be careful about what we eat. Sure, there is always some occasion to splurge on your diet, but even so, you can still source your foods responsibly to ensure that the quality and safety is still wholesome. And luckily, for now at least, we have the USDA to keep a watchful eye on those that make our foods for us.

Australia is a different matter. We just saw a disturbing video about how the meat industry Down Under uses a product to bind cheap cuts of meat together in an effort to mislead the public as to the quality of their beef. And it is not just about lying, it may have food safety consequences as well. Watch this video before you order a steak in Australia.

Food safety is an important issue for all of us. It seems like just about every year there is some kind of recall due to tainted or contaminated foods. And that is even before we start talking about all the industrialized food-like products that may lead to health issues just by consuming them.

Unfortunately, in a global marketplace, many foods we see on our grocery shelves come from other places that may not have such stringent standards. Here is a list of foods that we regularly eat that come from China, and why they may be very bad for us indeed.

1. Tilapia Fish:
Tilapia is commonly fish-farmed in China. These fish are some of the worst, most toxic and unhealthy fish that you can come across. A tilapia fish will eat anything, comparable to a bottom-feeder fish and fish farming is a small pool of wastewater that the fish live in. It’s one of the worst fish purchases you could buy and it’s commonly known that in China the seafood farmers won’t even let their children eat the seafood that they farm, that should tell you something. 80% of the Tilapia in America comes from China.

2. Cod Fish:
Cod is another type of fish that is fish farmed in China. This fish is not healthy and lives in its own waste. Currently, just over 50% of American Cod comes from China.

3. Chinese Apple Juice:
Believe it or not approximately 50% of the apple juice sold in the United States comes from China. China is the LARGEST pesticide producing country in the world and they haven’t even begun to address pesticide or chemical residue on foods. I recommend completely avoiding apple juice, for yourself and your children. Fruit juice is too rich in sugar and is better mixed with vegetable juice for your blood sugar levels.

4. Processed Mushrooms:
US inspectors have found tainted mushrooms from China. Some manufacturers in China go so far as to label these processed mushrooms organic to increase their profits. If you do a google search you’ll find that there are many “mystery mushrooms” in China, completely fake. 34% of processed mushrooms are from China. Do your best to know your source, buy local and true organic!

5. Chinese Garlic:
Us inspectors have also found tainted garlic from China. Garlic from China is sprayed with chemicals more than abundantly and this garlic leaves a bad aftertaste, that of a chemical concoction. 31% of Garlic sold in the US is from China.

6. Chicken:
In 2013 the US Department of Agriculture approved the sale of Chinese chicken in America. Many food safety experts are concerned with the quality of this chicken as China is a country where avian influenza and food-borne illness are common. Beyond that, China produces more pesticides than any other country in the world and is polluted by not only that but mass production and industry.

7. Plastic Rice:
It is believed that it is actually made from potatoes and a fake synthetic resin. When boiled, the rice stays hard and doesn’t cook like regular rice. It is believed that long-term effects of this food could be cancerous.

8. Mud (Sold As Black Pepper):
A vendor in China collected mud and sold it as black pepper, and also took flour and sold it as white pepper. Call it whatever you want and sell away! The Chinese don’t have a lot of due diligence in their food and safety regulatory systems. Not that these are always great, just look at America! We have standards but very low standards at best.

9. Industrial Salt:
Industrial salt is unfit for human consumption yet Industrial salt was sold as table salt for 13 years! Industrial salt can cause both mental and physical issues, hypothyroid problems as well as reproductive system disorders.

10. Green Peas:
Fake green peas in China were found in 2005, and may still be produced today. These fake peas were created with snow peas, soy beans, along with green dye and sodium metabisulfite (a chemical that is used as bleach and as a preservative). This dye is banned to use on produce because it may cause cancer, as well as inhibit the body’s natural ability to absorb calcium. These green peas also didn’t soften when boiled and the water turned an unnatural green color. So, avoid green peas from China.

Are there any foods that you specifically avoid for safety reasons? Please share your thoughts with us here.