Did you know that over 80 percent of the garlic sold worldwide comes from China? In fact, a large amount of garlic we consume here in America is from China. The U.S. imported 138 million pounds last year Most consumers think that their garlic was grown in California, the “Garlic Capital of the World,” but, in reality, it was shipped from China. Even “organic” garlic is often from China, where organic certification methods can not be trusted.

Chinese garlic is bleached. According to Henry Bell of the Australian Garlic Industry Association, garlic from China is sprayed with chemicals to stop sprouting, to whiten garlic, and to kill insects and plant matter. He also reports that garlic is grown in untreated sewage, “Bell also calls into question some growing practices in China. “I know for a fact that some garlic growers over there use raw human sewage to fertilise their crops, and I don’t believe the Australian quarantine regulations are strict enough in terms of bacteria testing on imported produce,” he says. “I also challenge the effectiveness of the Chinese methyl bromide fumigation processes.”

Of course, this needs to be taken with a huge grain of salt, coming from the competition.  But it’s certainly scary enough to start doing your own research on where your local grocer gets their garlic and how that garlic is grown.