Imported garlic, more harm than good?
I am slowly becoming known as “the lady that grew her own greens” in my company. I tend to get asked random questions about growing vegetables, which was how it started this rather insightful conversation. One of my workmate asks me if I have any experience in growing garlic. Hmm, well, no. In fact, it never occur to me to grow some as they are just so freaking cheap in stores – $1 a bag of imported garlic.
As the conversion progresses, I was soon found out that the reason he want to grow was because he is concern about imported garlic were fumigated by Australian quarantine. Excuse me! did I just hear fumigate? Australia has strict quarantine laws about importing wood/timber/bamboo but it just never occur to me that food needs to go through fumigation as well. This is made me question, “Do I know really know what I am serving for dinner?”
I want to believe fumigated garlic is safe for human consumption given that its sold readily in the grocery store but I can’t; If fumigation kills any nasty bugs that lurks within, one can only image what it has done to the garlic. I am no food scientist but you don’t have to be one to exercise common sense. Come this Autumn, I will start growing my own garlic. In the meantime, I will buy Australian grown garlic. At least I know it not fumigated and its grown to Australian standards.
Interesting article in The Age about Imported garic
Hi there,
I’ve just started growing my own veggies so am happy to find this blog.
Now on the topic of fumigating – I couldn’t agree more. A while ago I heard on the radio that they’d stopped importing a certain brand of upmarket cat/dog food because the process of fumigation at quarantine had caused a sudden increase in the number of cats/dogs suffering from a specific illness. During the course of the radio story they referred to the fact that ALL imported food goes through a fumigation (possibly even irradiation if memory serves me correct) process.
At no point did anyone involved in this broadcast raise the point that was racing through my head: “WHAT ON EARTH? THEY ARE FUMIGATING/IRRADIATING OUR FOOD?”. I have mentioned it to a few people since, and no-one seems to know anything about it, but everyone was horrified.
I started to wonder if I had got the wrong end of the stick – but your post leads me to believe I was right all along. If that’s the case, I am GLAD I am growing my own veggies!
Claire
Welcome on board the veggie growing club! Nothing beats growing and knowing where your food comes from, isn’t it? I have actually stop buying vegetable from the main stream supermarket, only supplementing with an occasional visit to the local store.
One thing I do realise about imported garlic is that they sprout quite (or very) easily. As garlic are annual plants, the shooting tells me that they have been harvested for a long time. I find that China imported garlic (not offence intended) are pretty tasteless. I usually have to use the whole bulb to get the taste I am after. Garlic bread? Forget about it! You will NEVER get the taste!
I don’t think much people knows or is informed about the fumigation of food in general. We all safely assume that if it sold in the supermarket, it has to be safe for consumption. My partner was horrified when I told him. You are not alone, Claire.