5 Fruits From China You Should Avoid

5 Fruits From China You Should Avoid
Safeway customers shop for peaches at Safeway on July 18, 2007 in Livermore, California. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Irene Luo
Updated:

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” says the proverb—but maybe not in communist China. Due to a lack of regulation and enforcement, farmers in China regularly add dangerous amounts of fertilizers, preservatives, pesticides, and other chemicals in an attempt to accentuate the attractiveness of their fruit and vegetables. In manufacturing, food safety becomes even more difficult to control, as manufacturers often cut corners and add dangerous ingredients to create products for lower costs.

While there is no way to know whether the same fruits contaminated in China are those exported to the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspects less than 3 percent of imports for violations and deficiencies.

Here are 5 fruits imported from China to the U.S. that you may want to avoid.

1. Apples

(johannrela/Flickr via Wikimedia Commons)
johannrela/Flickr via Wikimedia Commons
Irene Luo
Irene Luo
Author
Irene is the assistant producer for American Thought Leaders. She previously interned for the China News team at the Epoch Times. She is a graduate of Columbia University with a degree in Political Science and East Asian Languages and Cultures.