10 Common Foods Made in China

A List of 10 Commonly Used Foods Made in China

The label Made In China is so ubiquitous in the U.S. that we expect to see it on most goods in our homes. However, one place you may not expect to see it is on foods you eat every day. Here are ten commonly used foods that are made in China – but they don’t have to be.

1. Made in China Tilapia:

Tilapia is commonly fish-farmed in China. These fish are some of the worst, most toxic, and unhealthy fish you can encounter. 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 they farm, which should tell you something. 80% of the Tilapia in America is labeled Made in China.

2. Made in China 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. Made in China Apple Juice:

Believe it or not, approximately 50% of the apple juice sold in the United States comes from China. They are the LARGEST pesticide-producing country in the world and haven’t even begun addressing pesticide or chemical residue on foods. I recommend altogether avoiding apple juice for yourself and your children. Fruit juice is too rich in sugar and is better mixed with vegetable juice for blood sugar levels.

4. Made in China Mushrooms:

US inspectors have found tainted mushrooms from China. Some manufacturers 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 that area of the world, completely fake. 34% of processed mushrooms are from China. Do your best to know your source, and buy local and authentic organic!

5. Made in China Garlic:

U.S. inspectors have also found tainted garlic from China. This garlic is sprayed with chemicals more than abundantly, leaving a sour aftertaste, that of a chemical concoction. 31% of Garlic sold in the US is from China.

6. Made in China 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 illnesses 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. Made in China 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 the long-term effects of this food could be cancerous. Stay away from made-in-China rice!

8. Made in China 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 it away! The Chinese don’t have a lot of due diligence in their food and safety regulatory systems. Not that these are always great; look at America! We have standards but very low standards at best.

9. Made in China Industrial Salt:

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

10. Made in China 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, soybeans, green dye, and sodium metabisulfite (a chemical used as bleach and preservative). This dye is banned from production because it may cause cancer and 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 made in China.

Did you already know about these Made in China products?

What do you think of these common foods coming from China?  Does it concern you? Share your thoughts and opinions below.

79 replies
  1. TINA
    TINA says:

    I can’t believe this. I purchased “Aqua Star Crispy Battered Alaskan Cod – Wild Caught” from Walmart. I always buy Wild fish. I’m SHOCKED, on the back bottom left corner of the package it states: “Wild Caught Cod Harvested in U.S.A. Product of China.” This is a VERY MISLEADING add. I’m calling the company.

    Reply
    • Dena Gage
      Dena Gage says:

      If you check canned and bottled fruits you’ll also find this, even name branded fruit!!! SO Alarming to me!!! Especially giving to our children & grand children!!!

      Reply
    • JLBM Music Lover
      JLBM Music Lover says:

      I agree with you, we the USA need to start making building and producing our own food and merchandise. We also need to care for our country first and than send care to others, if we can.

      Reply
  2. Tricia Long
    Tricia Long says:

    Another food, popular with children, is canned mandarin oranges. Every single brand I have come across is from China.

    Reply
  3. Sher
    Sher says:

    Everyone I know is so disgusted about buying fish in the US because almost all has actually been processed in China ( and with who knows what). How do you find fish from the US?

    Reply
      • Kathy
        Kathy says:

        Whole Foods does sell foods from China, including fish. Ask before buying. I never knew this until this evening when my husband googled food in USA grocery stores from China, totally surprised and not happy!

        Reply
    • JLBM Music Lover
      JLBM Music Lover says:

      We go fishing at the rivers lakes or ponds, their not perfect but their not china either.

      Reply
  4. lauraeream
    lauraeream says:

    I don’t believe all these statements to be true, but that does not mean we can’t be conscious on our store purchases. I hope everyone can do their part in boosting the American Economy.

    Reply
  5. henry navarro
    henry navarro says:

    FOR ALLYOU PEOPLE THAT DON’T BELIEVE ALL THIS DONE BY THE YOUR GOV,YES ALL ARE
    IN THIS FDA, AND THE REST OF YOUR HIGHER UPS BOTTOM LINE IS MONEY FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY IS ROOT OF ALL EVIL CORRUPUTION PERIOD AND IF YOU WANT PROOF DO YOUR OWN RESHEASH PEOPLE YOUR GOV. IS BEHIND OF ALL THIS LOOK UP CHEMTRAIL, FLORIDE IN YOUR WATER, GMOS SO CALLED FOOODS ON AND ON I COULD GO ON, I FOR ONE I KNOW WITH OUT A DOUGT ALL THESE STATEMENTS ARE SAD BUT TRUE. PERIOD.

    Reply
    • Tina JoneS
      Tina JoneS says:

      I have been doing a lot of research and it’s all true we are being poisoned by the food we eat and don’t even know it. We live in a terrible world of greed. Please read labels or just eat fruit and vegetables.

      Reply
  6. Debra Hojnacki
    Debra Hojnacki says:

    It’s sickening. I don’t buy anything from China. But, when it comes to food we eat, and serve to our families, you now have to check labels. I think this is disgusting.

    Reply
    • Emmie
      Emmie says:

      How can we avoid buying products fron China when most everything we purchase comes from China. Unfortunately, all items are not labeled MADE IN CHINA or MADE IN U.S.

      Reply
    • Ger
      Ger says:

      You don’t buy anything from China? Please. Whatever you wear, whatever you use, China is involved somehow. The machine that prints your “MADE IN THE USA” tag is China made. Your proud US flag is made in, you guessed it, China.

      Reply
  7. Barbara Kaufer
    Barbara Kaufer says:

    Are these products marked that they are from China? Is there is an issue with fresh garlic but doesn’t give country of origin, also dog food sold by Sam’s is from China, the packages are not marked, I had to go to the internet to find that out. Also never, ever buy farm raised anything. Find out on google what that exactly mean.

    Reply
  8. Karen
    Karen says:

    As rich as America is why this country need China to grow our food? I am against it! I use to eat their food, but not anymore. My sister and I are informing others about this madness. People wake up! Look around you. People are dying from cancer, strokes, heart attacks etc. It’s in our food that’s being imported into our country. Stop eating Chinese food. The more we eat their food they will stay in business. WAKE UP AMERICAN

    Reply
    • Emmie
      Emmie says:

      Why is the U.S. importing food from China? MONEY. Whose looking out for us. NO ONE! Our foods are not fit to eat. Where is the USDA?

      Reply
  9. Andy
    Andy says:

    Christopher Ranch is the largest supplier of garlic in the US. While they have a US presence, they also have deep ties with China. China makes something like 80 percent of the world’s processed garlic, in the US, it’s hidden through Christopher Ranch. Best to grow your own garlic these days. May as well grow your own everything, then you know for sure that it’s not coming from China.

    Reply
  10. Linda
    Linda says:

    Why do we need to import food from China? I was shocked to see the list of foods we import. Small farms have been pushed out of business by large farms. Instead of importing food from China, it seems we should be encouraging food to be grown here.

    Reply
  11. MARY ANN
    MARY ANN says:

    They have gone to Africa to colonize Africa with their fake cheap goods and fake milk, fake rice, fake fishes, and fake every thing. After Africa attract debts they say to pay us we shall own your Airport and your air space???? Listened to NPR Guinea-Bissau A SMALL African country in the west coast of Africa refused to sign a china deal for them to build an airport because, they have wise leadership America please save Africa from colonization by China, come to our rescue our leaders were either bought or mis lead

    Reply
    • Raymond James
      Raymond James says:

      Exchanging one colonizer with another one is not a solution for Africa. First Africa needs to love its people and put whatever resources (which is many) together and share amongst their own continent. Problem is that Africa can’t function cause corruption and lack of nationalism is killing it slowly but surely. They must be dealt before anything else.

      Reply
  12. a boyd
    a boyd says:

    Ask your VET and they willl tell you if you want to kill your pets feed them dog/cat food made in china….petco and others have taken all china made dog food off the shelves as of last year….Most of your pork is processed in china with made in USA labels…

    Reply
    • Deanna
      Deanna says:

      That should be illigal to put a sticker made in USA when in fact it’s China. I just got thru reading about a real problem China has with chickens ducks and other foul they have found that has H7N9 virus and guess what it’s now in humans over there very deadly virus the cdc is watching the us check it out on cdc web site scary

      Reply
      • Brenda
        Brenda says:

        Ha! The CDC can’t find their own butts. Neither I might add can the USDA Which has all but stopped cking foods coming in from other Countries.

        Reply
  13. Karl
    Karl says:

    The best way to be safe and patriotic is to avoid buying any Chinese goods whenever possible. China is at heart, America’s worst enemy. Why should we help their economy and make the country rich so they can develop more weapons against us? It isn better to spend a little more on American-made goods than help the Chinese, especially since many of their food products cannot be trusted for authenticity and health reasons.

    Reply
  14. Andy Holmberg
    Andy Holmberg says:

    It’s worse than you think. My wife is Korean and college educated. We watch Korean news and other sources on- line. The Chinese are killing us. They are Communists and our deadly enemy.

    Reply
    • latkinson73
      latkinson73 says:

      Thank you for this and please keep educating people. I will also try but amazing how many people don’t care or don’t believe and won’t do their own research.

      Reply
  15. Steve Leasure
    Steve Leasure says:

    Why should we buy anything from any communist country, isn’t this we fought against and died for. Yet we turn around and support these countries!

    Reply
  16. Dora Keyes
    Dora Keyes says:

    Yes, we need to be careful with purchasing food from other countries because we dont monitor their businesses or quite frankly what they look like. Not saying that usa is perfect because they are not. Read the ingredients, and where it’s from.
    Say a Prayer over what you eat.

    Reply
  17. Meropi Lane
    Meropi Lane says:

    The only product that clearly has country of origin in the package is fish. An Alaskan senator forced the bill because he wanted to protect Alaskan fisheries. The rest of food products are a mystery. Check the labels. Assembled, packaged, distributed…but never produced….I wonder where are the rest of the lawmakers and what they do about their constituents

    Reply
    • Pedro Piporro
      Pedro Piporro says:

      This is what happens when you let too many people vote. Only knowledgeable people should be voting. Politicians want stupid people to vote so that they can do their corporate master’s bidding and still get reelected.

      Reply
  18. Mr Mac
    Mr Mac says:

    Please, patronize farmers market’s! “Regularly” during harvest. as demand rises, so will supply. So till up that lawn out back and grow some food!

    Reply
  19. Mr Mac
    Mr Mac says:

    I have many Asian customers I work for, and they ALL have gardens and chicken’s in “their”back yards, smart people…

    Reply
  20. Michaeline Penkivech
    Michaeline Penkivech says:

    My daughter was going to buy a _7_pack of lighters made in China yesterday for $1.99. I made her put them back and purchased a 5 pk made in usa for $5. She doesn’t smoke. They were for emergencies of who knows what kind. I’m sure she won’t need a my more for years.
    I’m sure we can make an impact if we strive to buy more us a products. I’m sick of the cheap useless stuff made in china.

    Reply
  21. Linda
    Linda says:

    Where is Hormel corned beef hash made. The label says distributed by. Also, just threw out raw pine nuts, made in China. Don’t shop without your glasses folks.

    Reply
  22. Private
    Private says:

    Look it’s simple…

    Support your local well-known farms and locally owned and manufactured products.. easy way to tell. GLOBAL COMPANIES do not buy from global companies ever like Walmart specifically example within 15 miles of each other trying to shutdown ShopRite locally own business why 2 Walmarts within 10mins of each other!!!

    Move to red states if you can’t see the kitchen don’t go there..like fast food starve their companies ABSOLUTELY AVOID ALL INTERNET PURCHASES completely delete all accounts wein your way off them use normal mail only not email. Learn where your local farms are. Start growing produce in your yards. Move from blue states ASAP all costs do whatever it takes.

    Find someone to take it off your hands greedy bastards will jump on it, in the long run, their taxes will put them out of business. Buy a plot of land from the bank don’t rent it from them. Build your own home free from public utilities completely.

    Help lower taxes. learn how to compost recycle and waste management. go solar all by yourself cause really it’s not that hard. Especially to collect and purify your own water. you ever see these water pipes that are public utility tons of contamination build up cracks and leaks mercury bacteria added chemical build up water softeners smells and taste of bleach completely unreliable never inspected only till it fails.

    Look at telephone poles it’s ridiculous in 2020 power grid fails taxed to hell n back for useless commodities. Who needs that junk to watch TV and have a hard-line telephone internet that currently is being weaponized ton of fraud misinformation and terror tactics. Completely free communication. One cell phone bill 1 bar signal 80$ a month says it all. Crash’em you’re paying a global telephone bill for international purposes regardless you only make national calls.

    Everyone wants to come to America but most Americans don’t or never will go there at all… Lower standards essentially face hatred just cause your American. So f em. Let’s lockdown America ourselves bankrupt global companies and sanctuary states that removed the executive college long ago purely in favor of welfare states who love career criminals. The smallest things will cause chaos for them especially the lack of internet no customers going old fashioned once again.

    Go agricultural chicken eggs a great source of protein help nation only business raise animals we need to spread out these stand-alone companies from controlling a market only to get hit with something like mad cow disease or swine flu-like in current and previous years. Even producing animal feed will greatly help especially since China been poisoning animal and pet feed.

    Congregate and localize are the industry’s back. USA don’t need help from trash countries with contaminated poor quality poor health inspection and manufacturing processes. I have no idea why the USA even imports at all, to begin with.

    Reply
  23. John Cray
    John Cray says:

    I will not be buying anything from China and all food should be marked that it comes from China

    Reply
  24. Carole
    Carole says:

    I agree totally!! Problem is, on a lot of things you buy they dont even put on the pkg where its from. I dont understand this and I’ve been reading labels for years… now more than ever we have to know!!
    (I’ve known about tilapia for years…and dont buy it.)

    Reply
  25. ljay2
    ljay2 says:

    This whole article especially the comments made me absolutely nauseous. I have been reading labels for years and yes, it does us no good. We did this to ourselves, we asked for it. Even labels that say ‘distributed by’ is questionable. Where do we think everything from California is from?? California?? No it’s from china. Food should be labeled ‘country of origin’.
    No wonder cancer, diabetes, cardiac problems, stroke, etc is so rampant in this country!! It’s true- it’s all about the bottom line, $$ and these lawmakers just want to get re-elected to screw us. Interesting how you rarely see them getting these diseases.
    I guess we’re just wasting our time because this whole thing will never change. Sad. Depressing too. I’m glad I’m old.

    Reply
  26. Janie Sackberger
    Janie Sackberger says:

    Framers are selling out, some because of age, some because of no buyers, and others are sick of the rat race. Once a farmer sales out the property is bought up by developers. In turn they start building high dollar housing. In turn America has to rely on China for food, clothing and all things needed to live. When will people wake up and see the destruction to our country? It will never end if we don’t start bringing life back to America.

    Reply
  27. M Poss
    M Poss says:

    The problem we have with our current food labels that Congress neglected with Food Label requirements is the most important and vital information for the Consumer which is: “Manufactured in_________”. Food Labels are required to list who Distributed the food product and their location, however are not required to list WHERE THE FOOD PRODUCT WAS MANUFACTURED (BAKED, COOKED, PROCESSED, ETC.). For example, when Covid-19 started to become a Pandemic, The Coca-Cola Corporation made an announcement that the shipment of artificial sweeteners they used in Diet Coke will be delayed do to Chinese workers in China required to be in lock-down (or who have been sick) and the manufacturing of the sweeteners had stopped or shipments delayed. Now, HOW MANY OF YOU WERE EVEN AWARE THAT ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS WERE MANUFACTURED IN CHINA USED IN DIET SOFT DRINKS? SEE WHAT I MEAN? Ask yourself why Congress did not require “Manufactured in ……” when they restructured food label requirements? DEMAND THAT CONGRESS OVERHAULOUR FOOD LABELS AND DEMAND WHERE THE PRODUCT WAS MADE, BAKED, RAISED, PROCESSED ON OUR FOOD LABELS! REMEMBER THE KEY PHRASE IS “MANUFACTURED IN …..”!

    Reply
  28. Tom
    Tom says:

    I found made in the USA labels on stuff but when u open the stuff always there is labels inside guess what they all say MADE IN CHINA u cant even trust the labels they put made in the usa to sell stuff But its All made in china Its a scam to mske us stupid idiots think were buying USA products Its horsecrap but were dumb enough to fall for it Dumb stupid us Its our own fault for believing the lie .9× outta 10 if u look somewhere on what ur buying u see and guess what it allways somehow some way comes out made in China cvery damn time dont be fooled its a dishonest sales tactic!!!!!

    Reply
  29. Brenda Baxter
    Brenda Baxter says:

    I believe we need to contact every politician, USDA and FDA and tell them we require all labels to state:
    Country of Origin;
    Manufactured in; and
    Assembled in:
    We have a right to know where our products are from and who is putting it together. No longer should we ever need to search it out. There are still many farms that will sell directly to neighbors. I buy my meat from a trusted farmer that I know how the animal is treated and raised. I buy fruits and vegetables from roadside stands and farmers markets and then can for the winter. It can be done, just need to be committed. Force the laws to represent your beliefs! Get involved even if it is an email to your representatives.

    Reply
  30. Elektra
    Elektra says:

    I thought I knew …how much China is in every product. I AM FREAKING.I went into my kitchen and looked at all the labels. Marked as distributed and packaged and sold by a USA company.. NOT PRODUCED . AND now their using INTERNATIONAL or WORLDWIDE company verbage.All trace back to China. AND (sorry freaking here) my Aldi…I felt safer there. No longer German owned , but China. My yogurt ,croutons , the FISH…everything..ALL full of poison. Watch Broken and Unwell on Netflix. Sorry for the rant. China is taking over..and we are letting them. ***Did you know that so many of our food products are banned in most countries? Including China. Same product by appearances, but not the same ingredients.

    Reply
  31. Mark
    Mark says:

    That’s infuriating. I’ve bought cod from Walmart before, and always checked to make sure it was wild caught, etc. I guess that means nothing.

    Reply
  32. Eleanor
    Eleanor says:

    Looked at the ingredients on the back of Walmart potatoe chips and it said ( ingredients can cause cancer ) and it was from China

    Reply
  33. Molly
    Molly says:

    Your local farm!

    Make friends with your neighbors who are farmers. Seek out a Pasture-raised / Organic chicken farm locally and sign up for their CSA. Since Rona began, my husband and I stopped buying all of our meats at Whole Foods (bought them there for 15 years — well before Amazon and came in and cheapened them and turned them into a glorified Walmart — and TRUSTED them); we now purchase all of our meat from three local farms: a 100 percent grassfed beef farm (along with dairy), an organic pasture-raised poultry farm (get our Thanksgiving turkeys there, too and eggs) and a bison farm. And we also regularly visit our farmers markets for fresh produce, which means we only have to “fill in” with things at places like Fresh Market or Whole Foods. Our plan is to break up with Whole Foods altogether within the next 6 months. They sold out for the almighty dollar. It’s nothing special anymore and it does not line up with our values, therefore, we will no longer support them.

    Reply
  34. Veronica Kwiecinski
    Veronica Kwiecinski says:

    Find a local fishmonger in your neighborhood that has people fishing in the United States or marketing their daily catch from nearby towns. The seafood is pricey, but it is fresh and from the US. Specialty fish like salmon or shellfish are brought in from coastal US cities (from New England, Louisiana, Washington, and sometimes Canada).

    Reply
  35. Mags
    Mags says:

    This is so crazy. I just pulled out all my Campbell’s soup products just randomly to check and they all say Inspected for Wholesomness U.S. Department of Agriculture in a little circle top corner. Then it says on back Camden, NJ and also Cooked with Care IN THE USA. But upon searching found out they sold the company to Swire Pacific LTD. A China owned company to make more money. We need to do something about this, quit buying from the grocery stores all together and encourage farmers we will support them. Im horrified i been feeding my kids this crap

    Reply
  36. JW
    JW says:

    Best start is to vote for people who do not financially or politicly favor China. Our government branches are paid by us, to protect us; not just militarily. Vote for those that do the job. We must do the research. If not, the hiding and manipulation for economic gain will continue on this trajectory.

    Reply
  37. TexasGEEK
    TexasGEEK says:

    Sadly it probably was correct and quite literal – the BOX was made in the USA not the contents, context/syntax. So sad…

    Reply
  38. Allan Lee Von Dulson
    Allan Lee Von Dulson says:

    In 1988 a lady from Iowa called me selling something I did not need, we talked, I asked her what her last job was, she worked in a factory that removed the “Made in China” tag from H.D. gloves, then sewed-in “Made in the U, S. A.” tag!! She was ‘asked’ “don’t talk about what you do at work”……. Had Covid-19 in Nov./Dec. 2021 & ….have had Long-Covid-19 since. July 2023 will be 1 1/2 years……………..Allan………..

    Reply
  39. piquant1
    piquant1 says:

    I just bought a product from Amazon from their “Solima” line, because of the low price. What a mistake! I purchased hot cocoa coffee pods called “Happy Family” before checking the origin. Of course it was from China. Too late to send it back. But it required about an hour to find that it comes from China. It’s going in the trash when it arrives!

    Reply
  40. Jeannie
    Jeannie says:

    I would
    Like to know why FDA is failing so epically???? Isn’t thus their job to insure food safety????

    Reply
  41. Wil
    Wil says:

    Most of the times now the origin is not shown on the product, instead it just states: Distributed by,,,,
    Good guess where it come from now.

    Reply

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