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View Full Version : Why can't garlic powder be made in the U.S.????????



CathyA
11-8-12, 1:26pm
I can't believe I'm having a hard time finding garlic powder (and other herbs) that are made in the U.S. I understand needing to go to other countries for some spices/herbs that just won't grow in our climate.......but garlic??
And another thing that ticks me off is that now they're putting things on the label like "packed in the U.S." Like that is supposed to be as good as made in the U.S.?

I've tried growing my own garlic and it just doesn't do well. I could dry out and make powder out of garlic cloves myself, I guess. I just find it very irritating when something that is so easily grown in some parts of our country, can't be sold here, instead of bought from the other side of the planet.

mtnlaurel
11-8-12, 3:15pm
Try this website - I haven't read the fine print as I am rushing out the door.
http://www.garlicworld.com/

I Google'd Gilroy, California.

We drove through there late one night on our way to Yosemite from the coast and smelled the garlic from miles away.
It's the garlic capital of the US.

Gardenarian
11-8-12, 3:22pm
I live about 30 minutes from Gilroy - I love driving through there. Still, at the local market they sell garlic from CHINA - and that's whole garlic, not just powdered!

CathyA
11-8-12, 3:24pm
That's Awful Gardenarian! There's just absolutely no reason for that!!
thanks for thank link mtnlaurel, I'll check it out.

sweetana3
11-8-12, 4:15pm
Is it because they dont grow enough for the demand? A lot of home grown specialty crops are grown and sold to a few choice wholesalers. All the others have to find a source from somewhere.

CathyA
11-8-12, 5:21pm
Now that I think about it, I'm going to try to dry the fresh garlic I get at the store and grind it up. Its from Mexico, but that's still better than China.
I usually buy Kroger's Private Selection California garlic powder..........but it doesn't say where its actually made. Wouldn't surprise me if if it was from China too.
I bought toothpicks the other day, and when I got home, discovered they were made in china too. Everything seems to be made there. I wish it was required to always put on the label, where something is made.
I've been seeing alot of "packed in the U.S." They're not fooling me.

creaker
11-8-12, 6:10pm
[QUOTE=CathyA;111425]I can't believe I'm having a hard time finding garlic powder (and other herbs) that are made in the U.S. I understand needing to go to other countries for some spices/herbs that just won't grow in our climate.......but garlic??
And another thing that ticks me off is that now they're putting things on the label like "packed in the U.S." Like that is supposed to be as good as made in the U.S.?

The one that annoys me is "distributed by:"

Rosemary
11-8-12, 6:34pm
The same old answer: it's cheaper in the short-sighted views of multinational corporations.
Don't worry that it may be contaminated or that it certainly isn't tested by the FDA. Or that people who might be employed harvesting, drying, prepping, and packing garlic lost their livelihood. Or that it takes energy to transport all those bottles of powdered garlic (packaging materials probably weigh more than the product) across the huge Pacific Ocean.
Nope. It's cheaper.

bae
11-8-12, 6:46pm
http://www.edenfoods.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=93&products_id=400363

KayLR
11-8-12, 7:15pm
WTH?????

Blackdog Lin
11-8-12, 8:28pm
I know that years ago when I switched to buying Penzey's spices, their catalogs and website described wonderfully WHERE all the spices were harvested. And I remember that all their garlic came from California.

But checked the website today and it doesn't mention origin. You might email them and ask. I can recommend their spices very very highly.

bae
11-9-12, 12:37am
I am a big Penzey's fan too, and I loved that they used to be very specific about origin, so that was the first place I just looked for the garlic powder, but no joy.

CathyA
11-9-12, 5:58am
I'm always suspicious when some food product doesn't list where its made. Seems like they usually want to let it be known when its made in the U.S.A. Or maybe it costs more to print those few words??

Rosemary
11-9-12, 7:16am
I always check labels, too. Now I'm looking to see where domestic rice is grown as well (avoiding the south!).

FYI - An employee at Trader Joe's told me that they no longer source any foods from China due to customer complaints.

Another food product that deserves close scrutiny is apple juice and other apple products. Have you noticed, despite the many apple-growing regions in the U.S., that many apple juices and concentrates are from China?

Many frozen vegetables - including organic - come from China as well. And some fish marked "wild Alaskan" is harvested in U.S. waters and then flown to China for packaging.

sweetana3
11-9-12, 8:06am
Reasons for fish processing in China.

http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2002384544_uschinafish16.html

pinkytoe
11-9-12, 9:22am
Another thing that most don't realize is that your supplement and vitamin ingredients are produced in China - citric acid, etc.
I raised a stink with my local grocer when I noticed the label on their store brand tomato paste said product of china.
I can't grow good tomatos here so will just start buying Romas and making my own paste.
I have always wished there would be a TV show that would do one item a week and show how it is sourced and manufactured. I think people would be shocked it they knew.