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News

Trader Joe's Says 'No' to Some Chinese Foods

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Okay, it won't be even close to this dramatic looking when the food is pulled | Photo veganstraightedge by via Flickr

Trader Joes, based here in Southern California in Monrovia, made a big announcement today regarding imported food from China:

Garlic, frozen organic spinach and other "single ingredient" food items from mainland China will be phased out by April 1, although products that include ingredients from both China and other sources will remain. The company believes the foods are safe but "we will continue to source products from other regions until our customers feel as confident as we do about the quality and safety of Chinese products," Trader Joe spokeswoman Alison Mochizuki said in a statement. [Business Week]

Earlier this year, products from China such as pet food and toys have caused alarm for recalls in the United States.
Business Week also reports that Whole Foods Market Inc., Kroger Co. [they own Ralphs] and Safeway Inc. [they own Vons] did not immediately return their calls seeking information on their product lines. But Wegmans on the East Coast did stop selling garlic from China last fall.

For us, our favorite garlic from Trader Joe's is the Dorot Crushed Garlic found in the frozen section (those little cubes). It's incredibly potent and does a great job in soups and when sauteing veggies. Luckily, Dorot is Kosher and manufactured in Israel.

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