The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court has directed the UP Food Safety department to probe how banned Chinese garlic, that is considered harmful for health, is still available in markets. This was in response to a public interest litigation filed by a lawyer complaining that Chinese garlic is still being sold in markets despite the Centre clamping a ban on its import. Chinese garlic is considered a slow poison, because of excessive use of pesticide. The Food Safety department has sought two weeks time to test Chinese garlic in food lab and give its report.
The High Court directed that a Helpline WhatsApp number be issued in public interest so that people can send their complaints. Garlic is normally recommended for use by Ayurvedic doctors and dieticians, but the issue of banned Chinese garlic being sold in Indian markets is a case for worry. Earlier, there were controversies involving Chinese fake rice, Chinese fake eggs and Chinese fake noodles. All these products were declared harmful for health. China is the world's largest garlic producer but its farmers use excessive pesticide to grow garlic. It is grown inside septic tanks, and there have been frequent reports of fungus being found in Chinese garlic. In Ayurveda, garlic is considered a medicine to enhance immunity for those suffering from blood pressure. One can well imagine what patients will face if they consumer Chinese garlic considered as slow poison. Let me share some tips with you about how to differentiate between Indian and Chinese garlic.
Indian 'desi' garlic are smaller in size, while Chinese garlic pods are bigger. 'Desi' garlic pods are slim and long. Chinese garlic look completely white, while 'Desi' garlic pods are yellowish. Chinese garlic have less smell, while 'desi' garlic pods have a strong smell. It is easier to remove the covering of Chinese garlic pods, while 'desi' garlic pods have several peels of covering and it takes longer to take out the pods. If you buy garlic from market, be careful to differentiate the Indian garlic from the Chinese one. The Chinese garlic may look cheaper while Indian garlic may cost more. My advice to all of you is: Do not be swayed by cheaper Chinese garlic.
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