WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Senator Rick Scott sent letters to America's major grocers urging them to proactively take Chinese Sewage Garlic off their shelves to reduce risk to their customers and demonstrate that they will only sell products that are verifiably safe for consumption. This letter follows the recent letter Senator Scott sent to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo urging the Department of Commerce to investigate the food safety of garlic grown in Communist China following reports that the garlic is being grown in human sewage, then bleached and harvested in abhorrent conditions, often with slave labor. In the coming weeks, Senator Scott is introducing the SEWAGE GARLIC Imports Act and the SEWAGE GARLIC Imports Tariff Act to address the growth practices and safety of garlic produced in China for human consumption.

Read the full letter HERE or below.

December 19, 2023

            Thank you for your important work to provide Americans across the nation the food and products they need to feed and take care of their families every day. I know you share my commitment to ensuring every product on your shelves is completely safe for American families, and I write to you today to alert you to the potential risks associated with food and products made, produced, or including ingredients from Communist China, specifically Chinese sewage garlic.

Communist China is led by an evil regime that refuses to play by our rules, enforce U.S. safety and health standards, or have Americans’ best interests in mind. This unfortunate fact means that food and products from Communist China carry increased risks of being grown or produced in dangerous, low-quality conditions. I am sure that you, like so many Americans, have noticed the recalls of several products, from toothpaste to pet food. Additionally, there are concerning reports regarding Chinese-made products that are found to be unsafe, inconsumable and produced in questionable conditions that cannot be verified as meeting U.S. food and product safety standards. This includes well-documented reports from cooking blogs, home magazines, YouTube[1] videos and documentaries[2] that garlic coming into the United States from Communist China is grown using human feces and forms of raw human sewage as fertilizer, then bleached to make it appear whiter and cleaner to the eye and cover up the filthy conditions it was grown in. Further, if the garlic has been peeled or processed, those activities are conducted by slave labor.

I have called on the U.S. Department of Commerce to get to the bottom of these reports on Communist China’s disgusting garlic practices and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to safeguard our food and supply chain and investigate the source of dangerous cinnamon, potentially sourced from Communist China. I am also working to introduce my SEWAGE GARLIC Imports Act and the SEWAGE GARLIC Imports Tariff Act in the near future to address the growth practices and safety of garlic produced in Communist China for human consumption. Additionally, I will soon be introducing a bill to prevent the importation of any products made in Communist China unless the federal government can certify the conditions and processes in which these products are grown or manufactured meet U.S. standards, laws and trade practices. Most importantly, these products must be certified by our inspectors as safe for Americans’ consumption.

            American grocery stores are members of their communities. Your stores are where we go to feed our families, where we run into friends and where we know we can count on to grab that one missing item before dinner. Your customers trust that you will only carry the highest quality food and products that are safe for their families. I trust that you will agree that grocers must do everything possible to eliminate any doubt that when families go to the grocery store and pick up garlic, cinnamon, or any product on your shelves that it is safe and up to their standards.

Until the federal government can put strong standards into effect and our government holds Communist China accountable so it is able to verify the safety of these goods for American consumption, I urge you to act to protect your customers. Take Chinese-grown garlic off your shelves to reduce risk to your customers, and send a message to the families that you serve that you will only sell products you trust and know are safe for their consumption.

Food security is national security, and you play an important role in assuring confidence in the safety and quality of our food, which is key to maintaining a strong and stable economy, a productive society and strong public health. When our health, safety and well-being are at risk, we have to take this seriously. Every single time we know something is ‘made in China’  we need to question whether it is safe for our families and take every precaution necessary by taking these products off shelves.

Sincerely,

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