Garlic Safety Inspection

Garlic is often bleached with chlorine to appear bright white and treated with chemicals to prevent sprouting during long-term storage. 1. The Root Check (Visual Inspection): Natural garlic has a small cluster of roots or a dried root base at the bottom. If the root base is completely flat, scooped out, or looks like it's been surgically removed, it's often a sign of imported bleached garlic that's been treated to prevent growth. 2. The Color and Skin Test: Natural garlic has a slightly off-white, purplish, or brownish papery skin with some natural soil or dust marks. If the garlic is unnaturally bright, "paper white" without any spots or imperfections, it has likely been bleached with chlorine. 3. The Sprout Potential Test: Natural garlic will eventually sprout green shoots if kept in a cool, dark place for a few weeks. If garlic remains completely hard and shoot-free for months despite room temperature storage, it has likely been treated with heavy sprout inhibitors. 4. The Weight and Firmness Test: Hold the garlic bulb. Natural fresh garlic feels heavy for its size and is firm when pressed. Chemically treated or very old garlic (even if it looks white) may feel light, hollow, or have cloves that feel soft and shriveled inside the papery skin. 5. The Smell Test: Crush a clove. Natural garlic has a sharp, characteristic pungent aroma. Bleached or sulfur-treated garlic may have a faint chemical smell or a significantly reduced natural pungency.