The US produce problem
This morning a New York Times article takes a close look at the disturbing trend of E. Coli outbreaks happening in produce in the US.
My favorite quote (which has little to do with the main point of the article) was the opening paragraph:
People in the United States have gotten used to the repulsive fact that raw chicken, meat and eggs are often contaminated with dangerous bacteria. Scrub the cutting board, we are warned, don’t nibble the cookie dough, don’t eat burgers rare. In other words, handle meat like a biohazard — and then eat it.
But now the dangers of meat are seeping into the country’s vegetable supply, as well. E. Coli comes from livestock, and then contaminates vegetables in a variety of ways. The primary reason why the problem seems to be getting more acute, according to the article, is because of the large-scale processing that occurs with vegetables these days. If one of these giant facilities experiences a problem, the resulting outbreak is much larger than it was back in the days of the small farm.
The article doesn’t leave me with any kind of feeling that the problem is going subside anytime soon, which is a shame. If I were living in the US, I might be prompted to seek out more local farmers to buy my produce from. Have the recent E. Coli outbreaks changed your buying or eating habits at all?
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POSTED IN: News, Veg Health and Science
1 opinion for The US produce problem
celine
Jan 2, 2007 at 11:17 pm
We should ask ourselves what the cause of the problem is in order to find a cure. Most often than not, the cure is simple and does not lie in complicated formulaes or medicine. The methods used to produde our food are completely wrong and are making us ill instead of bringing good health. So to answer your question, yes, I have been thinking again about the food I buy. Meat is the prime example, and I’m really glad I don’t eat it anymore. When it comes to veg and fruit, I make an attempt to buy from my local markets, if not then organic from the supermarket. I hope that they’re not laced with pesticides, as I’m not fond of pesticides as food seasoning!
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