Beware of Publix Produce

[wildbird]

I buy lots of produce from Publix grocery stores for my birds. Recently I noticed the brand of organic fresh kale was different than the usual. I looked the tag over good and then turned it over to see that it was from Mexico. Kale was always from the USA before. Then I checked their organic "Greenwise" frozen corn and peas. The peas were from Mexico and the corn from USA. Some of the corn was from France. Where it is from is in very small print that you really have to look for. Always check the tag to see that it states "produce from USA" if you don't want it from Mexico. I for one will not feed my birds any produce that I wouldn't eat, and I sure would not eat produce from Mexico.

[lovezebs]

wildbird

What's wrong with Mexican veggies?

[paul-inAZ]

The most recent episode was Mexican cucumbers that sickened a whole bunch of people. Famous Mexican sanitation -- not.

If you have to buy Mexican veg. use only those that will be boiled long enough to kill germs. Trust nothing from there that is eaten uncooked.

[lovezebs]

paul-inAZ

Really? I haven't heared anything about this, but then we don't see food from Mexico up here. We get lot's of fruit from Chile, and have never had any problems (with only the odd black widow spiders here and there in the grapes, lol).

Good to know though.

[paul-inAZ]

A few weeks ago cucumbers carrying Salmonella sickened almost 300 people in 27 states. A great many were hospitalized. No deaths though.

Montezuma's revenge.

[cindy]

Mexico does not have the same regulations on chemicals used on foods that we do, so things we are not allowed to use here are often used there.

Even organic foods have organic chemicals used on them... often the organic chemicals need to be reapplied, there is no regulation on how man times it can be reapplied. Often organic chemicals can be just as toxic if not more so than the synthetic.


Always wash and rinse our produce.

[lovezebs]

cindy

Holy crow, organic chemicals (?) I thought the whole idea of 'organic', was that things would be grown all natural without chemicals........

I guess we can't win.....

[paul-inAZ]

By standard chemistry definition 'organic' means any chemical that contains carbon. The word has been co-opted to imply pesticide free and all that trendy feel-good stuff. Petroleum is organic as are almost all pesticides derived from it.
"Organic" farming has legal restraints on what can be used. BUT- who is watching or enforcing? I suspect that nobody monitors this. It is mostly an honor system that comes down to the ethics of the farmer.

[Sally]

When I first purchased my property, I looked into growing organic hay. I was told that I would have to go organic for a minimum of three years, and then my soil would be tested before I would be certified organic. I have no idea what procedures follow, since I decided not to go that route anyway, but I would think it is nearly impossible for the few agriculture inspectors in each area to keep up with all the local farmers. I would think there is random testing but not every farmer would be tested with every crop. From what I learned, organic farming is much more expensive and from my perspective, more labor-intensive in some ways, so I would think that those farmers who choose that route are dedicated to the idea of organic.

I think the same testing applies to produce coming in from Mexico. It is randomly tested, but that doesn't catch everything. There is no way they can test every cucumber, every melon, etc.

[Lucille]

Just a thought

If produce comes from areas of the world that do not have indoor plumbing, any sorts of topdressings of that sort of waste would be considered organic?
Personally, with the lax oversight, legal exceptions, and cleverly worded ads, organic seems just a gimmick to me in many cases now.

[slwatson]

Do any of you use a specific product to wash your fruits and vegetables?

[paul-inAZ]

Soap, water and a brush is best to clean off bacteria. Not very useful for leafy greens.

And Lucille: many third world countries use what is called "night soil" as fertilizer. This is just another way of saying they use untreated human feces. It may be "organic" but is part of the cycle of transmitting bacteria, worms and other parasites.
Farm workers without access to proper toilets do the same.

I also agree- organic is mostly a gimmick.

[cindy]

Also keep in mind often I see them stocking the produce shelves with their bare hands....seems to me they should be wearing disposable gloves. How well do the stores monitor hand washing amongst their employees.

[Atbird]

They have done studies on washing fruits and veggies and found the best is cold running water with plenty of agitation. Like hand washing, most people don't wash nearly long enough. Although, our food is really safe considering how much is consumed. I do tend to buy local, seasonal produce because it's cheaper and tastes better. Call me weird, but watermelon used to be available only during the summer and now you can buy it in January! I refuse...berries in the summer, apples, pears, etc in the fall. Oranges and apples in the winter. Etc. same with veggies. I never buy organic unless it's cheaper. I figure as long as I'm using natural, whole foods it's good enough. I took food science course in college and there was no noticeable difference between the chemicals on organic and non organic produce (although difference is in the soil). (Same with the bovine growth hormones, but I won't get into that ). So mostly a marketing ploy.

[Lucille]

Also keep in mind often I see them stocking the produce shelves with their bare hands....seems to me they should be wearing disposable gloves. How well do the stores monitor hand washing amongst their employees.

And then there are the old ladies like me that squish the avocadoes and pinch the peaches to gauge ripeness.
I think universal precautions with veggies aren't going to happen, so I think good produce washing at home is the key.