Not mentioned is that organic farming doesn't allow irradiation which would kill e-coli. Everybody looks for organic foods thinking they are better but the truth is organic doesn't mean either.
So this is the logo used to show that food is irradiated: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0c/Radura_intern... This is why I hate big-food. They use any and all opportunities to mislead about what truly is going on.
How salad became a major source of food poisoning in the US
51–60 of 242 posts
Re: How salad became a major source of food poisoning in the US
#52Keep things in perspective though. That article mentions 3,000 people per year die from food poisoning, and leafy vegetables are the cause of 1/4 of that, or 750 deaths/year. However, heart disease alone causes 610,000 deaths per year ( https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm ). "Individuals who ate more than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per had roughly a 20 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease" ( h…
Re: How salad became a major source of food poisoning in the US
#53Not to be graphic here, but when they are picking lettuce where the portable bathroom is - is important. These guys are pushed for time -- and if the potty is too far away... Also, to deal with this, some farms have movable portable bathrooms on wheels that hover over the produce or in between and follow the group, I am sure they leak. https://toddbigelow.photoshelter.com/image/I0000BLSwooXCRac
Poor living and working conditions for migrant farmworkers is a contributing factor to outbreaks like this. Workers who are present illegally or are otherwise marginalized and taken advantage of, even if they are part of legal guest-worker programs, suffer conditions where poor housing facilities or the need to work under great time pressures leads to inadequate sanitation.
A 2017 story [0] illustrates this:
>Kristina Espinoza, a labor department investigator who recently visited the farm, described a "makeshift labor camp" that was "dangerous" and "unsanitary," according to court documents. [...] Gonzalez had workers shower in nine stalls inside a cargo container; there was no functional sewage system, so wastewater accumulated underneath the container, Espinoza said. The electrical cord used to light the facility was exposed to standing water, posing a risk of electrocution, according to court documents. The workers shared one toilet in the trailer and had access to port-a-potties.
[0] http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-farmworker-abuse-20170...
Re: How salad became a major source of food poisoning in the US
#54Earlier quoted context omitted.
USDA rules aside, how would you define "organic". It's a rather ... synthetic concept to begin with.
Produced using processes that we've tested for centuries. We're not sure they work, but we're sure they're not ridiculously dangerous. Contrast glyphosate.
There's a bunch of stuff that we "tested for centuries" and thought were safe... until they weren't. see: lead, smoking, asbestos, cured meats.
Re: How salad became a major source of food poisoning in the US
#55Keep things in perspective though. That article mentions 3,000 people per year die from food poisoning, and leafy vegetables are the cause of 1/4 of that, or 750 deaths/year. However, heart disease alone causes 610,000 deaths per year ( https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm ). "Individuals who ate more than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per had roughly a 20 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease" ( h…
Or just cook your leafy vegetables so both risks are reduced.
It's unfortunate that some are advocating just abandoning chapters of our local cuisine as being no longer viable in our era. I'd rather we more strongly enforce regulations so we can hold onto our salads.
Re: How salad became a major source of food poisoning in the US
#56> Leafy vegetables were also the second most common cause of food poisoning-related hospitalizations. I never quite got to like lettuce. I don't know why people like it. It just doesn't have much taste, its leaves are too big, so have to shove them in awkwardly. I'd rather have a salad with chopped ripe tomatoes, onions / chives, cucumbers, cabbage, etc. Even with those, I often wonder if people don't eat more veggie…
Salad is an excuse to eat dressing.
Re: How salad became a major source of food poisoning in the US
#57Not mentioned is that organic farming doesn't allow irradiation which would kill e-coli. Everybody looks for organic foods thinking they are better but the truth is organic doesn't mean either.
Re: How salad became a major source of food poisoning in the US
#58Earlier quoted context omitted.
In what way would irradiation make a food not-organic? I believe you, it seems stupid enough to be true.
USDA rules aside, how would you define "organic". It's a rather ... synthetic concept to begin with.
Re: How salad became a major source of food poisoning in the US
#59In South Asian countries, veggies are cooked throughly and that has brought out some exciting dishes. Eating uncooked food is always a risk.
You can also steam them if you don't want the taste to fade away by boiling or frying. But I always appreciate a good curry.
Re: How salad became a major source of food poisoning in the US
#60Earlier quoted context omitted.
USDA rules aside, how would you define "organic". It's a rather ... synthetic concept to begin with.
Produced using processes that we've tested for centuries. We're not sure they work, but we're sure they're not ridiculously dangerous. Contrast glyphosate.