Hi friends,
In all honesty, how long do each of you think it will take before you'll not be afraid to eat fresh spinach again?
I miss those Pond Scum Minus Bran smoothies already!
Have about a cup of fresh spinach that will have to line the trash can now.
Shucks! Yours, Luce
Deep spinach question
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
-
annie oakley
- King Penguin
- Posts: 3859
- Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 5:56 pm
Sure it could, but fortunately it doesn't happen very often, at least not so far. I don't know the details involved, so this is just a WAEG, but I would guess that the source of E. coli was manure used in organic production. Spinach produced using regular commercial, (IOW, hydrocarbon-based), fertilizers, should have a much lower risk of E. coli contamination. Everything comes at a cost, and absolutely nothing is totally risk free.
50 to 75 years ago, before huge national and international distribution systems were developed, most perishables in grocery stores were produced locally, or as close by as possible, because it was available, and usually cheaper than shipped-in products. As the huge distribution companies began to develop and flex their muscles, they persuaded the FDA, and USDA to require "improved" sanitation standards which the smaller "mom and pop" companies could not economically justify, (such as special, expensive facilities required for meat processing, which soon wiped out most local butcher shops). These days, it's either "farmers markets", or the huge distributors, and, of course, the big companies hold the lion's share of the market.
Because of this trend, anytime a problem shows up in the food supply these days, instead of it being a community problem, it's a national problem, or at least a regional problem. My biggest concern is the realization that eventually, as terrorists seek other, more easily executed plans for wreaking havoc in this country, they will almost surely utilize these huge food distribution systems to bring misery to us on a country-wide scale. The time delay involved with pathogens such as E. coli, would allow time for hundreds of thousands, possibly millions of people to ingest them, before anyone discovered the probem - not a pleasant thought.
Love,
Tex
50 to 75 years ago, before huge national and international distribution systems were developed, most perishables in grocery stores were produced locally, or as close by as possible, because it was available, and usually cheaper than shipped-in products. As the huge distribution companies began to develop and flex their muscles, they persuaded the FDA, and USDA to require "improved" sanitation standards which the smaller "mom and pop" companies could not economically justify, (such as special, expensive facilities required for meat processing, which soon wiped out most local butcher shops). These days, it's either "farmers markets", or the huge distributors, and, of course, the big companies hold the lion's share of the market.
Because of this trend, anytime a problem shows up in the food supply these days, instead of it being a community problem, it's a national problem, or at least a regional problem. My biggest concern is the realization that eventually, as terrorists seek other, more easily executed plans for wreaking havoc in this country, they will almost surely utilize these huge food distribution systems to bring misery to us on a country-wide scale. The time delay involved with pathogens such as E. coli, would allow time for hundreds of thousands, possibly millions of people to ingest them, before anyone discovered the probem - not a pleasant thought.
Love,
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Well, due to where I live...
And the fact that the suspected grower is about 100 miles from here... it will probably be quite awhile 
Also, I would be likely to purchase it @ a local farmers' market, after verifying it was grown in a different area than the Salinas Valley...
JMO,
Mary
Also, I would be likely to purchase it @ a local farmers' market, after verifying it was grown in a different area than the Salinas Valley...JMO,
Mary
Now the FDA is advising against eating any fresh spinach, if the buyer has no way of knowing for sure whether or not it might have initially been bagged:
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlene ... ml&src=rss
Tex
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlene ... ml&src=rss
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.