Pay attention to what mom told you
By Chuck Doud
The Madera Tribune
California growers and processors have written guidelines for production to avoid further loss in consumer confidence because of the E. coli scare of 2006, when some people got sick after eating bagged spinach. Enforced by inspectors from the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the guidelines set buffer zones around fields to reduce the risk of contamination from wildlife and establishes a safe distance between produce and cattle grazing operations and feedlots.
I remembered all that the other day when I was driving in the country and saw some dogs frolicking in a field of tomatoes. I am sure those dogs hadn’t washed their paws before heading out to play, and that they weren’t wearing sterile booties. Also, birds fly over our fields, and you know what birds do, especially if they happen to be flying over my car, which must have a target painted on top of it that only birds can see.
The notion that open fields can be made pristine and sterile, even with stringent rules such as California vegetable growers have adopted, is kind of sappy.
Our moms and dads know, or would have known that. Which is why they told us to always wash our raw fruits and vegetables, no matter how fresh and clean they looked.
This is true even of the produce that comes in bags and looks ready-to-eat, and may even be labeled as such.
Some people I know wash their vegetables in water to which a little bleach has been added, just to be on the safe side.
And guess what: They don’t get sick from eating raw produce.
Mom even used to wash fruit that she peeled, so that the knife that touched the peel didn’t contaminate the rest of the fruit.
Regulations for farmers are okay, but a little care at home works even better.
