is organic food more likely to be contaminated

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. We are not biologically supposed to eat manure. Should You Wash Raw Chicken Before You Cook It? Post was not sent - check your email addresses! “The term ‘irradiation’ — it scares people,” since it calls to mind nuclear disaster, says Diez-Gonzalez. How we test gear. ACSH does not have an endowment. Might the decreased reliance on pesticides — which ward off insects and the bacteria they bring with them — mean an increased odds of contamination? Then, they’re essentially spreading raw manure onto that produce. Keep the chicken in that bag at home, too, advised Quinlan. Learn how your comment data is processed. The explanation is simple: The more a food is handled, the more likely it is to become contaminated. The explanation is simple: The more a food is handled, the more likely it is to become contaminated. Manure that was aged under a year is 19X more likely to be contaminated with E. coli. “But if it’s not composted properly, then there is a risk that bacteria will be spread to the produce. What’s going on? That’s what can lead to contamination.” In a University of Minnesota study, organic produce fertilized with manure that had been aged for just six to 12 months was 19 times more likely to be contaminated with E. coli than produce from farms that used older compost. Thank You, Trial Lawyers, For Protecting Us from the Scourge of Baby Powder. And the same month, Wegmans recalled its organic walnuts, citing potential Salmonella contamination as the reason. Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible to know whether a farm properly composts its manure — and, as Diez-Gonzalez points out, it’s not just organic farms that use this type of fertilizer: Conventional farms sometimes use manure, too. If you walk into a supermarket, you won’t find a single irradiated product.” Maybe, he hopes, the very real fear of food-borne illness will eventually outweigh the less persuasive fear of irradiation. Stericycle has speculated that the increased demand for organic ingredients may be partly to blame — we’re eating more of it, so naturally, more recalls would follow. If you do use a cutting board, designate one that is only used for meat, she said, and put it in the dishwasher right way after using. Yet there are studies out there suggesting that organic food is actually more prone to bacterial contamination. Yes, the chemical load will probably be lower with organic foods. While perusing the chicken or turkey selections at the grocery store, you may be wondering if you should shell out some extra cash for the antibiotic-free organic options. For example, in a 2015 study of produce from California farmers’ markets, the vegetables sold by organic farmers were twice as likely to be laced with Salmonella than those sold by conventional farmers. Don't Panic, Everything Goes to Pot: Myths Are Driving FDA, CDC Vaping Policy, What the Hulk? Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Now, research provides some new information that may influence your decision. Teflon and Human Health: Do the Charges Stick? Helping Smokers Quit: The Science Behind Tobacco Harm Reduction, Foods Are Not Cigarettes: Why Tobacco Lawsuits Are Not a Model for Obesity Lawsuits, The Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis: A Review. No copyright claim is made for portions of this blog and linked items that are works of the United States Government, state governments or third parties. But really, the unfortunate truth is, there’s not much the consumer can do to avoid contamination, which is why Diez-Gonzalez hopes the practice of irradiation, where electronic beams are used to decontaminate food, will gain ground. Although recalls can occur for a handful of reasons — including mislabeling and the discovery of a potential allergen in a product — bacterial contamination is the one that tends to freak us out most. “But in the meantime, the bottom line is that if you handle raw chicken properly and cook it properly, you’re at low risk for being affected by Salmonella.”. In fact, 71 percent of people in a 2011 University of Arkansas study said they believe organic foods are safer than conventional ones, while 11 percent of folks were specifically concerned about the potential for bacterial contamination in conventionally grown foods. He told Runner’s World it’s important to keep in mind that having half the risk doesn’t mean the organic or antibiotic-free meat has no risk at all.