When organic food goes bad...

[Xiahou]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Organic spinach appears to be the culprit behind a 20-state outbreak of deadly E. coli poisoning, casting further doubt on greens' claims that "organic is safer."

About 15 years ago, environmentalists set off a scare over the pesticide Alar used on apples. They brainwashed the public into thinking they could die from trace amounts of such chemicals, and the organic movement was born.

Organic growers, including the spinach farm suspected in the E. coli outbreak, use fertilizer made from manure rather than synthetic chemicals. Dangerous bacteria such as E. coli can be found in animal waste. And composting — unlike those "evil" pesticides — doesn't always kill the bacteria.

California-based Natural Selection Foods, the country's largest grower of organic produce, has recalled its packaged spinach throughout the U.S. Its best-known brand, Earthbound Farm, grows the organic spinach found in packaged salad fixings that have become a mainstay of restaurants and supermarkets.

Earthbound's Web site argues that organic farming is safer and healthier than conventional methods using synthetic fertilizers and "highly toxic" pesticides.

"When you choose organic," it says, "you're not only protecting your family's health, you're helping to protect the environment."

Its "earth-friendly alternatives" to chemicals include recycled plants and "sometimes animal waste materials."

You learn elsewhere on the Web site that these materials include chicken manure and "pelletized bat and bird guano," raising questions about the risk of not just E. coli, but also avian flu.

link

So, it looks like "evil" chemical fertilizers would've averted the entire spinach scare that's going on currently, as opposed to fertilizing food with infectious "organic" waste. I'd also like to add that this also could've been entirely averted by simple irradiation.

[Scurvy]

I really dislike the whole fuss about organic food, its much more expensive and (this seems to back this up) is only slightly better for health - if someone wants to eat organic food why not make it themselves -

[Crazed Rabbit]

Gah, another reason not to consume organic food, besides the bad taste.

Crazed Rabbit

[caravel]

Sorry to break it to you but I've used horse shite for years on onions, potatoes and carrots and never seen a case of e. coli. The problem is that the crop was not properly cleaned, and that an unclean manure was used. Organicly grown crops taste superior to the uniform sized, bland, tasteless, boring mass produced junk sold in supermarkets.

If someone painted a car with poor quality paint, and that paint peeled off, would you say "never paint cars again"?

The worst e. coli O157:H7 cases have been related to contaminated beef. This is basically a beef problem, not a spinach nor organic farming problem. Your food doesn't need to have the hell sterilised out of it, and sprayed with a pesticides. It's the modern society of sanitised wimps that require this ("omg there's a grub in my lettuce! etc). Also certain bacteria are necessary to proper development and maintainence of the immune system.

Also raw salads are notorious for causing diarrhoea and sickness. Whether organic non-organic or irradiated.

[yesdachi]

Also raw salads are notorious for causing diarrhoea and sickness. Whether organic non-organic or irradiated.

You’re not much of a salesman for raw salad.

[The_Doctor]

The green folk should be talking about what happens to the pesticides and fertilisers when it enters the environment.

Read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eutrophication

Basically you end up with dead fish and wierd chemicals in the water.

[BigTex]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Organic spinach appears to be the culprit behind a 20-state outbreak of deadly E. coli poisoning, casting further doubt on greens' claims that "organic is safer."

About 15 years ago, environmentalists set off a scare over the pesticide Alar used on apples. They brainwashed the public into thinking they could die from trace amounts of such chemicals, and the organic movement was born.

Organic growers, including the spinach farm suspected in the E. coli outbreak, use fertilizer made from manure rather than synthetic chemicals. Dangerous bacteria such as E. coli can be found in animal waste. And composting — unlike those "evil" pesticides — doesn't always kill the bacteria.

California-based Natural Selection Foods, the country's largest grower of organic produce, has recalled its packaged spinach throughout the U.S. Its best-known brand, Earthbound Farm, grows the organic spinach found in packaged salad fixings that have become a mainstay of restaurants and supermarkets.

Earthbound's Web site argues that organic farming is safer and healthier than conventional methods using synthetic fertilizers and "highly toxic" pesticides.

"When you choose organic," it says, "you're not only protecting your family's health, you're helping to protect the environment."

Its "earth-friendly alternatives" to chemicals include recycled plants and "sometimes animal waste materials."

You learn elsewhere on the Web site that these materials include chicken manure and "pelletized bat and bird guano," raising questions about the risk of not just E. coli, but also avian flu.

link

So, it looks like "evil" chemical fertilizers would've averted the entire spinach scare that's going on currently, as opposed to fertilizing food with infectious "organic" waste. I'd also like to add that this also could've been entirely averted by simple irradiation.

Like I've always stated the "organic" foods are bad, bad for people, bad for the enviroment. Using untreated animal waste as fertilizers is idiotic, cuases food poisoning and causes problems later on when there's runoff from the fields. I'm not saying loading on the chemical's is a good thing but neither is the organic way of growing crops. Not to mention the organic fad has now led to LA banning the transport of treated sludge to farms for topsoil. Current organic food regulations = bad.

[Tribesman]

Not to mention the organic fad has now led to LA banning the transport of treated sludge to farms for topsoil. Current organic food regulations = bad.

yes , best not mention it ....but since you have .
Does that ban have something to do with organic food or is it the various counties taking action to stop the city dumping copius amounts of excrement on them ?
hmmmmm ......solution , ship it to Arizona instead .

[BigTex]

yes , best not mention it ....but since you have .
Does that ban have something to do with organic food or is it the various counties taking action to stop the city dumping copius amounts of excrement on them ?
hmmmmm ......solution , ship it to Arizona instead .

Sorry was in a bit of a hurry to work, didn't realize I hadent really explained it thoroughly (shoulda known tribesman woulda jumped on it, damn been gone awhile.). The law prevents the transportation of treated sludge inside the LA county. The counties and farms around it arnt against it. Sludge/soil is used by most none organic farmers, good way to get rid of the dirt.

[Xiahou]

'Organic produce... from your toilet to your table.'

[BigTex]

'Organic produce... from your toilet to your table.'

Eh, little off there Xiahou, organic food doesnt use sludge. Thus the problem with the contaminated animal fecal matter/fertilizer. More or less its, "Organic produce.... from the cows butt, straight to your gut.".

[Tribesman]

Sorry was in a bit of a hurry to work, didn't realize I hadent really explained it thoroughly (shoulda known tribesman woulda jumped on it, damn been gone awhile.). The law prevents the transportation of treated sludge inside the LA county. The counties and farms around it arnt against it. Sludge/soil is used by most none organic farmers, good way to get rid of the dirt.

Yes the county concerned has got a law passed preventing the authorities dumping 470,000 tons of **** on it each year .
L.A. is appealing the case since transporting it to arizona makes it damn expensive ****.
The main problem with human waste sludge is industrial discharges into the sewage system .

Eh, little off there Xiahou, organic food doesnt use sludge.

Most crops for human consumption don't use sludge . whether they are organic crops or not .