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Locally grown fruits and vegetables are usually sold within 24
hours of being harvested. Produce picked and eaten at the height of ripeness
has exceptional flavor and, when handled properly, is packed with nutrients.
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Concerned about recent meat contamination
problems? Wondering about the latest health study and how it might affect your
diet? Find the answers to these and more questions here in our Health and Food
Safety Hot Topics area. You'll find news, information, and links on everything
from pesticides, to antibiotics, to new diet studies.
Consider the following:
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Every year 76 million Americans get sick and 5,000
die from food borne illnesses.
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According to the Surgeon General, an estimated
34 percent of U.S. adults are overweight and an additional 27 percent are obese.
- Studies show that pesticides contain substances
that have been linked to cancer. An FDA study found pesticide residues
in over 60 percent of fruit, 30 percent of vegetables, and 38 percent
of grains tested.
What can you do?
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Together family-owned, local farms form a decentralized system, so there
less of a chance that contaminated meat will reach large portions of the public.
Buy local whenever possible.
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Buy organic whenever possible. Organic farmers avoid the use
of pesticides, antibiotics, Genetically
Engineered seeds, and hormones.
- Buy
pasture-raised animal products whenever possible. Pasture-raised meat, poultry, and dairy
products are lower in fat and higher in vitamins, essential fatty acids.
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NEWS
Undercover Video Prompts Nation's Largest Beef Recall
ABC NEWS -
Mar 11, 2008
A disturbing undercover video showing cows too sick to stand being shoved with forklifts or dragged with chains across a cement floor at a Southern California slaughterhouse has sparked the largest beef recall in the nation's history. (more...)
Dangers of the Global Food System
NPR Morning Edition -
May 25, 2007
Toothpaste from China is the latest official worry. This week, the Food and Drug Administration began testing it at U.S. ports of entry after contaminated Chinese toothpaste began showing up in other countries. It contained a chemical used in antifreeze, (more...)
Other Articles on Food Safety
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Library Documents
FoodRoutes Network & Land Stewardship Project -
Mar 18, 2004
Briefing Sheet: Pasture-raised Dairy and Meat Products
are Good for You and the Environment
Public Citizen -
Nov 25, 2003
Research on irradiated foods and the effectiveness of the irradiation process dates to the 1950s. In the beginning, most research focused on the extent to which irradiation kills harmful microorganisms, and whether irradiated foods are palatable. In recent years, however, attention has turned toward questions of whether irradiated foods are toxic or could cause cancer, genetic damage or other health problems.
Read more on Food Safety
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