Spinning the Spinach Controversy

If ever there was an impetus to want to know where your food comes food, the E.coli scare on bagged spinach should be it.  This episode raises all sorts of questions and we would do well to listen out for what is not being said as well as what is being reported.  I want to know 

• why is it so difficult to trace the source of the problem?
• what does it mean that so many brands rely on so few producers for their spinach crop or that one company packages so many brands?
• why, especially here in CNY, are folks not being urged to purchase spinach from local farmers or, better yet, to grow their own?

This issue is near and dear to my heart because the first food I ever grew was spinach.  After moving to Johnson City in the late 90's after living in Berkeley, CA for three years where elaborate spinach salads (yes, made with bagged spinach) were the mainstay of my meals I found that said bagged spinach was difficult to find year 'round at the Johnson City Wegmans down the hill from me.  So I purchased two very long planters, carved out some space on my little apartment balcony, and began to grow my own.  I've been growing it ever since.

The thing about this food safety scare is that the media don't seem to be raising the issue of the vulnerability to our food supply when it is so largely centralized.  Despite the nice photos on websites depicting family farms, the majority of conventional and organic bagged spinach sold in this country is produced in California and Mexico--which is pretty odd when you think of how well spinach does when there is a little chill in the air.  If we get over the idea that spinach is a year-round crop (and yeah, it took me awhile to get there) then we would find that it is perfect seasonal produce for our area.

In the end, I don't think this is one we should take laying down.  We have an opportunity to question the USDA, Natural Selection Foods (the folks who recalled their spinach) and our federal government and demand greater transparency about our food supply.  Kate, over at Accidental Hedonist, is keeping close tabs on this story as it develops.

Comments

[Stefanie Noble]

YES. And I find it disturbing that certain local news stories have pretty much been spinning it as "don't eat any spinach ever anymore!" and acting as though bagged spinach is the only possible way to purchase it. Actually, I think I'm going to write an email about it to those stations right now.

I started becoming wary of bagged salads and the like a few months ago for various reasons. Now I have a salad spinner and the few minutes it takes to wash and chop heads of greens is minimal. And how nice is it to know that I don't have to worry about this particular scare?

[Stefanie Noble]

FYI, this is what I just sent to WSTM and WSYR:

Hello-

I have been somewhat dismayed at the reporting of the current E. coli outbreak traced to bagged spinach. It is extremely disturbing to hear that the company believed to be at the source of the outbreak supplies spinach to numerous brand names (source: http://www.ebfarm.com/press/foodsafe/) that are available nationwide. For Central New Yorkers, this is a prime opportunity to discuss the benefits of buying locally-grown produce in our area, which has a rich agricultural bounty.

Bagged salads and the like have a high convenience factor, but the origins of the produce are questionable and do we really want spinach from California that has been trucked across the country, especially if it's safety can't be guaranteed?

It just seems to me that the reports about this story are missing the important angle of discussing our local options: produce that has been harvested right before purchase and buying it directly from the farmer, who has a strong sense of personal responsibility in providing a safe and healthy product. There are so many worthwhile vendors in this area that it seems silly for people to have to rely on bags coming from California or to think that this is the ONLY option.

Thank you,
Stefanie Noble

[Jennifer]

Go get 'em Stefanie! Excellent letter!

[NYCO]

"what does it mean that so many brands rely on so few producers for their spinach crop or that one company packages so many brands?"

I was wondering the same thing the other day when the news about the California company came out. Maybe that is a sign of progress that more people can start asking themselves these questions!

[bibliochef]

Great letter. Hurrah. Maybe we also need to identify good local producers of spinach etc.

[Natalie]

My supermarket in the Hudson Valley (Hannaford) pulled all the bagged spinach off the shelves, leaving no information in its place, just bags of iceberg lettuce. I thought they would at least put up a note!

What did they do in the 'cuse?

[Jennifer]

Natalie,

In the 'Cuse--at least at Wegmans and P&C--the spinach was pulled off the shelves with a stock statement about the E.coli situation. I also noted that the bins of fresh greens--baby spinach and mixed baby lettuces were also removed because the bulk salad mixes are straight from bigger bags.

[eileen marrinan]

FYI: I was a member of a local organic farm and had e-coli from eating fresh spinach 2 years ago. The owners of the farm reviewed their records and confirmed that the spinach I had consumed was indeed recently fertilzed with manure. I had NOT washed the spinach as it seemed quite clean to me. So in part, it was my fault. I've never been sicker in my life and it affected my liver function. So, it is no so simple as "lets just buy our spinach locally".