| american eater |
Feb 7th, 2001 07:13 AM |
In my unscientific nonmedical opinion American produce is completely safe for a visitor with no special sensitivities because you won't be here long enough to be exposed to huge accumulations of "bad" stuff. However, I live here and therefore do not want to be repeatedly exposed for decades to small amounts of avoidable toxins. Therefore whenever possible, I buy my fruits and vegetables from small local farmers who do not rely as heavily of chemicals as the technical gimmicks of huge agricultural producers and whose products are excellent, fresh, varied and grown for taste rather than for the ability to withstand long periods of storage. It's not necessarily "organic" but may be grown with the method known as "integrated pest management" which uses as little pesticide as possible and only when there's a demonstrated need because of excessive infestation or disease. I also limit consumption of veal, which comes from calves laced with high doses of antibiotics during their miserable little lives, and when possible (not too often though) I buy ordinary meats like chicken and pork from farmers. However I think our meats may be less likely to be DISEASED than that in many other countries, though they may not be as tasty as meat in countries that have less mass-production methods of raising their animals.
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