What Are the Dangers of Organic Vegetables?

Organic doesn't mean clean.

Organically grown vegetables help keep you safe from the effects of consuming pesticide and herbicide residue, but organic does not mean clean.

How Did That Garden Grow?

Cattle are a source of E. coli.

Organic gardeners, large and small, use a variety of soil amendments and fertilizers to grow their vegetables. Some use homemade compost and manures from cattle and other livestock.

Where Did That Garden Grow?

Wash your hands after petting at the zoo.

Small local organic farms by necessity have a more "hands-on" approach to producing vegetables than their large commercial organic counterparts. The person selling green beans at the local farmers market most likely picked and packed the beans with his own hands.

Foodborne Illness

Wash your hands after visiting the farm.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the three major foodborne illnesses are Campylobacter, Salmonella, and E. coli O157:H7. Each causes fever, vomiting and cramping among its symptoms. Thousands of people suffer from these diseases each year. For young children and adults with compromised immune systems these diseases can be fatal. The best prevention is hand washing.

More Foodborne Illness

Wash your vegetables

The vegetables from the local organic farm may look clean but beware. Even a speck of manure can carry E. coli. Your friendly organic farmer's clothes, gloves and truck bed may be harboring the disease. Manure applied to the farmer's vegetable fields may have splashed onto the vegetables after the last rain. E. coli may be present in the manure and is transferred by the splashing rain to the vegetables.

Wash Your Hands, Wash Your Food

Washing your hands before you begin to prepare any food is the number one way to prevent illness. Use soap and very warm water. Wash vegetables under running water. You don't need to use soap, but you should use very warm water. You can crisp lettuces and other raw vegetables in cold water once they are clean.

References

• United States Centers for Disease Control
• USDA Agricultural Marketing Service