Any long term damage from the recent e. coli scares to the reputation of organic foods and raw milk?

Question

How is the organic community mitigating this bad PR?

Answer 1

I personally don't think the organic food producers are any more adversely affected by the recent scare than any other food industry has been. It wasn't just restricted to the organic produce, at any rate. People have fairly short memories concerning their food contamination problems, anyway. As much problem as there has been with ground beef, it hasn't really had much impact on the popularity of hamburgers, has it? The sales for fresh spinach will be low for a while, but it will pick up again as time passes and people simply forget. The latest development suggests that wild pigs may have been responsible for transporting the e.coli into the field- either from nearby cattle farms or through their own feces. Factors like wild life and water used for irrigation are the same for both types of operations. The only way that there could be a backlash against the organic farm industy is if irrational people make a big deal out of blaming the organic farm practices for somehow contributing to the outbreak. I think most people realize that the e.coli is a separate issue from the fertilizer/insecticide issue. Up until now, there hasn't been as much problem with it on the organic side of the house because the organic farms have only recently begun distribution on such a national scale. As they gained a larger portion of the market, it was only a question of time before one of the producers was affected by the problem of e.coli contamination. It doesn't appear to have been a problem that was caused by poor farming practices or poor food handling practices, so I see no reason why anyone, organic or traditional, should have to suffer adverse consequences. Sometimes, sh** just happens, and sometimes it contains e.coli. As long as we grow our food in soil, it will remain a possible contaminate. People don't like the idea of irradiation, although that would solve the problem, so they are just going to have to accept the possibility of future e.coli outbreaks in fresh food crops like spinach.

Answer 2

well i do not look at raw veggies as something I need to eat..... and worry that I am not eating.......cause they scare me, especially the green stuff............guess it will take a while.

Gosh, I like your avatar............you look like just what I need..........Did I say that .....blush blush

I would think organic foods would be worrisome since they are fertilized by animal waste if I have good information.........how do they remove the naturally occurring e-coli which is in all waste or so I thought.

Answer 3

By Organic I assume you mean foods that do not have chemical additives....well we're typically healthier so e. coli is not as serious a concern for us....