Food Safety and Buy Local Go Together
I often find it amazing that we can get fresh strawberries, a variety of out of season fruits and vegetables like asparagus in the dead of winter.
Transportation and delivery efficiency has increased greatly from just 10-20 years ago. Along with this new efficiency of getting products to market faster comes risk, possible increased exposure to food borne illnesses that can sicken hundreds if not thousands of people at a time.
Buying local, and in season can reduce some of this risk but not remove it entirely. Buying local however opens the possibility of knowing your supplier, or at least from where your food is coming. Often this food is of better quality and, you are supporting your local economy.
As always, proper storage, cleaning and preparation go along way to improving safety and reducing risk. Always wash your fruits and vegetables well before use, washing your hands thoroughly after each new item. Avoid cross-contamination by keeping meats and produce separate.
For more on buying local, type ‘buy local’ and your ‘city name’ into Google.
