Less is more?

Debt_Free_Chick

Pal wrote:

If you want a simple test, fry up some value bacon against some decent organic free range bacon (Dutchy of Cornwall is my favourite at the moment). If you can't tell the difference between the two there is something wrong with your tastebuds!

Or your eyes - none of that white snotty stuff comes out of proper bacon

Debt_Free_Chick

Austin_Allegro wrote:

I also don't agree about all the poisons on fruit and veg. If the skins are poisoned, surely that means the rest of the fruit/vegetable is as well? I'm all for washing fruit and veg thoroughly but I think not eating skins is a bit extreme, as these are a good source of fibre.

Each Saturday, in the Weekend section of the Telegraph (which is actually quite good for food articles) there's a column called Savvy Shopper. It simply gives you some information about commonly bought food. Last week, it was bagged salad leaves.

You can read the whole thing

here

You need to register, but there's NO subscription.

Here's some snippets

"Higher levels of pesticides are sprayed on to field-grown lettuce than any other vegetable crop, averaging over 11 applications each year. Residues of inorganic bromide, a potentially ozone-depleting chemical, and iprodione, a potential carcinogen, have been found on British-sold lettuce. Watchdogs believe the rules regarding pesticide usage are frequently broken."

"A lot of whole lettuces sold in Britain come from Spain, while leaves are generally imported from Holland, France and Italy. In our season (April to November), there should be British salad in every supermarket and greengrocer, but this is rarely the case. Be wary of imports on the basis that pesticide applications are less easy for retailers to monitor. The salads may also be heavily disinfected for long-distance travel and shelf life at the destination."

"Wash all lettuce and leaves, then dry them in a salad spinner. Bagged leaves have already been washed with water chlorine disinfectant. The heavy use of chlorine is extremely controversial. Not only does it remove flavour, it has been linked to birth defects. The Ecologist magazine reported that levels of about 50mg (but occasionally up to 100mg) of chlorine are used to one litre of water (2mg of chlorine per litre of swimming pool water is the norm). Manufacturers claim that they are under pressure from retailers to produce 100 per cent pathogen-free leaves. Overall, it is safer to eat whole, mature lettuce. "

Shocking. Absolutely bloody shocking - and why aren't we told? Who hoodwinked us into all this rubbish and why?

Actually, I KNOW the answer to that one.

moggins

I do agree with everything that has been said regarding going organic, it's the main reason I have dug up half my garden and started growing all my own veg this year.

However, there is no getting away from the fact that most organic food is twice the price of non-organic and for those not lucky enough to have a garden or enough money to buy organic it's a bit unfair to be giving them a guilt twinge about what they are feeding their families, at least we know that anyone coming on here and posting are making the effort to move away from processed c**p with all it's additives and nasties. It's at least a move in the right direction and although I'm a fairly new member I do feel worried about the possible members who will feel criticised when they are doing the best they can.

I'm lucky in that I have the choice, some on here really do have to count every penny, perhaps we should cut them a little slack?

debbym

Just because vegetables and fruit are organic doesn't mean that the skins are nasties free. We were warned by our Health Visitor not to use unwashed organic fruit and veg for our baby daughter as human sewage can be used as a fertiliser.

elona

Yyyyeeeeuuuucccchhhhh!!!!!

:(:(

VickyA_2

We get our meat and eggs from the very local butcher. He sources all his bits and pieces locally. It's not always cheaper than Tesco, but it's far tastier and stretches further. And I bulk out all our food with veggies.

Suppose I'm quite lucky on the veggies front as my boyfriend works for a company that grows lettuces, celery, onions and stuff so I know where it comes from. Incidentally, the company is making 150 people redundant from their bagged salads factory because they're not making any money because of the lack of profit. However, we get a year round supply because when the lettuces etc aren't being grown in England, they're being grown in Spain under the same controls and pesticide regs as UK crops. I can only account for that company though (cos I used to work for them too!).

PS At least we cook our own meals as opposed to having loads and loads of ready meals. One of my friends insists that she always buys organic fruit, but then has (non organic) ready meals, chicken nuggets etc for her family every evening because she doesn't have time to cook.................................

megasaver

Apart from cost, one of the main reasons people refuse to buy organic is because of the "snob" value. My sister in law is such a snob. She only ever buys the “best” and mostly organic. She refuses to shop at low cost or “downmarket” supermarkets as she calls them! She wouldn't be seen dead with a Lidl, Asda or even a Tesco shopping bag. :rolleyes: It has to be Waitrose, M&S or at a real push Sainsburys - poor deluded woman - and my poor brother has to pay for it all. She was very happy when I told her that the chicken she was eating at Sunday lunch was organic - little did she know that I had found it in the reduced section on Saturday evening for £2 – and best of all it was from Sainsburys! :rotfl: Next time I go I am definitely checking out the organic section to see if I can get anymore reduced stuff as there are bargains to be had there. The chicken was totally yummy!

I for one don't mind mixing my supermarket/value brands and organic in the same trolley.

Debt_Free_Chick

debbym wrote:

Just because vegetables and fruit are organic doesn't mean that the skins are nasties free. We were warned by our Health Visitor not to use unwashed organic fruit and veg for our baby daughter as human sewage can be used as a fertiliser.

Utter rubbish! The list of those products allowed to be used as fertiliser for food grown to organic standards is in Annex II of this document from the Soil Association, who set the Organic standards, which are approved by DEFRA.

That said, a good way of getting your compost heap going at home is to get hubby to pee in it

Personally, I would have no problem using human sewage, providing it were well composted. If you look at the result of your compost bin after, say, two years, it's completely unrecognisable from the original material. The biological process is such that that bacteria feed on the horrid stuff and leave the good stuff.

Debt_Free_Chick

Bump!

Sorry, but correcting this misconception is too important for it to go unrecognised

Queenie

Debt_Free_Chick wrote:

Bump!

Sorry, but correcting this misconception is too important for it to go unrecognised

I'm hearing you!! :T