The lettuce recall issued today by Freshway Foods of Sidney, Ohio lends strength to the case for locally produced food systems. The company processes and distributes lettuce to food service companies that supply restaurants and delis in 23 states. The FDA is investigating the source of E.Coli contamination. It is believed the batch of lettuce involved was produced in Arizona.

I believe locally produced and direct marketed produce is safer. In my opinion, the reason it’s safer is not because all potential for contamination has been eliminated, but because when produce is processed on a small scale the conditions that foster growth and spread of pathogens is less likely to exist and if so the contaminated is only a few packages and not a few hundred thousand.

Less processing is better , leaving the processing in the hands of the consumer and restaurateur who can assure their food is safer through good handling practices. Education is important. People should learn to wash everything, cook thoroughly, and never assume that any product is pathogen free.

Ideally people would learn to prepare and preserve their own convenience foods from whole local ingredients. Consumers would make their own frozen pizza and mix their own salad once a week.  Of course home processing takes time, something we seem to have very little of these days. However, it does save money and makes for much better tasting, more nutritious food. It can be an activity to do with family or friends. We all could use more quality time with each other.  In some communities groups get together to process food in the form of canning parties and the like. As our attitudes change we realize that bigger and more is not necessarily better.