Is it just me...

[serene]

...or is this quote from our most recent CSA newsletter kinda icky?

Nonetheless, we are going to blatantly attempt to spin this newest food-borne illness outbreak in our favor. I won’t be surprised if this outbreak is traced to Mexican-grown tomatoes. Everyone knows, when they go to Mexico, that they shouldn’t drink the water. Many people know that when visiting Mexico, you should avoid eating raw tomatoes (and lettuce) . Why, then, would you want to eat raw produce that was grown in Mexico with filthy water, and then shipped hundreds or thousands of miles to the U.S.

In the last ten years, the largest fresh tomato growers in California have moved their operations to Mexico, primarily to lower their labor costs. We have continued to grow tomatoes here while competing with them. It’s about time that the chickens came home to roost.

Comments

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

It is kinda icky, especially because no one has proved that the salmonella-carrying tomatoes came from Mexico. I believe (and I haven't time to research, or I would) that produce imported from Mexico has to meet the same standards as that grown domestically.

It wasn't Mexican spinach that caused the last fresh produce disease crisis. It was spinach grown right here in the Bay Area.

[kake]

It's icky. I realise that the people it's aimed at aren't living in Mexico, but it's making a big distinction between "us" and "everyone" on the one hand and people living in Mexico on the other. It's also implying that all food originating from Mexico is filthy.

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

Also? It smacks of self-satisfied Schadenfreude.

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

If we hadn't had numerous similar raw-food-borne incidents with Mexican produce in particular in the recent past (I am specifically thinking of scallions and Hepatitis A), I would find it more icky. The fact is, though, that a) commerical crops in Mexico are known to be routinely irrigated with potentially contaminated water, and b) although Mexico is not the only country that does this, it is the closest and thus more likely just due to proximity to have provided stores with contaminated foods.

I don't know how to talk about it without raising specters of racism, but I'm not sure in this case it's the copy's fault per se, if you know what I mean.

[gramina.livejournal.com]

Um, yeah; they could definitely have put that better. It really plays to xenophobia.

I do understand that there's a point in there that's valid and useful, but they didn't do a very good job of making it, I think.

[skywhisperer.livejournal.com]

Yes.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Racist, xenophobic schadenfreude? Whatever would give you the heebie-jeebies about that?

[stonebender.livejournal.com]

Its not just you. Its icky in a few ways.

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

It seems to me that there were far more contaminations coming *from* the U.S. than from Mexico. At least according to this Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_foodborne_illness_outbreaks).

The newsletter was blatantly xenophobic. Living as we do in the Bay Area, you and I both (if you shop for produce anywhere besides a local, in season, farmer's market) routinely eat produce imported from Mexico. I've never been sick from it. I did, however, come *this close* to eating contaminated spinach from Monterey County.

Bottom line, I think the copy stinks. Mexico (and Central and South America for that matter) follow strict growing standards in order to be able to import produce into the United States. This newsletter smacks of scare tactics. It pisses me off.

[redbird]

It's not just you.

Partly it's the tone: there is a huge difference between "the salmonella outbreak is a reminder that it's worth knowing where your vegetables come from" and "we are going to blatantly attempt to spin this newest food-borne illness outbreak in our favor" followed by what comes to "well, we haven't eliminated Mexico yet. Two days ago, I was looking at a list of which tomatoes were safe, and seeing that I could trust tomatoes grown in New York state but not those grown in New Jersey. Which is mostly because they're announcing only when entire states or foreign countries are eliminated as the possible source, and one approach the FDA is using is timing: New York's tomato crop doesn't start early enough to have been the possible source. (I think New Jersey starts slightly sooner.)

This is relevant because if I'm buying locally, I may well get New Jersey tomatoes. Even if I'm not making the specific effort to buy locally, tomatoes from New Jersey and Long Island are likely to turn up in the markets in New York City.

[inflectionpoint.livejournal.com]

I'm frustrated with the way that newsletter frames this, because filthy conditions are not just something found in countries where Brown People live. I get angry readying that.

We don't know if the Salmonella contamination came from dirty irrigation water or if it came from the hands and tools of workers who don't have access to bathrooms and clean water during their workday. And there's plenty of evidence that this happens in the United States as well of other places.

But your CSA may not be ready to talk about that. That -is- another reason to support CSAs - if you get your produce from people who know the people who grow it, you can ask about where it comes from, who grows it, who picks it, and what their working conditions are. And when you get answers, you can make choices.

Might be too long for a sound bite tho.

[saoba.livejournal.com]

There's also this thing I get off this that 'everyone' is not from Mexico. Like, none of their subscribers have family there? Grew up there? Know of places where the water is not filthy? I'm having trouble putting my finger on exactly what I'm hearing- sounds like a dog whistle.

[bcholmes.livejournal.com]

I'm weirded out by it.

[maestrodog.livejournal.com]

WTF???

[karenthecroccy.livejournal.com]

Um. Yuck.

[j00j.livejournal.com]

Bleh. As far as I'm aware, a number of US states are on the suspect list. You'd think the CSA would find many US agricultural practices questionable as well. It seems like they're appealing to the "they're stealing our jobs, omg!" and "mexico is icky" crowd as well as the "eat local" crowd. In short, ugh.

[geekchick]

No, definitely not just you.

[deakat]

It's icky, and a little odd as well. When I checked the tomatoes in the produce section of my usual grocery store last week, I had my choice of Mexican, USian, or local (Canadian) hothouse tomatoes. The warnings up here have all been about USian tomatoes, with no mention of tomatoes originating in Mexico.

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

which, while schadenfeude is a natural feeling, shouldn't be done in an open *professional* forum like CSA newsletter.

it would be different if they were all... "ours is grown HERE and organic and natural; the people who speak on this are saying WE'RE safe..." would be one thing... but blantantly downing mexico and their farms... not cool!

[kightp.livejournal.com]

I think they screwed up a good opportunity to tout the considerable benefits of locally grown food without slagging an entire culture.

And if I were one of their customers, I'd probably call them on it.

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

We don't know if the Salmonella contamination came from dirty irrigation water or if it came from the hands and tools of workers who don't have access to bathrooms and clean water during their workday. And there's plenty of evidence that this happens in the United States as well of other places.

Actually, our CSA *does* talk about that. Frequently. Just not in this particular newsletter.

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

My quick research suggested that contamination rates were higher in produce imported from Mexico. There was some dispute as to whether it was significantly higher. There was no dispute that inspection rates are very, very low.

The CSA in question did also thoroughly discuss the spinach contamination situation this year, too, and I do not think that anyone there believes that the *only* source of contaminated raw food is somewhere outside the U.S. I think they're pretty clear that industrial agricultural systems are to blame, of which this situation is only a small part.

That said, I did say "more icky if...", and I meant it -- I don't think the text is *unproblematic* at all. It could have done better. It also could have done much, much worse. It's tricky territory and limited space.

My perspective is still that the copy unfortunately echoes more xenophobic viewpoints than it actually espouses. YMMV, and that's fine.

[wild-irises.livejournal.com]

Inspection rates on everything, domestic and imported, are very very low, thanks to our friends in the Bush administration.

[ptor.livejournal.com]

What is the CSA organization called? Is the newsletter available online? Did I miss a link?

And, yeah, it's icky. Spinning and dabbling in xenophobic bullshit isn't cool. Ends and Means and all that...

[violet-tigress1.livejournal.com]

They're busy confiscating all those highly dangerous bottles of shampoo & tubes of toothpaste at the airport.

[ailbhe]

Yup.

[trixtah.livejournal.com]

It's not just you. Saying that risks may be borne if food production is outsourced to countries with less rigorous standards is fine. Saying "those dirty Mexicans can't be trusted" is not so fine. While making the point that corporations should not outsource to save a few cents in labour costs, and that they should be held accountable for the quality issues that result is fine, blaming those who are trying to earn whatever cash they can is not so fine.

[necturus.livejournal.com]

Chickens? What do they have to do with the price of eggs?

[waywardcats.livejournal.com]

Definitely not just you, she says joining the parade somewhat belatedly.

[porcinea.livejournal.com]

Sufficiently icky that I'd complain. Or quit. Ew.

[00goddess.livejournal.com]

I think it's icky too, and you should call them on it. Food grows in dirt everywhere you go. Manure is a fertilizer. Soil is full of micro-ooganisms.

California almonds have to be sprayed or roasted now because they are full of salmonella. Food-borne illness is not only a Mexican problem.