Organic food, local produce and food miles
Please can you tell me about imported organic food? I'm wondering why in supermarkets and some well known organic shops do they sell organic produce that has travelled thousands of miles? Also when they are transported like this how do they keep them preserved so that they don't spoil before they reach the supermarket? Have they been treated with something that keeps them preserved? And finally where can I buy organic foods that haven't travelled so far?
Thanks for your help, Sabrina
Hi Sabrina
Okay, I could write for hours in answer to all these questions. But for now, suffice it to say these few things... Firstly, organic food must remain organic after it has left the field, wherever that field is. So food distributors / retailers / manufacturers can use techniques like refrigeration and packaging to keep food from spoiling, but they can't add unseen chemicals to it. It's great that you are concerned about eating locally grown foods. This is something we all need to think about in terms of pollution, nutrition and taste. The best way to buy locally grown organic produce is to get it straight from the farmers who grow it, through a good home delivery scheme, at a local farmers' market or at the farm gate. Of course some foods simply don't grow locally. There are no organic pineapples growing in the UK. So these kinds of foods should be eaten as a rare treat in my opinion, with delicious and nutritious locally grown foods as your staples.
Best wishes
Ysanne
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