OTTAWA: Knowing where your food comes from

25.mar.08
Ottawa Citizen 
Elizabeth Payne

barfblog

Elizabeth Payne, a member of the Citizen's editorial board, writes that the so-called 100 Mile Diet is both the title of a book and the premise of a movement that promotes local food as better for our health and the environment.
But as we slide into spring on the mountains of snow hulking along our streets and loitering against our houses as if they never plan to leave, we are not hearing so much about 100 Mile Diets.
Snow cones and cellared root vegetables, after all, are really not the makings of a food-based lifestyle. Which may be a slight exaggeration; the 100 Mile Diet in winter also embraces cabbage, rutabagas, turnips, stored nuts, canned tomatoes, not to mention meat and many other things.
Making sure it is safe becomes more complicated than just talking to the local farmer. A spate of recent scares about food -- from tainted spinach and cantaloupe to sprouts and carrot juice -- has made many consumers hyper-aware of the potential dangers of what they consume. For many, buying local seemed to offer protection against the evils of the food world.
A particularly harsh winter has put that myth to rest for many. Sooner or later, the grocery store and its shiny produce aisles full of strawberries, peppers, lettuce, oranges and kiwi beckon. Local, in this climate, has its limits.
But, even if it didn't, Douglas Powell, a Canadian who teaches at the University of Kansas (that's Kansas State University) and heads the Guelph-based Food Safety Network (ha ha ha -- dp; see barfblog story), says buying local is no guarantee against eating food that can make us sick.
"You have good producers and bad producers everywhere whether they are large or small, size doesn't matter," he said
Powell said he feels safe buying produce from large grocery stores that are big enough to demand high standards throughout their supply chains. Even then, problems can happen. When it comes to buying local, he asks questions, such as what kind of water is used for irrigation, how often it is tested and where the produce is grown.
Still, the advantage of local food is that you usually know where to find the farmer if there is a problem. Having to face his customers is a sure way to instill an extra level of caution in his (or her) practices (no it's not -- dp).
And, while larger grocery store chains may be able to insist on certain safety practices, problems still occur. People cut corners and consumers sometimes get sick. When that happens, consumers can't easily return to the source.
Which is where the government comes in. Canada has a system of inspections and deterrents to help prevent illness from food. But those are both limited. Perhaps its most useful role right now is informing consumers when a product has been recalled.
The federal government has plans to improve that system. Among other things, according to a discussion paper on the proposed Food and Consumer Safety Action Plan, the government wants to work with industries, provincial and territorial governments to implement preventative safety measures throughout the food chain, to work with Chinese manufacturers, to improve the way consumers get information about food or product safety and to strengthen the government's ability to verify food or product safety before it reaches Canada. Critics say the proposals will only work with enough money and staff to carry them out, which has yet to be seen.
But even with a cash infusion, the government can only do so much to make sure food is safe. What can consumers do? Avoid sprouts, for one, which are chronic carriers of bad things. Buy carefully and keep an eye on food problems across Canada and the U.S. And learn proper food (and hand-washing) hygiene. 
And when the snow finally melts and the market stalls open again, by all means buy local. It's good for the environment and good for our communities. But don't forget to ask questions.