Facts about "e. coli"

by Laviyah E. Nahum-KNN Cleveland

I have been researching the spinach situation and here's what I've found:

1. 73,000 people a year, roughly 200 people a day are affected by e. coli contamination from Beef.

2. Only 20 people have been affected by e. coli contamination from produce in the last 10 years.

3. Some news sources especially the AP are trying to make it sound like there have been 20 e. coli outbreaks from produce in the last five years. Their wording is very clever. You have to read carefully to see that it is only 20 individual cases. This is hardly worth mentioning when you consider that around 200 people a day are affected by e. coli from Beef.

4. However this is not all bad, as now farmers will be more careful to not wash produce with water that could be contaminated by cattle feces.

5. Don't buy produce from big farms that pre-package produce if you can buy from a farmer's market instead.

6. Don't buy from farms that have livestock. Small produce farmers at farmer's markets often just grow vegetables and fruits, and don't have animals.

For more details on the Spinach situation, articles from the FDA and CDC, and emails from fellow readers etc... see http://www.TheG ardenDiet.com/spinach.html