Sidestep These Veggies – Even if They’re Organic
Story at-a-glance
- Most people are well aware that fresh conventionally-grown produce is more or less contaminated with pesticides. Less known is the now-common practice of coating fresh fruits and vegetables—including organic varieties—with edible plastic coatings to increase shelf life
- So-called modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) involves controlling or modifying the atmosphere surrounding the product to slow spoilage. This can be accomplished by coating the food with an edible film
- Four basic materials used for edible films are lipids, resins, polysaccharides and proteins, to which a variety of antimicrobials, plasticizers and texturizers are added
- These types of coatings present several potential health hazards, the most severe of which is the potential to promote the growth of foodborne pathogens if misapplied
From Deep Underground at Missile Command ...Headhunter20 