Farmer’s Markets are popular – each year they increase in number and the products offered. Some even offer take-home meals (of course food is prepared in a licensed kitchen and the appropriate vendor permits are in place) in addition to fresh produce and baked goods. You see, it gets pretty complicated when sorting through the food safety regulations. While there are few regs regarding sale of fresh unprocessed produce, certainly we have had some illnesses from these foods - from tomatoes last year and lettuce in the past. What happens is these foods are grown in the soil (which is a reservoir for some harmful bacteria); irrigated or washed with contaminated water; exposed to pathogens from animals or pets; and/or handled improperly by humans. And because there is often not a kill step by cooking, we eat these products (with high levels of bacteria or viruses) and may become sick. While we can’t really control for the birds flying overhead, there are action steps we should expect from the producer (aka Good Agricultural Practices or GAPs) and action steps we should take.

 

This doesn’t mean we have to cook our lettuce (or as someone asked me – wash it in vodka) but it does mean we become alert consumers. Assess general cleanliness of the farmer vendor’s food stand and does the product look like it has been cleaned? Check that there ice chests to keep product cool during hot summer months (remember bacteria grows very quickly between 70° F and 135° F and when there is moisture). Product quality stays higher if it is kept cook – so really this is a win-win situation.