The spinach saga continues: As of Monday evening, two people have died and 114 have been sickened by an E. coli outbreak caused by contaminated spinach. Blogging about the scare last week, I said that I might trust local, unbagged, cooked spinach; now the FDA warns that we should avoid the vegetable altogether. Restaurant chains and grocery stores are following suit--some even refusing to make certain prepared food items (instead of substituting other greens for spinach).

As a UK Independent article published yesterday says, it looks like we're in a War on Spinach.

Could this be bad news for organic farmers? One of the two spinach processors that have been singled out in the scare--Natural Selections Foods--bags and distributes the well-known organic brand Earthbound Farm, plus many smaller brands. And it's common knowledge that organic growers use manure to fertilize their fields--manure that could contain deadly E. coli.

But so far, the media is doing a pretty good job keeping things in perspective, with many papers explaining the difference between the raw manure that conventional farmers often apply to their fields and the specially cultivated compost that organic growers use. (NPR has a particularly interesting interview with food guru Michael Pollan on the subject.)

We'll keep an eye on the story as it develops. For now, frighteningly, some grocery stores and restaurants haven't pulled the leafy green from their shelves and menus--so it's more important than ever to take charge of your own health. Until further notice, just say no to spinach. (Gawd, I never thought I'd say that.)

Posted by Christy Harrison on Sep 18, 2006 at 8:25 PM
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