Where is your food from?

(a message from the F&WW)
?

Do you know what’s in your shopping cart? Although this may seem
like a simple question, there’s more to the apples, cucumbers, peas
and other fruits and vegetables you buy than meets the eye. Many
Americans don’t know that they are consuming more imported fresh
fruits and vegetables, as well as canned and frozen produce and
fruit juice than ever before. However, these imports can contain
hidden dangers, as imported produce is more likely to contain
foodborne-illness causing bacteria and illegal levels of pesticides
than domestically grown fruit and vegetables. What’s worse, a
majority of these imports are unlabeled due to loopholes in
requirements for country-of-origin labeling.

Fortunately, there’s a new online tool by Food & Water Watch, a
national consumer advocacy group, to help consumers learn what
countries our produce comes from. The Global Grocer: Where is Your
Produce From? transports online visitors to a virtual supermarket,
displaying fresh, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables that top
grocery lists of many American consumers. After clicking on various
items to add them to a shopping cart, Global Grocer shoppers can
learn the likelihood of the food item being imported and from what
countries. For example, many Americans may be surprised to learn
that one out of four packages of frozen spinach is imported, and
that China alone produces one out of seven frozen spinach packages
Americans buy at the supermarket.

Go to
http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/global-grocer
to start your shopping trip and learn more about the country of
origin of your favorite foods