Friday, January 18, 2013

Why Are Fresh Vegetables in Styrofoam and Plastic Wrap?

Maybe I should get out more. In addition to having no idea (until this week) about suburban parking lot machinations, I didn't know supermarkets had started to encase vegetables in plastic wrap. When—and why—did that begin?

In the same Florida Publix in which I saw packaged sliced apples selling for $3.76 per pound, I came across loose organic beets and summer squash that were packaged in Styrofoam and plastic wrap (beets) and plastic wrap (summer squash).


(Fifteen minutes just passed as I tried figuring out why such gross, unnecessary misuse of Styrofoam and plastic wrap were needed for vegetables that do quite well when left up to their own devices. Bueller?)

 
Want to make sure your fruits and vegetables are clean and free of bacteria? Use a water-vinegar solution to wash them


Want to avoid pointless contact with BPA? Stay clear of food service-grade plastic wrap, much of which is formulated with BPA. (Household plastic wrap is, for the most part, free of BPA.)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Another reason to shop the farmer markets. Usually plastic wrap is not included in farmers markets. Just your own canvas bag or string bag suffices.

You would think that in Florida there would be less need (as if there is any) for plastic wraps, since it is a center of winter agriculture and therefore, presumably, things are fresher and have less distance to travel.