Baby Carrots and chlorine

[Meenah]

This is part of an email that my daughter forwarded to me. I don't know how accurate it is or have any proof, but something to think about.


"As most of you know I am a huge supporter of Farmer's Markets and buying local and if at all possible organic produce. One of my vendors at the Southport Waterfront Market sent me this information about the baby carrots found in the grocery store. You know, the ones we eat with a veggie dip and so forth. I am passing it along because we all need know what we are buying and eating. And if at all possible I encourage each of you to buy and eat local daily.

****Baby Carrots (this is a copy of the email I was sent)
The following is information from a farmer who grows and packages carrots for IGA, METRO, LOBLAWS, etc

The small cocktail (baby) carrots you buy in small plastic bags are made using the larger crooked or deformed carrots which are put through a machine which cuts and shapes them into cocktail carrots - most people probably know this already.

What you may not know and should know is the following:

Once the carrots are cut and shaped into cocktail carrots they are dipped in a solution of water and chlorine in order to preserve them. (this is the same chlorine used in your pool).

Since they do not have their skin or natural protective covering, they give them a higher dose of chlorine.

You will notice that once you keep these carrots in your refrigerator for a few days, a white covering will f o rm on the carrots. This is the chlorine which resurfaces. At what cost do we put our health at risk to have esthetically pleasing vegetables?

Chlorine is a very well-known carcinogen, which causes Cancer.. I thought this was worth passing on. Pass it on to as many people as possible in hopes of informing them where these carrots come from and how they are processed."

[GrayMatterWife]

Wow. SO WEIRD. I just ran across an article--totally randomly--the other day, about this exact same topic. I had no idea it was a "hot issue." Here's the one I found. I am not "vouching" for it. I don't know anything about this kind of stuff. Just providing it in contribution to the discussion...

____________

FoodWise

Baby carrots the latest food to suffer from “myth-information”

Likely you’ve received the email that’s been circulating recently about baby carrots and chlorine. I’ve reprinted the one I received below. Before you read it, please remember that, unfortunately, not everything you read is 100% accurate – including the email text that follows:

Did you know that the small baby carrots you buy in small plastic bags are made using large crooked or deformed carrots which are put through a machine that cuts and shapes them into baby carrots?

And, did you also know that once the carrots are cut and shaped, they are dipped in a solution of water and chlorine (the same chlorine used in swimming pools) in order to preserve them since, once peeled, they don’t have their skin or natural protective covering?

If you keep these carrots in your refrigerator for a few days, a white covering will form on the carrots. This is the chlorine which resurfaces.

At what cost do we put our health at risk to have aesthetically pleasing vegetables which are practically plastic?

if you care about your family and friends, please pass this information on to them to let them know where baby carrots come from and how they are processed. Chlorine is a well known carcinogen.

If you like to munch on baby carrots and you’ve wondered about the validity of the information in this email, consider these facts.

Yes, baby carrots may indeed be formed by a machine. They may also be carrots grown and harvested at a small size.

And yes, they are dipped in a diluted solution of chlorine and water. This is an ACCEPTABLE PRACTICE done to ensure the water the carrots are washed in remains sanitary, and to prevent the growth of spoilage microorganisms on the carrots. There is no evidence that the amount of chlorine used is harmful.

The white discolouration that sometimes forms on carrots is NOT chlorine residue. If it was chlorine, you would be able to smell and taste it.

The white discolouration is a result of moisture loss from the surface of the carrots. This will naturally occur on the surface of any peeled carrot as it dries.

Chlorine is not harmful if used appropriately. Our drinking water contains chlorine. Chlorine is often used to sanitize dishes, cutting boards and cooking surfaces.

For additional information about baby carrots and chlorine, please check the following sources:

* www.snopes.com - This web site is a great place to visit if you hear a claim (food-related or otherwise) you’re not sure about. The site is well known for its debunking of false claims, including the one about baby carrots and chlorine.

* Joe Schwarcz’s article about baby carrots written for the Montreal Gazette in April. Schwarcz is the director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society.

[Chrisada]

Another article in response to the chain e-mail. I'm not worried about it. Apparently, there is more chlorine in our water.

"Baby carrots are often larger carrots that were too misshapen to sell and have been whittled down. Their chlorine content is no bigger than any other pre-washed vegetables in the store. The chlorine from your tap water, especially if you bathe in it, poses a far bigger risk due to concentration and combination with organic products."

http://healthbeatnews.com/news/archives/413

[Meenah]

Good to know
I will pass this on.

[GrayMatterWife]

Good to know
I will pass this on.

Harmful or not...it would be REALLY hard for me to give up baby carrots. They are a staple of our diet around here. Seriously, I bet we eat an Olympic pool's worth of chlorine from them a year! hahahaha!

[ladymoreta]

I really like baby carrots, too. Glad they're okay. I usually rinse them before I eat them, just because they seem a little slimy straight from the bag. I don't worry about ittoo much, though, and I'll eat them unrinsed.