I have yet to buy a supermarket cucumber with a label on it to tell me where it's from. I just tossed all of mine, after getting an email from my store. The loyalty card that I use each week told them that I had purchased cucumbers recently, so they notified me. Quite nice of them.

Thanks, sushipup. You are right, of course. Even in a home garden critters can pee and poop on stuff.

I USED to snack on veggies in the garden. Then I read about slugs being able to infect veggies w something unkind.

faftis — something good about those cards or registering appliances and such.

Good thing I have no plans to take a cruise, and especially not a cruise from South Florida.

I wonder if hothouse cukes are any safer? I know many years ago there were problems with something (tomatoes? cukes?) being hothouse grown in Canada, so I avoided those for many years. Then they were grown hydroponically which didn't seem to create problems (that I recall). I buy most things at the farmer's market here when it's in season and only locally grown things are allowed (except a few things that can only be grown in our state on the east side of the mountains). They are not industrial farms, they don't use any kind of recycled or unsafe water, tho I remember some problems from a local large strawberry producer, (which I think was chemical contamination) so I avoid their products and buy from the small organic farmers.

Eating restaurant food still can pose a risk, I suppose.

I also wonder, aside from the obvious high risk items that are well known like chicken meat, eggs, ground beef, if the American food supply is or isn't more contaminated today than in prior times?

Are the causes better known and better dealt with now with food handling and processing equipment and practices? Or, are the causes endemic with some food types and are a consequence that needs to be accepted?

How far back do you want to go? When food sources were mostly local? The impact would be local. Because today food sources can be anywhere and food is moved all over the place one bad source can be much more impactful. Just saying.

patriciae

" How far back do you want to go? "

I'm not sure how that matters.

My state has been exporting produce my entire lifetime and still does. Just as an example, if you've lived in the Pac Northwest your whole lifetime, much of the fruits and vegetables you've eaten have come from California. What would it have been different for you if items you ate came from 60 miles away instead of 600?

Same is true for other parts of the US. Produce that could survive a few days of refrigerated truck or rail travel reached the Midwest and beyond. Then and now.

I wonder if hothouse cukes are any safer? I know many years ago there were problems with something (tomatoes? cukes?) being hothouse grown in Canada, so I avoided those for many years. Then they were grown hydroponically which didn't seem to create problems

Growing them hydroponically would be less risk than with foliar feeding, and the risk would also be less if they use synthetic rather than organic fertilizers. The remaining risks would be during harvesting, processing the cukes to the market.

I have not had stomach issues when eating out, and I always wash my cukes before eating so never have issues with them. I always assume they are dirty (indeed they are dirty) unless washed prior to eating. I doubt many restaurants wash them at all so there is always a risk there.

" Growing them hydroponically would be less risk than with foliar feeding, and the risk would also be less if they use synthetic rather than organic fertilizers. "

Really? I don't think so. With produce, I thought the contamination vector is the water itself. Hydroponically grown produce is exposed to MORE water, and less fresh water because of it being recycled and reused , than what's grown outdoors.

How would the fertilizer used make a difference? I've never heard of contaminated fertilizer being a problem. Have you?

" I always assume they are dirty "

Isn't dirty (really dusty) with dirt always the case with produce and very different from being contaminated with bacteria? Which can be internal and not just external too. Produce should always be rinsed, even what's grown indoors. Doesn't everyone know and do that, restaurants included?

The contamination may happen when water (fertilizer) splashed onto the cukes during foliar feeding, that does not happen with hydroponic method so the risk woukd be less.

" How far back do you want to go? "
I was watching a show a while back "The Food that Built America" (or similar title) and it was about the invention of Ketchup. The main reason was to cover up the rancid flavor of old spoiled meat. Nasty times back then.

I think we're both dealing with a lack of facts but on the face of it, I'd rather have produce sprayed with fresh water (which is how most greens are watered, at least in my area) than having ones whose roots sit in polluted water. In which all kinds of bacteria, molds, and what have you can develop and grow, encouraged by continued access to plant material that decays.

Not convinced of the fact? It’s just common sense as well.

“Yes, hydroponic cucumber production generally has a lower risk of contamination compared to foliar feeding, especially when using closed hydroponic systems”

Science, facts and "common sense" are not interchangeable terms as I understand them.

Do you find that "common sense" others believe in and express, that you disagree with, to be factual a priori all the same?

I don't and I doubt if you do. If you do, then you must accept the advantages of genetically engineered foods that "science" describes as being superior. I don't but I also don't worry about it.

Red herring. LOL

Oh, so you just like to blow off what you don't agree with. Your "beliefs" are selective, some objective, others not. Just like everyone else, me included.

What precisely is "fresh" water? Where does this "fresh" water come from? Is the equipment delivering this "fresh" water sterile? And so on.

Now I have not lived my entire life in the PNW by any means although I was born here totally by happenstance as it were. Having lived a great many places and as a person who was expected to take an intimate interest in what we were eating(as in learning to process and cook food from a remarkably young age) I have a fair idea of what was on offer in stores back in the day but when I say how far back do you want to go it is based on refrigerated transport is only about 100 years old and even at that it wasnt the norm for a long time. Ergo if your produce was contaminated it was unlikely to get very far from home. Foods were more seasonal back then.

Water in proper hydroponic growing is carefully filtered and tested.

I used to seriously garden and grew a ton of veg and I always washed my produce though I was careful in my gardening. It is common sense. I dont know if the bugs that landed on my cauliflower washed their feet.

patriciae

The lettuce fields in the Salinas Valley are indeed sprayed with water rather than irrigated. But "fresh"? It is still non-potable water.

To me, fresh water is water that's not from a stagnant source, not known to be contaminated, and not visibly dirty. As I understand it, fresh water becomes potable water (for human consumption) after being filtered and chemically treated to remove MOST (not necessarily all) known pathogens. Treatment isn't always 100% effective.

Water used in agriculture in my area often comes from large water projects or wells. Sushipup is right, it's not been processed to become potable water, but as I recall, produce contamination in the past has always been found to come from onsite sources, not from the water as it is supplied. Water used to clean harvested food is something different and while it may also originate from a similar source as irrigation water, it does need to be processed to become safer for contact with food.

As far as "sterile water" goes, this doesn't exist in everyday life and doesn't need to. It's only to be found in the making of IV fluids. Water from the tap isn't sterile. Bottled water isn't sterile. And, for that matter, the produce and other foods we eat aren't sterile. It's not a standard that applies.

Elmer sterile is just short hand for not infected with deadly pathogens. I should have chosen a simpler word for you. Not already infected? Sorry to confuse you.

As it is most produce in the fields lends itself to being washed which some people scoff at as being unnecessary. Some crops do not and the leafy greens do exemplify that. They are not always cooked so need to be tended more carefully. We the consumer will pay the price if adequate care isn't taken.

patriciae

Potable water does not have to be filtered or treated. A great many people not living in urban areas drink fresh, potable water from wells. Untreated, unfiltered fresh potable water.

"Potable water does not have to be filtered or treated."

Possible translation= you house has only well water that's unfiltered and untreated. You do it so that makes it okay.

Yes or no?

} Elmer sterile is just short hand for not infected with deadly pathogens. I should have chosen a simpler word for you. Not already infected? Sorry to confuse you. "

That isn't what sterile means. Use whatever words you wish while being mindful of their definitions and without pretending after the fact that you meant something else. I'm clearly not the one confused, being snarky, or trying to backpedal.

I know it must be painful, if not impossible for you to simply say, "I was wrong."

Potable water does not have to be treated or filtered.. Water can be treated to make it potable, but not all potable water has been treated or filtered.

Potable water simply means suitable for human consumption. Water from uncontaminated wells is potable, whether I have one or not. Very weird for you to even think that's an issue.

Here's one I didn't think about:

"Fresh produce could be contaminated if it is loaded into a truck that was not cleaned after transporting animals or animal products."

https://www.cdc.gov/foodborne-outbreaks/foodproductionchain/index.html

Unsure how much longer we'll have this kind of helpful info...

" Potable water does not have to be treated or filtered.. Water can be treated to make it potable, but not all potable water has been treated or filtered. "

So the answer to my question seems to be yes, your home water supply is untreated and unfiltered water from a well. Your practice of "creating facts" to suit your preferences and habits appears again. This can't contribute to your having credibility with people who know you if it's a regular habit.

In much of the country, water utilities source their product from wells. All of it is treated before moving out to customers. In many areas of California, the underground water tables actively serve as reservoirs - imported water, mostly from snow melt, is pumped into the ground to be recovered at a later date. All ground water is required to be tested and treated, as necessary, before being supplied to customers.

So you have an especially blessed well. No testing or treatment is required. My take on your priggish evasiveness is simply that it's not done, whether it's necessary or a good idea or not.

""Fresh produce could be contaminated if it is loaded into a truck that was not cleaned after transporting animals or animal products.""

carol, the CDC is not in a position to fill a risk-creating gap left by a lack of common sense or commercial expediency. It would be maybe the FDA instead that should have such rules. Maybe the good news is that I suspect in some areas, produce hauling and hauling of other food items are not necessarily done with the same equipment.

PS - you never answered my question about what use you have for the website about the consumer price index.

Elmer, you have loudly made the point that companies do not practice commercial expediency. Remember that? C-suite and all? We can trust them. Remember

patriciae

You have greatly misunderstood my comment. I was replying to uninformed suggestions of a deliberate lack of integrity and the desire to do things properly in corporate operations that you and others alleged in one thread here. That are very obviously the exact opposite of what I experienced personally to have happened at the upper levels of companies' management. Consistently.

Situations that I suspect you've never found yourself in. Correct me if I'm wrong please.

Just in brief, let me point out to you that what happens in strategy meetings, a board meeting, or a planning meeting is figuratively and literally miles and miles removed from what an unskilled worker is doing at a truck terminal or in a warehouse. And is never ever at that ultra microscopic level of detail, from the perspective of the top levels of managing a company. Maybe at supervisory or compliance levels, yes. Directives to ignore what operationally is obviously necessary or an external requirement would never be prescribed. Is that a surprise to you?

Pish

Deflection effort fails. You want to believe what you want to believe without enough information to do so reasonably.

All companies are run by evil bogeymen and bogeywomen, as you see it.

Not a deflection. Look it up.

patriciae

Elmer, why does it matter to you the source of MY water?

You stated that potable water is filtered and treated. I am telling you you are WRONG, that it only means it is suitable for human consumption. Well water is the source of potable water for a great many people not living in concrete jungles. Most people using wells have the water tested regularly to make sure it’s potable.

Here, try saying this: ”I was wrong.” instead of deflecting to the irrelevant issue of the source of MY drinking water.

FWIW, the past twenty-five years I have lived with well water. Our health authority will analyze your water whenever you want. You just pick up a sample bottle from them and you will get the lab results back in a couple of days. Our tests have always come back as ”potable”. We add nothing to the water, and do nothing to the water.

“Alberta Health Services can help determine if your water is potable, particularly if you rely on a private drinking water supply like a well or cistern. AHS offers free bacteriological testing to ensure your water doesn't contain harmful bacteria. You can also have your water tested for other parameters like nitrates, fluoride, and iron. If the results indicate a potential health hazard, a public health inspector will contact you. ”

Just for kicks, while we wait for him to spit out the words ”I was wrong“ I checked gov’t stats for usa and 15% of the population gets their potable water from private wells. 43 million people.

" Elmer, why does it matter to you the source of MY water? "

Because it was the source of your baseless comment, as previously explained. You often demonstrate views that contradict the adage "you can have your own opinions but you can't have your own facts"

Potable simply means safe to drink. You get your well water tested and are told if it is safe to drink My well water comes with dissolved iron. Perfectly safe to drink but it is bad for the plumbing so we have a system to address that. You can put your own chlorination system on your well if you like. If you are a nervous city person who is afraid to drink untreated water for instance.

I chatted with the well guy Greg while he put in our new well. This property came with a well but I wanted one that was much deeper in case of drought years. We have sixty feet of sand and gravel to filter our water. He explained the process. It was interesting.

patriciae

The fact that is pertinent is that YOU don’t know what potable water is. Doesn’t matter that MY potable water comes from a well, as does 43 million other Americans.

" The fact that is pertinent is that YOU don’t know what potable water is. "

Incorrect.

Tell me, why do water utilities, including perhaps ones just down the road from you tapping into the same water source, filter and chemically treat water before putting it into supply pipes? Because they don't have access to the speciall, magical segment of the aquifer under your house?

Your position is not defensible and not unlike so many other things you've said over the years.

Lol, it it’s so funny and satisfying to watch you try to argue something else you know nothing about. You enjoy your chemical ridden or plastic encased, or recycled water and those of us with pure, safe water will enjoy ours. 43 million of us! And you still don’t know what potable means. It’s been fun playing with you! 3..2..1…

Tell me, why do water utilities, including perhaps ones just down the road from you tapping into the same water source, filter and chemically treat water before putting it into supply pipes? Because they don't have access to the speciall, magical segment of the aquifer under your house?

As for the why: “Water utilities treat water even when it's potable to ensure consistent water quality and safety for public consumption, as well as to meet regulations. Treatment processes help remove harmful substances, bacteria, and other contaminants, and the treated water undergoes further purification, disinfection, and quality checks to meet specific standards.”

Obviously from their numerous posts, the city slicker only knows their water is potable only when it’s treated. Frog in a well, oh well.

" It’s been fun playing with you "

Do you finally realize that I engage only because it's so very, very easy to say something that you overreact to? I respond to see where it goes, you respond because of the baggage you carry.

It's too easy and no longer interesting.

Lol.

Well dang and here I was finally getting around to explain about sand filters in water treatment plants.

patriciae

Well, well, well, we like our well, actually 2 wells. 1 is 30' deep, the other is 200' deep. Both have been tested and all parameters are well below acceptable safe limits including bacterial contamination. Our next door neighbor has been on well water since building his home back in 1972 and doesn't use any filtering processes, not even a Brita. He just turned 90 and his wife 84 YO so that's also a good sign that our water is a-ok.. On the other hand the local city system has had many problems of late and we don't miss it one bit.

So it looks like more cuke brands were added...

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/cucumber-recall-illinois-new-brands-added-to-list-amid-multistate-salmonella-outbreak/3752800/

"...The outbreak is linked to the same grower whose cucumbers were tied to more than 550 illnesses last year, including several in Illinois...."

550 😕

"...In addition, the following companies have now been added to the recall:

• Harris Teeter – fresh cucumbers and vegetable trays
• Kroger - Yummi Sushi-branded products
• PennRose Farms, LLC - 5-pound mesh bags of whole cucumbers
• Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods, LLC - Marinated Cucumber salads

Where were the cucumbers sold?

The full extent of where the cucumbers were sold has not yet been determined by the FDA, though an investigation is ongoing.

The recalled cucumbers were available at Bedner’s Farm Fresh Market in three Florida locations including Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and West Palm Beach between April 29, 2025, and May 14, 2025.

But beyond that, the FDA said it is "working to determine where potentially contaminated product was distributed."

Several people who fell ill ate cucumbers on cruise ships leaving ports in Florida, according to the CDC. Organic cucumbers are not affected, officials said...."

Well, it's early in our growing season here in the PNW so it will be a while before the local farmer's cukes are ready, so I guess it will be cukeless salads for a month or two.

It's easy to find hothouse cucumbers. The ones I saw the other day were in fact from Canada.

That's a safer bet than field grown cucumbers that could likely be watered with unsafe non-potable well water. I suspect that when well water is used for products grown in a green house, it's likely monitored, regularly tested for safety and perhaps even treated when necessary. .

LOL ...not potable well water.

Oh good grief.