How safe is organic food? How does E. coli get in cucumbers?

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People are unsettled by the news that deadly cucumbers with E. coli have killed people and made hundreds more sick across Europe, most in Germany.
The consumers are now asking themselves
How safe is organic food?
The short answer to that question is > Organic foods, crops and produce from organic suppliers can be every bit as safe and potentially harmful as any other form of farming, cultivation.

How does E. coli get in cucumbers?
All sorts of bad things can get into almost any produce along the supply chain. I doubt the cause for this E-Coli outbreak in cucumbers has been established beyond doubt, possibly will never be. Identifying how toxins such as EColi got into any produce, not just cucumbers relies upon speed of identification and most of all upon honesty.
Being identified as the source of toxins, can destroy the business of the farmers or the supplier, even the retailer.
Honesty does not come cheap in business > But the consumer demands cheap produce. Can you see a potential conflict of interest.
The media in reverse gear are guessing blind that these organic cucumbers were treated with a manure spray or manure compost. They are guessing manure spray was the cause because it is the most obvious for the naive to comprehend.
Manure compost sprays are widely used, and they are potentially sources of bacteria and toxins, some lethal. Most farmers anywhere, and all under EEC regulations should know how easy it is to make safe manure.
How does E. coli get in cucumbers?
Was it manure, possibly, but it is just one potential access point for E Coli in organic or conventional (inorganic) foods.

Parts of a German news media article
dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15112295,00
Germany's E. coli outbreak is a catastrophe for the nation's farmers, but they also think authorities made it worse with confusing warnings. Some are calling for better communication during health scares.
The E. coli outbreak in Germany is showing no signs of slowing down. Sixty new cases were reported within a day, bringing the total, on Friday afternoon, to 276 confirmed cases and five deaths.
But while the German authorities are working feverishly to try to locate the various sources – one batch of Spanish cucumbers is not thought to be the only source – the vegetable farmers and retailers are being hit by a massive downturn in income.
"Cucumbers, lettuce and tomatoes are being rejected, no matter where they come from," Andreas Brügger, director of the German fruit and vegetable retailers association (DFHV), told Deutsche Welle. "Large supermarket chains, canteens, hospitals, gastronomy firms are all turning vegetables away. People are scared."

Too many consumers, and general members of the public are influenced by a naive media, who assume that organic means best, means clean, means so much more than what organic produce actually is.
Most organic farmers in Ireland (and probably anywhere else) are using organic methods because they believe it will produce the best quality crop.
Some organic farmers are using (claiming to use) organic methods because they want to achieve the premium price.
That is a fact that consumers should keep in mind. No two farmers are the same, no two organic farmers are the same.

All things organic are not necessarily good for you.
Potato blight is organic
Cyanide is organic
E. Coli is organic
Cdiff is organic
Clostridium botulinum (more commonly known as Botox) one of the most lethal poisons known is organic, a small parcel of this organically produced bacterium that you could hold under your arm, would be enough to wipe out the entire human race.
Sodium fluoroacetate (Compound 1080) is organic
Amatoxins are organic
Ever heard of Strychnine poisoning? well that highly toxic alkaloid is found naturally in the seeds and bark of many plants, so by simple definition it is natural and organic.
Organic is not a definition for healthy

Consumers should forget the simple messages about organic foods, because they do not necessarily equate to best, or even better or healthier quality.

Painstaking investigation
Both sides agree on one thing, though – tracing E. coli bacteria is easier said than done. "It's very difficult to find out what happened, because the incubation period for E. coli is four to 10 days," said Brügger. "After that amount of time, the produce has usually already gone bad and is no longer being sold."
Ewald explained the process more fully: "The Robert Koch Institute has to interview the people who have caught it and find out where they ate, what they ate, where the food was bought, where it came from and where else it is sold," she said. "We have to identify the bacteria in the food and compare it to the bacteria found in the sick people. It takes a while."
On top of that, there is precious little precedent for such a fast E. coli outbreak, apparently with multiple sources. "This virus is such a special case – we've never had a virus like this appear on vegetable products," said Brügger. But he did have some suggestions for the future. "When there is a crisis like this, I think the authorities should work much closer together with businesses – you'd get quicker results and better information to consumers."
Johannes Funke, spokesman for the German farmers' association (DBV), was in a more conciliatory mood. "There's not much point in criticizing each other now," he told Deutsche Welle. "We hope and we expect that better information about the origins comes through. Better information than that it's just the cucumbers in general. And we hope that the consumer's faith will return."

We have no bias against organic. We produce organic pork and a small amount of lamb. All of our fruits are certified organic. We are totally organic on our main farm.
Would I eat foods treated with pesticides? Any farmer who answers that question quickly and without doubt in the negative, is probably not that well informed. A polite way of suggesting they are ignorant.

Right now in Ireland, most people could probably guess more credibly the source of fuel for their car, than the foods they feed their own family with.
Any farmer, any producer, any retailer can make a mistake. The longer the supply chain, the more chance mistakes can go unnoticed.
Buy local, buy Irish, find out where your food comes from.

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Irish Forums Message Discussion :: How safe is organic food? How does E. coli get in cucumbers?

How safe is organic food? How does E. coli get in cucumbers?