When Vegetables Go Rogue

The recent tragic deaths and the thousands of cases of sickness caused by a new strain of E-Coli poisoning in Germany has been attributed to cucumbers, asparagus, sprouts and tomatoes. People are just avoiding the consumption of vegetables to be safe, many thinking that these food sources themselves are producing the toxins. Russia, for example, immediately banned the importation of vegetables from Western Europe and Germany, which intially blamed Spain for the outbreak, now has to admit they were wrong about the Spanish vegetables and that they still have not pinpointed the cause of this new food borne outbreak. While scientists now believe they can identify this new strain of deadly E-Coli, finding its source is another problem that has yet to be solved.

We do know one thing: vegetables do not produce E-Coli. They may be contaminated with such toxins by being exposed to them through irrigation water that contains fecal runoffs from farm animals or human beings, but vegetables do not produce these poisons. The impression that rogue vegetables exist may ease the need for children to avoid eating their veggies, but just this image deflects the real problem: industrial animal farming.

A look at the documentary Food Inc. or the feature film Fast Food Nation is a good place to kick start the discussion. Each film uses the idea of E-Coli as a major narrative thread. Food Inc. argues that pernicious strains of E-Coli are produced through noxious industrial food production techniques and contrasts the raising of cattle on grass, with no antibiotics involved, as a safe means of producing food that will not endanger the consuming public. Fast Food Nation presents the existance of dangerous E-Coli in the food chain that starts at the feed lot, continues at the slaughter house and ends at the burger joints which serve the dangerous meat as cheap meals for fast eating. Everyone knows there is a problem, but noone cares to do anything that would stop the food chain from operating in the way it exists.

There are numerous other films that focus on the issue of food safety. While vegetables can carry the E-Coli toxins, they cannot produce them. It takes humans to become involved in the the food chain for that to happen. Or an industrial raised cow, chicken or pig. The irony of avoiding veggies and eating more meat to stay "safe" is one of the larger ironies of this latest food disaster. It certainly won't be the last.