Apropos of nothing political…
There is a farmer’s market near us that I love going to. It has excellent fruits and produce at very low prices.
But the hand-held baskets you’re supposed to put your food in are so disgustingly dirty, even crusted in the corners, that I would never use them. And their condition makes me wonder how the food is handled there as well.
I have often railed about the cleanliness of supermarket food baskets (and shopping carts – the ones kids sit in with their shoes on) in the past. But this farmer’s market makes the supermarket baskets look pristine by comparison.
They are a genuine health hazard.
Mentioning it at the store has done no good. So I hope writing this might prompt them – and offending supermarkets – to do something about it.
I could be wrong, but I would like to think a supermarket which regularly cleaned its baskets and carts – and advertised it did – would generate a lot of business it currently does not have. How I wish one or another of them would do so and find out.
OK, back to politics, where dirt usually is far more prevalent than produce.
In my town, the Board of Health inspects any establishment that sells food – even vending machines.
A popular food truck, “The Empanada Man” was denied a Farmer’s Market permit for failing several successive inspections. (Farmer’s Market is a weekly event running six months.)
Good for your town. This should be a no-brainer requirement for all supermarkets.
You’re buying products that were produced in the dirt. A dirty basket isn’t going to matter. You should always wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
free – believe me, if you saw the baskets I’m talking about you would be singing a different tune. There’s growing dirt and there’s filhy dirt.