Reader questions safety of baby carrots / LJWorld.com

Archive for Wednesday, March 18, 2009

March 18, 2009

Q: Is the e-mail going around true that says that baby carrots are made from “deformed carrots” and soaked in chlorine, and that the white blush on them is the chlorine surfacing?

A: There are a lot of inaccuracies in this e-mail. The University of California-Berkeley shared the real facts in their February issue of the Wellness Letter. When first marketed in the 1980s, baby carrots were cut from misshapen (not nutritionally inferior) carrots to salvage them. But today they are cut and tapered from specially bred carrots and are more accurately called “baby-cut” carrots. Genuine baby carrots, which are harder to find and expensive, are harvested very young and may retain some greens at the top.

Like other ready-to-eat fresh vegetables, baby-cut carrots are rinsed or sprayed with very diluted chlorine to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination, and then thoroughly washed and bagged. This process is approved by the FDA and accepted by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, with strict rules for what concentration of chlorine can be used and how long the carrots can be exposed. Chlorine is similarly used as a disinfectant in public water supplies and sometimes in poultry processing. It is toxic at high concentrations, but there’s no evidence that trace amounts left on food and in water are harmful to health.

The whitening that may occur has nothing to do with chlorine. According to Luke Laborde, associate professor food science at Penn State University, it is caused by drying of the damaged (peeled) tissue as the carrots are exposed to air. During storage air can dry out the surface of carrots due to lack of humidity. The carrots may also shrivel due to the lack of moisture. In contrast, whole carrots retain their protective peel, so it takes longer for this problem to occur in them.

It’s also interesting to learn about some new research that’s currently going on with carrots. To help boost calcium intake, researchers from the USDA-ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center have found that calcium can be added to carrots and other vegetables. In this study, researchers had to determine the bioavailability to see if the calcium is absorbed into the body. Volunteers consumed the modified carrots or regular carrots. Urine samples were then collected. The results showed that the modified carrots increased calcium intake by 41 percent. Carrots and other fruits and vegetables with added calcium can allow consumers to eat the produce they enjoy and increase calcium intake. We drink orange juice that has calcium added. Who knows, in the future, we may be eating carrots that also have calcium added.

— Susan Krumm is an Extension agent in family and consumer sciences with K-State Research and Extension-Douglas County, 2110 Harper St. She can be reached at 843-7058.

Discussion

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18 March 2009
at 7:36 a.m.

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xbusguy (Anonymous) says…

“deformed carrots” … is that PC?
18 March 2009
at 10:16 a.m.

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gr (Anonymous) says…

Just because something is added to the public water supply doesn't mean it's safe. However, chlorine is supposedly added for the purpose of making it safe. Just like added to the carrots to make them safe.

Where the line should be drawn and the outrage heard is when foreign toxic substances are added to things which do not make them safe. For example, fluoride being added for the bogus reason of dental “health”. The only studies I've seen of any benefit is for reducing 5 year olds from getting cavities. There are lots of harm caused by the practice such as discolored teeth, brittle teeth, osteoporosis, and more. If people think they should take fluoride for some imagined benefit, let them. Don't force it upon everyone with no control over the dosage requirement. If kids drink more soft drinks and less water and get more cavities, are they going to keep increasing the amount of poison in the water supply in a futile attempt to counter act it? What about those who drink lots of water? Medicating the masses without dosage control is a crime.

Bringing this back to carrots, force adding calcium also does not make carrots safe. It is again the medicating of the masses or at least those who eat carrots. They already add vitamin D to milk. Why? Why do we have to be subjected to all these things that someone imagines we need added to our food supply? If they really have our health in mind, why not force eliminate the bad out of it such as sugar, salt, refined flours (which have only part of the removed vitamins added back in), fat, etc.

If you need calcium, if you need fluoride, take a calcium or fluoride pill. (Is it possible to get a fluoride pill or drink? No? Is that because it is dangerous and toxic?) Don't expect the rest of us to be subjected to it with no way of controlling the dosage.
19 March 2009
at 9:42 a.m.

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mommie2boogie (Anonymous) says…

what happened to just having a good organic carrot, and not having to worry about crap that they think 'preserves' it? oh, i remember, people got lazy and now will pay for the 'deformed carrots' with added chlorine just so they dont have to cut and peel them………….
19 March 2009
at 9:59 a.m.

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kmat (Anonymous) says…

The adding calcium to carrots really upsets me. I found out that hard way that I was getting too much calcium when I got kidney stones last year. We're constantly told that we aren't getting enough calcium and I was worried about osteoporsis, so I started buying the O.J. with calcium added. Well, I was getting enough calcium in my regular diet (and I don't even drink milk). If you get too much calcium, it can form kidney stones. Now that was a wonderful, painful experience I never want to repeat. If you buy the O.J. with calcium, you'll notice a nasty white sludge left in the bottom of your glass. All they do is grind up something calcified and throw it in the O.J.

They need to stop adding so many vitamins and minerals to our food. If you eat correctly, you're already getting what your body needs. And if you aren't willing to eat a healthy diet, then you can take a suppliment.

A week of agonizing pain taught me the lesson.