Having your own vegetable garden at home is becoming more and more common. Whether it is because of the high prices of fruits and vegetables, wanting to increase the contact with nature or betting on self-sufficiency, more and more people are deciding to plant vegetables and fruit trees at home. This is undoubtedly a very good idea, as long as it is done correctly, taking into account the sanitary measures that must be carried out. According to the University of California Davis and the FDA, food freshly picked from the garden is very likely to be contaminated by soil, manure, untreated water or animal feces.
It is also not recommended that they be near compost bins, as it encourages the growth of pathogenic microbes such as salmonella, listeria or E.coli in crops, which have harmful effects if ingested. To avoid food contamination of leafy green vegetables it is important to maintain hygiene and wash the food when it is harvested from the garden. It is recommended to avoid soaps or pesticides, and to opt for food disinfectants or natural mixtures such as lemon and salt. In this way, we will ensure that our fruit and vegetables are clean and that we do not run the risk of intoxication.
Home gardens
Have you ever thought of planting your own vegetable garden at home? Whether by fashion or necessity, many people are betting on this way of self-sufficiency. It is undeniable that the price of products is increasing, and neither fruit nor vegetables escape this rise. This is precisely one of the reasons why people have decided to grow their own food. There is more and more distrust about the chemicals we ingest from food: preservatives, colorings, sugars, sweeteners, among many others. That is another motivation: to consume 100% natural products without any type of chemicals. However, if certain hygiene and cleanliness factors are not taken into account, we could contaminate ourselves with our own food.
Risks in the garden due to lack of hygiene
According to the University of California Davis and the FDA, contamination of freshly picked food is assured if several factors are not taken into account. It is essential to keep the garden environment clean, as well as the soil, manure, animal feces or untreated irrigation water. In addition, it is also recommended to keep the working tools clean and disinfected. What can happen if these guidelines are not respected? The food from our garden could be contaminated with pathogenic microbes carrying bacteria such as listeria, salmonella or E.coli. In fact, special care should be taken with plants that are in direct contact with the soil, such as carrots or lettuce, as they are at greater risk of contamination.
Maintain good garden hygiene
According to experts, these are the basic steps to protect ourselves from food contamination when harvesting our harvest:
- Before starting, hands and utensils should be washed with soap and water.
- Once the food has been harvested, it should be washed thoroughly with water at about 10ºC-15ºC. It should be rubbed gently to remove any pathogens that may be present. In the case of green leafy plants, it is necessary to go leaf by leaf.
- It is advisable to add disinfectant solutions for food, or to use natural mixtures such as vinegar or lemon with salt.
- Avoid the use of disinfectants or pesticides, since they can leave toxic residues that we could later ingest.
- Let the food and utensils drain and then dry them with a clean cloth.
- The harvest should be stored in the refrigerator, or at about 4ºC.
It is very important to carry out these measures, as they will reduce the chances of contamination. If not, we could experience diarrhea, gastrointestinal problems or more serious infections. It is a great idea to have a garden at home and to be able to feed ourselves with 100% natural food, as long as we are aware of the importance of hygiene and cleanliness.
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