2 Baby Carrot Myths and Facts: How are Baby Carrots Made and What about Chlorine?
Who would have guessed that one of the most “viral” things I’ve ever posted on Facebook would be about organic baby carrots? Clearly people want to understand and discuss baby carrots!
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As a result I decided to do some additional research on the topic and also restate what I learned (and shared) in my original post. So today I am shedding some light on the two mysteries that surround baby carrots: how they are made and if they are really “soaked in chlorine.”
I buy baby carrots on occasion (they are not a regular purchase but can be handy in a lunchbox), and like others, I honestly just wanted to know the truth.
And speaking of the truth, I want to share that I do not like to spread misinformation so please know the facts I am sharing do not come from Snopes or Google or a Facebook “friend” or any other questionable source.
3/5/13 update: To clarify, it is not my intent to discredit Snopes or other sources, but rather to point out that I did not rely on 3rd party information.
I called up the carrot company myself to get these answers (the 800 number is right there on the back of the package), and if you think produce companies would spread misinformation to customers like me about their government-regulated processes then that's a whole other blog post for another day! But for now, I believe what they've told me - and sent me in writing - is pretty solid.
How Baby Carrots Are Made
Let’s face it – baby carrots do not look like regular carrots. First off, they are a smaller size and their rounded edges sort of resemble little “stubs,” and when you cut them down the middle you don’t quite see the same core that you would find in a regular carrot. So, what are baby carrots anyway?
According to California-based Grimmway Farms (baby carrot producers under names like Cal-Organic), the carrots they use are a specific variety that are smaller in diameter than regular table carrots and grown just for the production of baby carrots. The end product is shorter in length than regular carrots because, well, they cut them.
They say their baby carrot variety looks similar to a regular carrot right out of the ground except it’s smaller in diameter, sweeter, more tender, and – while it still has a core down the middle – the core is much more slender than a traditional table carrot. So the diameter of the baby carrot that you see in the store is the actual diameter of the original carrot. But these carrots grow about 8 – 10 inches long so as I mentioned they cut them into small pieces, abrasively peel them with something like a potato peeler, then wash and package them for stores. (Pictures of this whole process are unfortunately proprietary.)
I asked why the edges of the peeled baby carrots are rounded and they said when they go through the peeler they tumble together (like a rock tumbler) so the edges get “polished” by other carrots during that process. I also asked what they do with the “waste” from the peels and tips, which they call the “mash,” and they said the tips are used for other products like shredded carrots (sold as salad toppers) and the peels are used for cattle feed.
So long story short, just like there are different varieties of apples (Honey Crisp vs. Granny Smith) there are different varieties of carrots, and some happen to be smaller in diameter than others!
Are Baby Carrots “Soaked in Chlorine?”
There's a pretty big rumor going around that peeled baby carrots are "soaked in a chlorine solution." Some even take it so far as to say what makes these carrots turn white over time is the chlorine coming to the surface.
As it turns out, according to a written statement from Grimmway Farms (which is the largest producer of baby carrots in the United States), the carrots are treated with WATER that contains a small amount of chlorine. And this water/chlorine solution is "well within the limits established by the EPA and comparable to the amount acceptable in [public] drinking water."
I am by no means condoning the consumption of chlorine (that’s an even bigger issue), but the amount of chlorine in the water they use is 4 parts per million (ppm), which, for some, is similar to what's in your drinking water.
Again this is certainly not ideal, but I personally find that to be a lot less “dramatic” than carrots being soaked in straight up chlorine. They also said, “[The] chlorine is used to keep the carrots, the processing water and the processing equipment in a sanitary condition in order to prevent the spread of food-born pathogens [like e. coli].”
How Does that Compare to the Chlorine in a Pool?
Believe it or not, the government regulation for chlorine allowed in a swimming pool is LESS than what’s allowed in public drinking water, which varies by region but is generally 1 - 3 ppm! My first thought (aside from "that’s crazy") is that I can sometimes smell chlorine coming off of swimming pools so how could that be?
Apparently, according to multiple sources, the aroma that you smell when you are at the pool could actually be from the pool not having enough chlorine. Cited from the Water Quality & Health Council (and verified through many other sources), that smell could “indicate that the pool water has not been properly treated. A common cause is high levels of chloramines, formed when chlorine combines with body oils, perspiration, urine and other contaminants brought into pools by swimmers.
Contrary to what most people think, a strong chemical smell is not an indication of too much chlorine in the pool. In fact, the pool may actually need additional chlorine treatment to get rid of chloramines and sanitize the water.” Nice.
So, Why do Baby Carrots Turn White?
The white color that you sometimes see on the outside of baby carrots is technically called “blush” and it’s the evidence of dehydration. This could even happen to your own fresh carrots that you peel and then let sit in the fridge for days or weeks prior to eating them. This happens because, according to Grimmway, even though the carrots have been pulled out of the ground and peeled they are still living roots so they sometimes turn white to create a new protective outer layer. They said this does not change the nutritional value or affect the food safety of the carrots…frankly it just isn’t pretty (and it could sometimes mean the carrots will taste a little dried out).
Putting those carrots in a bowl of ice water will help bring back the bright orange color if it concerns you.
Conclusion
So, in summary, I’ve said this about conventional produce before and I’ll say it about baby carrots: Eating any produce is far better than eating none at all.
But if avoiding standard tap water is important to you then you might want to rethink what kind of carrots you buy at the grocery store. Like I said above we normally buy whole carrots ourselves (and even grow our own wild carrots in the winter!), but a couple readers pointed out to me that even if you buy fresh carrots then “wash” them off in your chlorinated tap water before eating them…how is that much different than the baby carrot process?
And here we go further and further down the rabbit hole, which is honestly a place I like to avoid (since it’s clearly unrealistic to go live in a bubble somewhere). So, no matter what kind of carrots you decide to buy going forward (now that you have the facts), hopefully some of you, like me, will be relieved to know that baby carrots are NOT actually soaked in a pure chlorine bath.
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Lisa is a wife, mother, foodie, blogger, and #1 New York Times Best-selling author who is on a mission to cut out processed food.
Comments
Jasonsays
"And speaking of the truth, I want to share that I do not like to spread misinformation so please know the facts I am sharing do not come from Snopes or Google or a Facebook “friend†or any other questionable source."
I don't want to be mean, but sadly, your implication that http://www.snopes.com would "spread misinformation" instead of (antithetically) stomping it, starts your article off on a rather boorish foot.
Snopes.com has thoroughly researched this topic (and countless others) and as always, elucidates as well as informs while including multiple references: http://www.snopes.com/food/tainted/carrots.asp
I suggest you read their piece, and if you want to be credible, then change the errors/omissions in your article and give them due credit. Also, bone up a bit on their credentials so you don't look like the proverbial "jealous hack" to your more sophisticated readers or start feeding your own brew of misinformation to less web savvy ones: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snopes.com Or is Wikipedia also one of those dodgy internet sources of information you shun?
Hey Jason - That statement was intended to communicate that Lisa did not rely on 3rd party information to write this post, not to discredit http://www.snopes.com. I've added a note to the post to indicate this.
Snopes.com (and wikipedia.com, for that matter) are valuable resources and I am thankful for their contributors, but as with any source of questionable authorship (as in I am not familiar with the specific author's reputation and body of work), I choose to review their sources and either confirm their conclusions, make my own conclusions, or discard them.
I believe your article to be true, as in it is what the baby carrot company told you, but I do not believe what they said about the ratio of chlorine. If it was that mild of a solution, then it would not accomplish what they say it does. The difference in "soaking" and "washing" is this: In soaking the produce absorbs some of the solution, this no doubt also gives the produce more water weight too. When washing,,,you are simply washing the outside contaminants off of the natural protective skin of the carrot, unlike the baby carrot of processing and soaking without a protective skin. Then, typically, you dry it off with a towel. Huge difference.
Like any other product for sale, produce, including baby carrots, is big business, and if telling you a lie is necessary to keep their sales up I feel they are not above doing that.
One other small factor, just because any process is in the boundaries of what the government allows, that is not a true indicator that it is a safe process.
One final comment: The fact is, people shop for Organic produce because it is supposed to be more chemical free. So even if the carrots are organic, then this process eradicates any vestige of this product being less chemical free than non organic produce.
What ever ever the ratio is on water/chlorine, baby carrots give me terrible stomach cramps. Had to go back to basics and peel my own. Feel better & they have way more flavor.
I am gut intolerant to foods, medications and supplements with any ingredients that have been derived from corn and there are more than 200 such ingredients commonly used in our processed foods, including baby carrots, which I cannot eat without having to endure leg swelling and stabbing pain in my left heel. The chlorine used in the processing of the carrots is most likely, and most cheaply, made from corn. Lois, I think you should consider that you might be allergic to corn. Keeping a food & reaction journal could help you pinpoint the cause of your reactions. Eat any processed foods with caution. Thanks for sharing your research on the baby carrot issue, Lisa.
Hypochlorous acid is synthesized by combining reagent grade citric acid (naturally found in citrus fruits) or acetic acid (naturally found in vinegar) with sodium hypochlorate. It would not make any sense at all to add an organic reagent to make an inorganic product. It makes more sense to say there is a possibility that there was contamination of corn-derived products somewhere within the facility where the carrots were made. In other words, saying that chlorine can be made from corn is like saying oxygen can be made from corn.
Never even thought about this. I will still proably eat baby carrots, better than chips, but will buy more of the carrots I grew up on. Thanks for your hard work and contribution.
My daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in November. She is on a strict diet, but is able to eat all the vegetables that she wants, when she wants - with the exception of baby carrots. They are a processed food with many more carbohydrates than the real thing. And the real thing tastes better too.
I'm sorry, but what? How are they a processed food? I can't imagine they have more carbs or sugar than beets, sweet potatoes, maybe even potatoes. PlEase explain how they are processed other than being cut to a cute size.
Processed simply means changed, and in that vein you are correct. However, the reason doctors will tell diabetics to avoid carrots is that they are a higher GI food; more natural sugars are available to the body than most other vegetables. Sugar beets is also something that's best to avoid large consumptions of. The reason docs will say carrots is that they are a very common vegetable.
My concern is that you have a very serious misconception. Your job as the mother of a Type I Diabetic is to become a pro in this stuff. You really REALLY need to get a book on a low GI diet. It's so imperative because the more you tax the pancreas, the more damage is done. It's not something you should guess at.
I'm going to agree with the follow up comments. I had to go to nutrition classes when I was diagnosed and all carrots were listed as things to eat in moderation in addition to sweet peas, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, etc. The person telling you the information might have used baby carrots as an example, but you really should study for yourself instead of trying to remember what a person told you. People are fallible. That is why this article looks at a variety of RESEARCH not opinions.
Thanks for getting the facts. I still have questions about the baby carrots however. Eating them makes my mouth itch, and can also trigger an asthma attack. There have been several instances where just handling them has triggered an asthma attack for me. Regular carrots have never produced any reaction. So, I still wonder exactly what is in that solution?
It still may be the small amount of chlorine that they wash in. I am very sensitive to chlorine. We have town water and I can tell every time they add it. It burns my nose in the shower!
The reaction may be from something in the dirt that the carrot was grown in, or if you do not drink tap water it may be an allergic reaction to the chlorine no matter how small the amount, or some other mineral or substance present in their local water system. Although, for example, I am allergice to several types of northern grasses, but not allergic to bermuda, suggesting it is possible to be allergic to different species of the same plant.
http://geneticroulettemovie.com/ Talks all about the corn industry and why people can develop corn allergies. Comes down to GMO's. It's such a good documentary, you should check it out!
Tristaniasays
I didn't read all the comments, so if someone already said this...sorry. I read an article once that said that carrots whose label said 'baby-cut carrots' are indeed soaked in chlorine. Maybe it's only the level that you speak of...I don't recall. Another reason to buy organic.
OK, Grimmway Farms really is a farm, owned by a real family who has sent several generations of children the Bakersfield High School in Bakersfield, CA. If you eat Peter Rabbit carrots, baby carrots or even Cal-Organic you are probably eating carrots grown in dirt about 15 miles outside of town. People can advocate small and local all they want, but before casting aspersions on "factory farms" try actually meeting some farmers.
I'm one of the egg farmer's kids- so don't get me started on the relative intelligence of egg layers. P.S. Duck eggs are better when you can get them
One of my favorite things about this site is that you do your best to research what you are writing about. There are too many sites out there full of nonsense and hear-say. I appreciate your honest effort to avoid being another one of those sites. Thank you!
Coincidence , I just went to a carrot supplier here in Nova Scotia and they told me the same thing. And they aren't even "organic". So we can all breathe easy and munch on.
Lol well within the EPA limits? Please the EPA has people from Monsanto working for them so they can sell their GMO'S to you. Most baby carrots are GMO'S and you should really look that up before defending these people. Don't believe everything a representative from the company says because that's what they are paid to say. Obviously they aren't going to tell you what actually happens in their factories. All government agencies are corrupt from the core so you should really look into these things. Don't spew propaganda because a rep from a company tells you that it's okay.
Please share why you believe "Most baby carrots are GMO’S." I've never heard that to be the case, and a quick search brought this up http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/database/plants/56.carrot.html, stating "No commercial utilization of GM carrots is envisioned at present." Also the example carrots are organic, so the GMO concern is moot in this case anyway.
GREAT! Now if you can find out if it's true that once you cut into an onion you need to eat it all because if you try to save the rest for later it actually becomes poison!
Thank you for digging deeper and posting this! I knew that it wasn't as simple as carrots just soaked in chlorine (as all my FB friends were spreading in panic). I also KNEW that carrots turn white from being dried out. I see it with regular carrots I have cut as well. I just wasn't sure what to do to dig out the proper information. I'm glad you took care of it!
Oh America.
Was there really a question why the carrots look different from the big ones.
Yes they are different kinds of Carrots, not quite as much as there are different kinds of apples, but a lot more than just the regular ones and the baby ones with different kinds and diameters of cores.
If I look for carrot seeds in a good Seed and Gardening Shop they have more than 50 different products. Different sizes, different harvesting and sowing times, different shades, different colours, different qualities of storability ... different taste too.
(if you are interested in checking that claim - http://www.samenhaus.de/gemuesesamen/moehrensamen/?aoff=48)
Biggest trouble for me is deciding on what will go into my garden this year - you can't try all - not enough space or money
I do get the question about the round edges and the chlorination though ...
Thank you for taking the time to research this. I have a child who has Aspergers and is an extreemly fussy eater and baby carrots are one of the "good" foods he will eat. So when I heard this I was like "great, something else he can't have that he really likes." It is really frustrating when you have a fussy eater and when there is misinforation that develops into something more out there, you just don't know what to think. I feel that alot of the medical issues in the world right now are a result of our food being mass produced and reall believe in growing our own. We have a small garden for the summer and grow what we can, my parents have chickens, and my sister has pigs. It is nice to know were our food comes from, down to what feed they consumed during their life. I wish we were able to do more. Our garden grows every year. We need to work on our storage of our harvest so that we can have these freshfoods year round.
Again, I just want to thank you for posting this. It has put my mind at ease knowing that I don't need to take away one of my son's favorite foods.
First of all, let me say that there is much wrong with your understand and the data you present about pool and drinking water quality. The smell from a pool is in fact chloramines and they do react with urine and other compounds. What you need is to have a residual form of chlorine know as free chlorine. As you add chlorine to the water it reacts with the nitrogen in ammonia and other compounds to form the chloramines... which are very smelly. Also, free chlorine reacts with sunlight to form radical compounds and causes the free chlorine to degrade over time. The reason you are required to have a residual chlorine in both pools and drinking water after treatment is to keep a certain level of disinfecting capacity in your system. Water contamination can and does happen within the distribution system from time to time. Also, another reason they allow lower levels of chlorine in pools vs drinking water is the fact that there are much higher concentrations of natural organic matter in public pools. Chlorine can react with this and form PCB and THM which do in fact cause cancer. This isn't a big problem in treated drinking water because we specifically control for these compounds from EPA regulation in the Clean Water Act. Another note, there are all these health conscious people out there using Brita filter and such to further filter their drinking water with activated carbon. This removes a lot of this residual chlorine. So... basically you have a water source that doesn't have any disinfecting capacity. Once you have that, it is much more susceptible to microbial growth. So, if you do wish to further filter your drinking water, do it at the source as you use it. Throw out the filter pitchers that you keep in the fridge. They are not doing you any good. So, with FDA regulation I am sure there is also some preservation method used on whole carrots also. Personally, I would rather have the tiny amount of chlorine they use to disinfect their product with than the possibility of getting sick from consuming mass quantities of microorganisms and other contamination that may deposit on the product in processing and shipping. However, the amount of nutrients lost through the soaking and through peeling is a completely different story. I agree, these are better than none due to the nutrients, but to focus on the point of chlorination is a mute issue.
But, isn't that why you are supposed to keep britta in the fridge? I would think that if you left a pitcher of tap water (filtered or not) sitting out for too long bacteria would grow. Seems the best way to prevent that is storing it below 38 degrees.
Ummm and ALL manufacturers tell the truth and food labels contain all the ingredients.... yeah right. Misconception or not I wouldn't put faith in the producer of this item because why would they tell you any differently? If they told you the truth.......bad for business. I'm not saying what the truth is, but I wouldn't believe it just because they said it. Sorry.
Thanks for the information! There has been information on Facebook about Baby Carrots today and thought I would look further. (some folks comments were that they did not trust the info. coming from Snopes)
Thanks again for the post and all the best!
Helen Fritzie
Great post. I will still buy baby carrots on occasion, only now feel better with the facts ma'am. As for swimming in a public pool, I'm rethinking that!
Thanks so much for sharing this! I do occasionally buy organic baby carrots for my daughter's lunch when I can't get them from the farmers market (and the ones there are not organic). I appreciate the info!
Thanks for a wonderful and informative post. I am wondering if you found anything out about food miles (traveled and form of transport) of baby carrots vs. other carrots? Or if you have the ability to investigate that. I have also heard a lot about baby carrots traveling long miles. THANKS!
I remember when talk about this started years ago and we were concerned so my hubby called Grimmway and he was satisfied with their explanation. I am not thrilled about the "water chlorine solution" they are soaked in upon reading this though. I think we are switching back to regular carrots that I can peel myself. I think the "real" ones taste better anyway! Thank you for doing this research!!!
Usually I like your articles. This one is ok but I think you forgot to think about the difference between soaking vs. lightly rinsing. Personally, I'm not concerned about chlorine levels but for someone who is there will be some chlorine absorption when the companies soak them in chlorinated water. So your argument that soaking is the same thing as home-rinsing doesn't really hold up. Also you forgot to discuss the nutrient difference in baby carrots vs whole. And I'm not talking about the carrots not being local because for that vegetable it matters less because they hold up so well. On talking about the peels being taken off and then the carrots being soaked. All the while a lot of the nutrients are being leached out into the soaking water. And then, since nothing is really protecting the carrot during shipment and storage, even more nutrients being leached out. No- better to buy whole carrots.
The whoe concept of baby carrots is quite ingenious, if you look it up. Long ago, carrots that weren't perfect looking (i.e. straight) were sent to the animals as feed. Some farmer thought this was wasteful, aquired an industrial green bean cutter, and created "baby carrots".
To the person asking about freshly picked carrots wilting or getting mushy in a few days, it has to do with either the growing or storage conditions. Carrots grown in really wet conditions seem to rot sooner, in my experience. Last year was quite dry, and when I ate my last carrot, about six months after harvest, it was still crisp and sweet, but the year before was wet and I ended up having to shred and freeze a lot before they rotted. Last year I just stored them in the fridge in a container with air-holes and ridges on the bottom to raise them out of any moisture. I find they rot sooner in a plastic bag. If they get wilted, storing them immersed in water will firm them up (good for leftover carrot sticks).
This was a very interesting article. Thanks. I always wondered how baby carrots were made. Carrots grow in a variety of widths and lengths (and colours). Some are about the length of baby carrots but a bit skinnier. This is making me hungry! ;)
I'm surprised you didn't mention a relevant nutritional difference between whole and baby carrots. The nutrients in produce begin to deteriorate as soon as you cut them. So, baby carrots--which are peeled and cut during processing--likely contain fewer nutrients than whole carrots that are peeled & cut right before eating. Eating baby/cut carrots is better than eating no carrots, but they aren't nutritionally equivalent to whole carrots.
Likewise, I'm not sure I agree with the assumption that soaking carrots in chlorinated water is the same thing as giving them a quick rinse in chlorinated water. It seems probable that soaked carrots absorb and retain more chlorinated water than quickly-rinsed carrots. It also seems probable that more water-soluble nutrients are washed away during soaking than would be in a quick rinse with the skin still on.
I appreciate that your intent here was to clear up the "soaked in chlorine" rumor and explain how baby carrots are made, but that's really only part of the story when it comes to choosing the most beneficial and nutritious option.
It's funny but between my three kids...I have an 18 year old that won't touch carrots, of any kind...ever. A 15 year old that will only eat baby carrots. And a 5 year old that adores regular carrots and will only occasionally eat the baby carrots. He is also learning how to peel and cut said carrots so I think that may also have a lot to do with it right now. Pretty sure he is my chef. :)
Thanks for the information provided. I never really wondered about the baby carrots because like others have said, they aren't cost effective for us. But knowing that about the swimming pools and the smell...now it all makes sense! Also explains why the first couple of times we go to the city pool it has really no smell but as the summer wears on it gets stronger. They must really have to battle the chlorine levels.
Thank you for researching this directly :) I don't really eat baby carrots because they are so much more expensive than normal ones, but it's good to know they are not so bad.
Good for you for contacting the source. I've just started emailing companies directly to get information. Sometimes it takes a few days or a little work, but it's worth it.
Thank you for this insightful commentary and thorough research. I appreciate your effort to educate and inform while offering realistic changes we all can make in our eating habits. As I've done before with information gleaned from this blog, I'll think twice about my food choices and make better decisions for my family. Another great entry!
Thank you for all the research! As a "real" foodie I get tired of the constant barrage of "danger!, don't eat this!" warnings. It gets really old. It's nice to finally read something positive. I love all veggies, and baby carrots is one my kids will eat.
Great article and information. I have avoided baby carrots b/c I think they lack taste compared to full carrots (of course, organically grown local carrots taste the best to me.) Does anyone else find a lack of flavor in the baby carrots?
My 3 yr old and 5 yr old will take a large carrot straight from the garden and eat the whole thing after cleaning off the dirt. They will hardly touch baby carrots even with dip.
I'm the same way... baby carrots have nothing on the larger ones! We threw carrot seed out into our garden and harvested about 10 carrots and they were delicious. My difficulties with growing food are all about the squirrels and chipmunks who love our harvest....
Jason says
"And speaking of the truth, I want to share that I do not like to spread misinformation so please know the facts I am sharing do not come from Snopes or Google or a Facebook “friend†or any other questionable source."
I don't want to be mean, but sadly, your implication that http://www.snopes.com would "spread misinformation" instead of (antithetically) stomping it, starts your article off on a rather boorish foot.
Snopes.com has thoroughly researched this topic (and countless others) and as always, elucidates as well as informs while including multiple references: http://www.snopes.com/food/tainted/carrots.asp
I suggest you read their piece, and if you want to be credible, then change the errors/omissions in your article and give them due credit. Also, bone up a bit on their credentials so you don't look like the proverbial "jealous hack" to your more sophisticated readers or start feeding your own brew of misinformation to less web savvy ones: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snopes.com Or is Wikipedia also one of those dodgy internet sources of information you shun?
Jason Leake with 100 Days of Real Food says
Hey Jason - That statement was intended to communicate that Lisa did not rely on 3rd party information to write this post, not to discredit http://www.snopes.com. I've added a note to the post to indicate this.
Snopes.com (and wikipedia.com, for that matter) are valuable resources and I am thankful for their contributors, but as with any source of questionable authorship (as in I am not familiar with the specific author's reputation and body of work), I choose to review their sources and either confirm their conclusions, make my own conclusions, or discard them.
jason says
Cool.
Victor says
I believe your article to be true, as in it is what the baby carrot company told you, but I do not believe what they said about the ratio of chlorine. If it was that mild of a solution, then it would not accomplish what they say it does. The difference in "soaking" and "washing" is this: In soaking the produce absorbs some of the solution, this no doubt also gives the produce more water weight too. When washing,,,you are simply washing the outside contaminants off of the natural protective skin of the carrot, unlike the baby carrot of processing and soaking without a protective skin. Then, typically, you dry it off with a towel. Huge difference.
Like any other product for sale, produce, including baby carrots, is big business, and if telling you a lie is necessary to keep their sales up I feel they are not above doing that.
One other small factor, just because any process is in the boundaries of what the government allows, that is not a true indicator that it is a safe process.
One final comment: The fact is, people shop for Organic produce because it is supposed to be more chemical free. So even if the carrots are organic, then this process eradicates any vestige of this product being less chemical free than non organic produce.
Amy says
What ever ever the ratio is on water/chlorine, baby carrots give me terrible stomach cramps. Had to go back to basics and peel my own. Feel better & they have way more flavor.
Diana says
I am gut intolerant to foods, medications and supplements with any ingredients that have been derived from corn and there are more than 200 such ingredients commonly used in our processed foods, including baby carrots, which I cannot eat without having to endure leg swelling and stabbing pain in my left heel. The chlorine used in the processing of the carrots is most likely, and most cheaply, made from corn. Lois, I think you should consider that you might be allergic to corn. Keeping a food & reaction journal could help you pinpoint the cause of your reactions. Eat any processed foods with caution. Thanks for sharing your research on the baby carrot issue, Lisa.
Carrie says
Chlorine is not made from corn.
VL says
Hypochlorous acid is synthesized by combining reagent grade citric acid (naturally found in citrus fruits) or acetic acid (naturally found in vinegar) with sodium hypochlorate. It would not make any sense at all to add an organic reagent to make an inorganic product. It makes more sense to say there is a possibility that there was contamination of corn-derived products somewhere within the facility where the carrots were made. In other words, saying that chlorine can be made from corn is like saying oxygen can be made from corn.
Debbie says
Never even thought about this. I will still proably eat baby carrots, better than chips, but will buy more of the carrots I grew up on. Thanks for your hard work and contribution.
Shannon says
My daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in November. She is on a strict diet, but is able to eat all the vegetables that she wants, when she wants - with the exception of baby carrots. They are a processed food with many more carbohydrates than the real thing. And the real thing tastes better too.
Katie says
I'm sorry, but what? How are they a processed food? I can't imagine they have more carbs or sugar than beets, sweet potatoes, maybe even potatoes. PlEase explain how they are processed other than being cut to a cute size.
TK says
Processed simply means changed, and in that vein you are correct. However, the reason doctors will tell diabetics to avoid carrots is that they are a higher GI food; more natural sugars are available to the body than most other vegetables. Sugar beets is also something that's best to avoid large consumptions of. The reason docs will say carrots is that they are a very common vegetable.
My concern is that you have a very serious misconception. Your job as the mother of a Type I Diabetic is to become a pro in this stuff. You really REALLY need to get a book on a low GI diet. It's so imperative because the more you tax the pancreas, the more damage is done. It's not something you should guess at.
Carla says
I'm going to agree with the follow up comments. I had to go to nutrition classes when I was diagnosed and all carrots were listed as things to eat in moderation in addition to sweet peas, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, etc. The person telling you the information might have used baby carrots as an example, but you really should study for yourself instead of trying to remember what a person told you. People are fallible. That is why this article looks at a variety of RESEARCH not opinions.
Lois says
Thanks for getting the facts. I still have questions about the baby carrots however. Eating them makes my mouth itch, and can also trigger an asthma attack. There have been several instances where just handling them has triggered an asthma attack for me. Regular carrots have never produced any reaction. So, I still wonder exactly what is in that solution?
Teresa says
It still may be the small amount of chlorine that they wash in. I am very sensitive to chlorine. We have town water and I can tell every time they add it. It burns my nose in the shower!
sheila says
The reaction may be from something in the dirt that the carrot was grown in, or if you do not drink tap water it may be an allergic reaction to the chlorine no matter how small the amount, or some other mineral or substance present in their local water system. Although, for example, I am allergice to several types of northern grasses, but not allergic to bermuda, suggesting it is possible to be allergic to different species of the same plant.
Erica says
You could be allergic to carrots. I have a similar reaction when I eat corn, which I am allergic to.
lauren says
http://geneticroulettemovie.com/ Talks all about the corn industry and why people can develop corn allergies. Comes down to GMO's. It's such a good documentary, you should check it out!
Tristania says
I didn't read all the comments, so if someone already said this...sorry. I read an article once that said that carrots whose label said 'baby-cut carrots' are indeed soaked in chlorine. Maybe it's only the level that you speak of...I don't recall. Another reason to buy organic.
Fiona says
Thanks for doing the research. Grimmway seemed to really do their best to address your questions, so I found that reassuring.
Terri says
OK, Grimmway Farms really is a farm, owned by a real family who has sent several generations of children the Bakersfield High School in Bakersfield, CA. If you eat Peter Rabbit carrots, baby carrots or even Cal-Organic you are probably eating carrots grown in dirt about 15 miles outside of town. People can advocate small and local all they want, but before casting aspersions on "factory farms" try actually meeting some farmers.
I'm one of the egg farmer's kids- so don't get me started on the relative intelligence of egg layers. P.S. Duck eggs are better when you can get them
Juniper says
One of my favorite things about this site is that you do your best to research what you are writing about. There are too many sites out there full of nonsense and hear-say. I appreciate your honest effort to avoid being another one of those sites. Thank you!
Ann says
And Rich
I live in little old Nova Scotia Canada and I know they are not controlled by Monsanto .
Ann says
Coincidence , I just went to a carrot supplier here in Nova Scotia and they told me the same thing. And they aren't even "organic". So we can all breathe easy and munch on.
Rich says
Lol well within the EPA limits? Please the EPA has people from Monsanto working for them so they can sell their GMO'S to you. Most baby carrots are GMO'S and you should really look that up before defending these people. Don't believe everything a representative from the company says because that's what they are paid to say. Obviously they aren't going to tell you what actually happens in their factories. All government agencies are corrupt from the core so you should really look into these things. Don't spew propaganda because a rep from a company tells you that it's okay.
Jason Leake with 100 Days of Real Food says
Please share why you believe "Most baby carrots are GMO’S." I've never heard that to be the case, and a quick search brought this up http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/database/plants/56.carrot.html, stating "No commercial utilization of GM carrots is envisioned at present." Also the example carrots are organic, so the GMO concern is moot in this case anyway.
Carrie says
um-no carrots are NOT genetically modified. they are one of the safe crops at this point.
Regina says
GREAT! Now if you can find out if it's true that once you cut into an onion you need to eat it all because if you try to save the rest for later it actually becomes poison!
Sonia says
Thank you for digging deeper and posting this! I knew that it wasn't as simple as carrots just soaked in chlorine (as all my FB friends were spreading in panic). I also KNEW that carrots turn white from being dried out. I see it with regular carrots I have cut as well. I just wasn't sure what to do to dig out the proper information. I'm glad you took care of it!
Donovan Moore says
But what if you like to eat baby carrots when you are swimming in your backyard pool. That's a real pickle.
Anne says
Oh America.
Was there really a question why the carrots look different from the big ones.
Yes they are different kinds of Carrots, not quite as much as there are different kinds of apples, but a lot more than just the regular ones and the baby ones with different kinds and diameters of cores.
If I look for carrot seeds in a good Seed and Gardening Shop they have more than 50 different products. Different sizes, different harvesting and sowing times, different shades, different colours, different qualities of storability ... different taste too.
(if you are interested in checking that claim - http://www.samenhaus.de/gemuesesamen/moehrensamen/?aoff=48)
Biggest trouble for me is deciding on what will go into my garden this year - you can't try all - not enough space or money
I do get the question about the round edges and the chlorination though ...
Leanna says
Thank you for taking the time to research this. I have a child who has Aspergers and is an extreemly fussy eater and baby carrots are one of the "good" foods he will eat. So when I heard this I was like "great, something else he can't have that he really likes." It is really frustrating when you have a fussy eater and when there is misinforation that develops into something more out there, you just don't know what to think. I feel that alot of the medical issues in the world right now are a result of our food being mass produced and reall believe in growing our own. We have a small garden for the summer and grow what we can, my parents have chickens, and my sister has pigs. It is nice to know were our food comes from, down to what feed they consumed during their life. I wish we were able to do more. Our garden grows every year. We need to work on our storage of our harvest so that we can have these freshfoods year round.
Again, I just want to thank you for posting this. It has put my mind at ease knowing that I don't need to take away one of my son's favorite foods.
Joshua Powell says
First of all, let me say that there is much wrong with your understand and the data you present about pool and drinking water quality. The smell from a pool is in fact chloramines and they do react with urine and other compounds. What you need is to have a residual form of chlorine know as free chlorine. As you add chlorine to the water it reacts with the nitrogen in ammonia and other compounds to form the chloramines... which are very smelly. Also, free chlorine reacts with sunlight to form radical compounds and causes the free chlorine to degrade over time. The reason you are required to have a residual chlorine in both pools and drinking water after treatment is to keep a certain level of disinfecting capacity in your system. Water contamination can and does happen within the distribution system from time to time. Also, another reason they allow lower levels of chlorine in pools vs drinking water is the fact that there are much higher concentrations of natural organic matter in public pools. Chlorine can react with this and form PCB and THM which do in fact cause cancer. This isn't a big problem in treated drinking water because we specifically control for these compounds from EPA regulation in the Clean Water Act. Another note, there are all these health conscious people out there using Brita filter and such to further filter their drinking water with activated carbon. This removes a lot of this residual chlorine. So... basically you have a water source that doesn't have any disinfecting capacity. Once you have that, it is much more susceptible to microbial growth. So, if you do wish to further filter your drinking water, do it at the source as you use it. Throw out the filter pitchers that you keep in the fridge. They are not doing you any good. So, with FDA regulation I am sure there is also some preservation method used on whole carrots also. Personally, I would rather have the tiny amount of chlorine they use to disinfect their product with than the possibility of getting sick from consuming mass quantities of microorganisms and other contamination that may deposit on the product in processing and shipping. However, the amount of nutrients lost through the soaking and through peeling is a completely different story. I agree, these are better than none due to the nutrients, but to focus on the point of chlorination is a mute issue.
Sarah says
But, isn't that why you are supposed to keep britta in the fridge? I would think that if you left a pitcher of tap water (filtered or not) sitting out for too long bacteria would grow. Seems the best way to prevent that is storing it below 38 degrees.
Alana West says
Ummm and ALL manufacturers tell the truth and food labels contain all the ingredients.... yeah right. Misconception or not I wouldn't put faith in the producer of this item because why would they tell you any differently? If they told you the truth.......bad for business. I'm not saying what the truth is, but I wouldn't believe it just because they said it. Sorry.
Helen Fritzie says
Thanks for the information! There has been information on Facebook about Baby Carrots today and thought I would look further. (some folks comments were that they did not trust the info. coming from Snopes)
Thanks again for the post and all the best!
Helen Fritzie
Diana says
Great post. I will still buy baby carrots on occasion, only now feel better with the facts ma'am. As for swimming in a public pool, I'm rethinking that!
Gayle says
Thanks so much for sharing this! I do occasionally buy organic baby carrots for my daughter's lunch when I can't get them from the farmers market (and the ones there are not organic). I appreciate the info!
Zulaika H. says
A good read - I appreciate the research you put into this.
Jessica says
Thanks for a wonderful and informative post. I am wondering if you found anything out about food miles (traveled and form of transport) of baby carrots vs. other carrots? Or if you have the ability to investigate that. I have also heard a lot about baby carrots traveling long miles. THANKS!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Jessica. No, we did not specifically looked at miles travelled. Jill
Dawn @ peelingbacktheonionlayers.com says
I remember when talk about this started years ago and we were concerned so my hubby called Grimmway and he was satisfied with their explanation. I am not thrilled about the "water chlorine solution" they are soaked in upon reading this though. I think we are switching back to regular carrots that I can peel myself. I think the "real" ones taste better anyway! Thank you for doing this research!!!
Cj says
Usually I like your articles. This one is ok but I think you forgot to think about the difference between soaking vs. lightly rinsing. Personally, I'm not concerned about chlorine levels but for someone who is there will be some chlorine absorption when the companies soak them in chlorinated water. So your argument that soaking is the same thing as home-rinsing doesn't really hold up. Also you forgot to discuss the nutrient difference in baby carrots vs whole. And I'm not talking about the carrots not being local because for that vegetable it matters less because they hold up so well. On talking about the peels being taken off and then the carrots being soaked. All the while a lot of the nutrients are being leached out into the soaking water. And then, since nothing is really protecting the carrot during shipment and storage, even more nutrients being leached out. No- better to buy whole carrots.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Cj. Thanks for shedding some additional light on the discussion. Jill
Marie says
The whoe concept of baby carrots is quite ingenious, if you look it up. Long ago, carrots that weren't perfect looking (i.e. straight) were sent to the animals as feed. Some farmer thought this was wasteful, aquired an industrial green bean cutter, and created "baby carrots".
Gina says
Really great post! I learned a lot and even though I occasionally buy baby carrots I think I will just stick with the original....
Stacy @Stacy Makes Cents says
Great post! We love baby carrots here. :-) Thanks for calling and clearing this up.
Public pools give me the heebie jeebies. LOL
Heather says
Thank you! Enjoyed the info (well, didn't ENJOY the pool info... Blech!) it was great info!
Irene says
To the person asking about freshly picked carrots wilting or getting mushy in a few days, it has to do with either the growing or storage conditions. Carrots grown in really wet conditions seem to rot sooner, in my experience. Last year was quite dry, and when I ate my last carrot, about six months after harvest, it was still crisp and sweet, but the year before was wet and I ended up having to shred and freeze a lot before they rotted. Last year I just stored them in the fridge in a container with air-holes and ridges on the bottom to raise them out of any moisture. I find they rot sooner in a plastic bag. If they get wilted, storing them immersed in water will firm them up (good for leftover carrot sticks).
This was a very interesting article. Thanks. I always wondered how baby carrots were made. Carrots grow in a variety of widths and lengths (and colours). Some are about the length of baby carrots but a bit skinnier. This is making me hungry! ;)
Kimberly says
I'm surprised you didn't mention a relevant nutritional difference between whole and baby carrots. The nutrients in produce begin to deteriorate as soon as you cut them. So, baby carrots--which are peeled and cut during processing--likely contain fewer nutrients than whole carrots that are peeled & cut right before eating. Eating baby/cut carrots is better than eating no carrots, but they aren't nutritionally equivalent to whole carrots.
Likewise, I'm not sure I agree with the assumption that soaking carrots in chlorinated water is the same thing as giving them a quick rinse in chlorinated water. It seems probable that soaked carrots absorb and retain more chlorinated water than quickly-rinsed carrots. It also seems probable that more water-soluble nutrients are washed away during soaking than would be in a quick rinse with the skin still on.
I appreciate that your intent here was to clear up the "soaked in chlorine" rumor and explain how baby carrots are made, but that's really only part of the story when it comes to choosing the most beneficial and nutritious option.
Lisa says
Kimberly - Do you have a reliable source you can share regarding "nutrients in produce begin to deteriorate as soon as you cut them?" Thanks.
Tiera Schulz says
It's funny but between my three kids...I have an 18 year old that won't touch carrots, of any kind...ever. A 15 year old that will only eat baby carrots. And a 5 year old that adores regular carrots and will only occasionally eat the baby carrots. He is also learning how to peel and cut said carrots so I think that may also have a lot to do with it right now. Pretty sure he is my chef. :)
Thanks for the information provided. I never really wondered about the baby carrots because like others have said, they aren't cost effective for us. But knowing that about the swimming pools and the smell...now it all makes sense! Also explains why the first couple of times we go to the city pool it has really no smell but as the summer wears on it gets stronger. They must really have to battle the chlorine levels.
Economiesofkale says
Thank you for researching this directly :) I don't really eat baby carrots because they are so much more expensive than normal ones, but it's good to know they are not so bad.
Robin Jingjit says
Good for you for contacting the source. I've just started emailing companies directly to get information. Sometimes it takes a few days or a little work, but it's worth it.
Michelle Blackston says
Thank you for this insightful commentary and thorough research. I appreciate your effort to educate and inform while offering realistic changes we all can make in our eating habits. As I've done before with information gleaned from this blog, I'll think twice about my food choices and make better decisions for my family. Another great entry!
Erica says
Thank you for all the research! As a "real" foodie I get tired of the constant barrage of "danger!, don't eat this!" warnings. It gets really old. It's nice to finally read something positive. I love all veggies, and baby carrots is one my kids will eat.
Kathy says
Great article and information. I have avoided baby carrots b/c I think they lack taste compared to full carrots (of course, organically grown local carrots taste the best to me.) Does anyone else find a lack of flavor in the baby carrots?
Jamie says
My 3 yr old and 5 yr old will take a large carrot straight from the garden and eat the whole thing after cleaning off the dirt. They will hardly touch baby carrots even with dip.
Melissa D says
I'm the same way... baby carrots have nothing on the larger ones! We threw carrot seed out into our garden and harvested about 10 carrots and they were delicious. My difficulties with growing food are all about the squirrels and chipmunks who love our harvest....