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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I was wondering if you could do a few suggestions on work lunches for husbands. What are the kind of lunches you pack for your husband. I need some ideas. Thank you in advance
Hi Deborah. Well, I think that is pretty dependent on your husband's tastes. :) I can tell you what works with mine, however. We have a cabinet full of thermoses for both the large boy and the two small ones. I depend heavily on heating leftovers or meals I have prepared and frozen. My husband's lunches often are just a large version of my sons' without the stickers and cute toothpicks. We do a lot of hearty soups, black beans and rice, stir fry's with brown rice or quinoa, quesadillas, and whole grain pastas with sauces. In addition, the main course is always accompanied by fresh fruit and veggies and, often, some kind of muffin or yogurt. If you take a look at the recipe index: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/real-food-resources/recipe-index/, you will find a lot of options to make and freeze and then pull out as needed. Freezing makes a mom/wife's life so much easier. ~Amy
I stumbled across your article after searching for “Cal-Organic†baby carrot risks and recalls. I am barely recovering from a terrible reaction to some toxins I consumed in a bag of their organic carrots and am unsure of where to go in order to help spread the word. I consider myself very careful about what I put in my body, and am fairly well-informed (assuming opting for organic was better than not in this instance), but I wish I had read this sooner. I'm certain the total-body reaction was to the carrots; what I experienced was nothing short of awful, which started with a piercing headache and rapidly turning into severe stomach pains, extreme bloating, sharp kidney pains, feverish sweating, and even respiratory distress until the carrots passed through my system. Terrifying experience to which I cannot attribute to anything else... What sort of recourse do we have as consumers and how can we spread the word and prevent others from experiencing the same horrible reactions to these toxins? Suggestions appreciated from all. Thank you.
The responsible thing to do is not be an alarmist by guessing where you might have gotten ill and start "spreading the word" before you have confirmation. As with all products, you call store where you bought it and inform them, then manufacturer to inform them and SEND THE PRODUCT BACK so that they can test it. If you did get sick from the baby carrots, it most likely was not the carrots themselves but conditions that allowed toxins to grow. That's the purpose of sending a product back with the information that you got sick; to help figure out the problem and prevent others from getting sick. :
All of those symptoms could have been caused by any number of viruses and bacteria that you picked up somewhere. I totally agree with Christina, you cannot necessarily link those conditions with the carrots and you do no one any favors by spreading rumors. If you are truly concerned you call the manufacturer or the CPSC to report your suspicion. All winter long you hear the same types f stories where people who go to the Doctors office, and come down with the flu the next day and blame it on their trip to the Doctors office even though the average period between exposure and getting your first symptoms is 4-7 days.
Food marketers really do not care about children's health. It's all about product pushing, and it is ultimately a parents job to Teach Their Children Well ~
I don't care how they are made, baby carrots are just plain gross. They are slimy, have no flavor, have a weird texture and no matter how long you cook them, they never get done. They are nothing like real carrots!
Just wanted to say thanks for this post. I can't tell you how many people I have referred to the link when they are freaking out online about the chlorine issue. Super helpful to have a well articulated and well researched piece at your fingertips!
This article is very true. Never buy baby carrots. We have our own brand of baby carrots around here. When you plant carrot seeds they are so tiny, so you have to go through your row thinning it out along the season . We eat these little roots, and they are wonderful. Very flavorful and aromatic. I cut off both ends and wash them, no need to peel.
All of the people having conniptions about chlorine in the water should maybe go to India, Africa, Asia, or South America to countries where the water is NOT treated with chlorine and is completely unsafe to drink. there are so many places in the world where people would feel so privileged to be able to walk to a tap and turn it on and get safe drinking water for their children and not have their children dying of water born illnesses, Diarrhea, Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Cholera, and the list goes on.
I completely agree. we are spoiled in soo many ways as a country. the water thing is ridiculous. Watching people load up on bottled water is incredibly crazy to me. For all you people that eat only organic I salute you. If you can't believe in the EPA's chrlorine guidelines for farmers how do you expect tp believe in the other farmer stating 100% organic... I live in California I see the organic fruits and veggies being transported in the open air trucks with the flat beds... Try holding a carrot out in the air at 60 mph the wat it... So many toxins in the open air... You would by for a light chlorine bath.... And I love the comment about tap water being sprayed on the produce at the grocery store.. Even the organic... Eat up....
I travel consistently for work and have witnessed fellow staff members who live in the country I happen to visit wash any and all produce they bring home in a diluted solution of chlorinated water (as one commenter above noted she has been doing for 30 years). This is a common and necessary practice to avoid getting sick.
Yes!! This is what we call "first world problems" Like she said, any produce is better than none!
Angus Martinsays
Chlorine for 'water purification' is the technology of the past. There will be safer ways in the future to make sure that water is safe to drink. The future is now, of course, and other better solutions already exist, but since state-capitalism is so regressive (fear of change due to fear of loss of profit) we will continue to have our water treated with chlorine. Chlorine is probably also a by-product of some industrial process, so they love to make profit off of waste, like they do with fluoride, which they also put in the water, for absolutely no good reason.
Chlorine is a gas. So if something is 'soaked' in Chlorine, it is assumed that it is water with chlorine gas dissolved in it (like what you would put in a swimming pool. The only question would be is what the concentration of chlorine used. Thanks for the informative article.
Let's add to the conversation the fact that apple juice has cyanide in it and most kids drink it straight up, not diluted with water, which come to find out has chlorine in it. BUT, the EPA says it's "safe."
Hi Donna. Baby spinach leaves are simply harvested earlier and are sweeter and more tender than more mature leaves. There may be some variation in nutrient content but nothing truly conclusive. No matter which you choose, just eat it. It is a powerhouse among veggies! :) ~Amy
Do you have any information on the nutritional difference between the "baby spinach" (which comes pre-washed and packaged) and just a regular bunch of spinach off the produce stand?
Oh my greatness, I must say this to the world. I'm Daniella living in the US, I'm a patient of Uterine Fibroid tumor, i have seek for drugs, gone for many checkup, i hardly even sleep at night. I have been suffering from this ill health for about 9-11yrs now. I have taken drugs to suppress and all other medications but it still there.
Just couple of weeks ago i was surfing the internet and i saw someone talking about how Dr. Lamp cure her from breast Cancer which almost took her life with his UGBESIN BT1 medicine with some few spiritual work. It amze me so much that i had to contact Dr. Lamp through his email on [email protected] for his spiritual Herbal medicine to cure Uterine Fibroid tumor.
All he told me was that i should abide to conditions and in just 7days, i should go for checkup to be sure i am cured.
This sounds so heartwarming and so how funny but i gave it a bold step.
He asked me to send my picture so he can pray in his temple as he work his medicine. He gave me his OTOPY DV HERBAL, Certified by the FDA and UNICEF, generally accepted worldwide. he asked me to take it for 7days and also asked me to abide to conditions as the OTOPY DV HERBAL would was my stomach without pains.
My dear can you believe that after seven days i went to the hospital to know how check my self because i was now feeling light, the doctor was shocked to asked me what i took. He did several scanning and nothing was there anymore i was totally cured and healed. this Dr. Lamp herbal medicine surprised me.. he is currently helping my friend out who has not been able to conceive after 13yrs of marriage. All my friends and relatives wants to meet him for vote of thanks.
Dr. Lamp said he has different drugs for different illness and he is still currently inventing a new one that can cure any form of sickness concerning blood cancer.
Please meet this man if you are ill because health is wealth. Dont go waste your money on hospital bills just as i did for about 11yrs without results. his email again is [email protected].
Uhm about the carrots getting the blunt and rounded shape part.. so they become that shape from being tumbled around with other carrots? like the rocks in the river being round from being tumbled around in the river after hundreds of years? how freaking solid are those carrots (rock solid??) and how long do the carrots get tumbled around for (hundreds of years..??)?
If the carrots were blunt due to being tumbled around... they should all be of exact uniform shape, there should be some irregularities.
"regular" carrots are fed tap water in growing, and when they are in the grocery stores they are misted with tap water. any greens on any vegetable will absorb the water and the chlorine in it no way to get away from it
This article is very informative. For about 30 years now, when I bring home vegetables, I wash them in 1T clorox and 1 gallon of water to get rid of chemicals and mold as directed by my doctor back then. I do rinse them in distilled water (I distill my own) stored in glass.
We each do what we can tolerate and look for the best results.
You write the truth about the particular brand you investigated (Cal-Organic) but it is also misleading that all brands follow their same practice. Most do not. Most do, in fact, soak in a heavier chlorine solution.
I would like you to research the EPA standards. According to them, it is safe to consume many things and those many things will change in 20 years when someone gets cancer. According to EPA standards today, it is okay to consume the equivalent of the average swimming pool contents as long as it is NOT DIRECTLY CONSUMED. Meaning, it is not okay to drink but it is okay to consume something that has been...shall we say, soaked?
I commend the information you are giving but I do feel it is somewhat misleading and applies only to one brand.
I am sorry, but of course a company is going to down play their practices. Especially if they involve harmful chemicals. Call up the companys that use GMOs. I am sure they make it seem like it is a normal and healthy process. The point is, eat local, buy local and always question where your food comes from. If it seems to be to be true or to convenient to be true - then it probably is not true. Bottomline... companies want to make money. They have to streamline their processes to meet the demand. Therefore, they add chemicals (chlorine, artificial sweetners, etc.) food that are not natural and should not be consumed.
Saying the amount of chlorine in their soaking solution is just like our tap water is an overstatement. If that were true, they could simply rinse their produce in tap water to kill all of the bacteria. But they don't. They mix up a chlorine solution to use. I appreciate that when dealing with feeding millions you need to pasteurize, add preservatives, use antibacterials. It is a neccessary evil to keeping people from getting ill. However, the lesser of evils is not the healthiest either. Those carrots absorb that chlorine and you get the priviledge of eating it. Do you drink the pool water?
Your body absorbs a certain amount of chlorine everytime you go into a pool treated with it. Same goes for when you shower. Everybody who uses tap water to bathe has trace amounts of chlorine in their system. Skin is porous...
Uhh, tap water has a whole lot more wrong with it than just traces of chlorine. Hopefully, they use purified or distilled water at the production facility along with this trace of chlorine.
If it were not for chlorine in tap water and to wash these foods prior to transportation there would much more disease, death, and general ill health than could possible be related to chlorine consumption. Not to mention there would not be enough food to feed the number of people on the planet.
...as a self developed baby carrot FAN who gorges on them with roasted pine nut hummus (yes 'processed' Sabra) and triscuits or
rice crackers, I am somewhat stunned to read such news about my little wonders. I buy them from Aldi's at .99 a bag usually. I swear after several years of carrots daily, I think my eyesight has improved, and I don't wear my glasses as much! I also converted from sugar to stevia and don't keep sugar in the house anymore. Only use it in my coffee. Work out daily I do, and going for way better physical condition at 60 than at 30!
I like the taste of regular carrots better than the baby carrots, and my kids do too. As a working mom, what is the best way to store them so they last at least the week?
We don't drink unfiltered water, and our filter filters out chlorine, so I do have an issue with them SOAKING them in a chlorine solution. I buy whole organic carrots as well though, so it's not that big of an issue to me. However, for people who do wash they produce with unfiltered city water that contains chlorine and other "stuff" - I still have to believe that is better than SOAKING them in a chlorine and water solution. Personally, I rinse my carrots before I peel them, so if I washed them in the unfiltered city water they would still have the peel on them, AND they wouldn't be soaking in them. The easiest thing to do is to just buy whole carrots, clean, and cut them up yourself.
I'm enjoying your blog and getting some great ideas for packing my kids lunches. But, while I think you gave good info about the carrots, I don't think I'll be hiring you anytime soon to take care of my pool.
Facts not mentioned: The big carrots you pull out of the dirt of your own garden taste so, so much better & you can get them in lots of different cool colors.
I was worried you were going to tell us they ARE soaked in tons of chlorine and I was going to be super sad. Both myself and my daughter have some serious texture issues, and petite baby carrots are the easiest for us to get down! So glad to hear they aren't as bad as I worried.
Suzanne says
Thanks for doing the research. Isn't it amazing how most of us would 'google' before thinking to call the manufacturer and ask for ourselves?
Dr. Chetali Samant says
Nice to know abt Baby Carrots. Wonderful info and insight into the making of Baby carrots.
deborah s says
I was wondering if you could do a few suggestions on work lunches for husbands. What are the kind of lunches you pack for your husband. I need some ideas. Thank you in advance
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Deborah. Well, I think that is pretty dependent on your husband's tastes. :) I can tell you what works with mine, however. We have a cabinet full of thermoses for both the large boy and the two small ones. I depend heavily on heating leftovers or meals I have prepared and frozen. My husband's lunches often are just a large version of my sons' without the stickers and cute toothpicks. We do a lot of hearty soups, black beans and rice, stir fry's with brown rice or quinoa, quesadillas, and whole grain pastas with sauces. In addition, the main course is always accompanied by fresh fruit and veggies and, often, some kind of muffin or yogurt. If you take a look at the recipe index: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/real-food-resources/recipe-index/, you will find a lot of options to make and freeze and then pull out as needed. Freezing makes a mom/wife's life so much easier. ~Amy
Hue Jackman says
If you got sick from carrots, you might need a checkup.
CarrotCrusader says
I stumbled across your article after searching for “Cal-Organic†baby carrot risks and recalls. I am barely recovering from a terrible reaction to some toxins I consumed in a bag of their organic carrots and am unsure of where to go in order to help spread the word. I consider myself very careful about what I put in my body, and am fairly well-informed (assuming opting for organic was better than not in this instance), but I wish I had read this sooner. I'm certain the total-body reaction was to the carrots; what I experienced was nothing short of awful, which started with a piercing headache and rapidly turning into severe stomach pains, extreme bloating, sharp kidney pains, feverish sweating, and even respiratory distress until the carrots passed through my system. Terrifying experience to which I cannot attribute to anything else... What sort of recourse do we have as consumers and how can we spread the word and prevent others from experiencing the same horrible reactions to these toxins? Suggestions appreciated from all. Thank you.
Christina says
The responsible thing to do is not be an alarmist by guessing where you might have gotten ill and start "spreading the word" before you have confirmation. As with all products, you call store where you bought it and inform them, then manufacturer to inform them and SEND THE PRODUCT BACK so that they can test it. If you did get sick from the baby carrots, it most likely was not the carrots themselves but conditions that allowed toxins to grow. That's the purpose of sending a product back with the information that you got sick; to help figure out the problem and prevent others from getting sick. :
http://www.livestrong.com/article/170387-carrots-food-poisoning/
Dan says
Or it can also be the carrots.
Alexis Guethler says
All of those symptoms could have been caused by any number of viruses and bacteria that you picked up somewhere. I totally agree with Christina, you cannot necessarily link those conditions with the carrots and you do no one any favors by spreading rumors. If you are truly concerned you call the manufacturer or the CPSC to report your suspicion. All winter long you hear the same types f stories where people who go to the Doctors office, and come down with the flu the next day and blame it on their trip to the Doctors office even though the average period between exposure and getting your first symptoms is 4-7 days.
Healthy Notions, LLC says
Food marketers really do not care about children's health. It's all about product pushing, and it is ultimately a parents job to Teach Their Children Well ~
Rosana says
I have never liked that taste of "baby carrots". They are just gross. I peeled and cut regular carrots for snacking. Much better flavor
Debbie says
I don't care how they are made, baby carrots are just plain gross. They are slimy, have no flavor, have a weird texture and no matter how long you cook them, they never get done. They are nothing like real carrots!
Rachel Amanda says
Just wanted to say thanks for this post. I can't tell you how many people I have referred to the link when they are freaking out online about the chlorine issue. Super helpful to have a well articulated and well researched piece at your fingertips!
Kerry says
Excellent... well written, and well informed! Thank you!
Louie says
Snopes this guys. Total BS/Misrepresentation of facts.
Tanya says
Louie, do you mean this Snopes article? http://www.snopes.com/food/tainted/carrots.asp
I think if you actually read it you will see that this article is TRUE.
Thank you and have a blessed day. :)
Mrs.K says
This article is very true. Never buy baby carrots. We have our own brand of baby carrots around here. When you plant carrot seeds they are so tiny, so you have to go through your row thinning it out along the season . We eat these little roots, and they are wonderful. Very flavorful and aromatic. I cut off both ends and wash them, no need to peel.
Valerie says
All of the people having conniptions about chlorine in the water should maybe go to India, Africa, Asia, or South America to countries where the water is NOT treated with chlorine and is completely unsafe to drink. there are so many places in the world where people would feel so privileged to be able to walk to a tap and turn it on and get safe drinking water for their children and not have their children dying of water born illnesses, Diarrhea, Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Cholera, and the list goes on.
Michael says
I completely agree. we are spoiled in soo many ways as a country. the water thing is ridiculous. Watching people load up on bottled water is incredibly crazy to me. For all you people that eat only organic I salute you. If you can't believe in the EPA's chrlorine guidelines for farmers how do you expect tp believe in the other farmer stating 100% organic... I live in California I see the organic fruits and veggies being transported in the open air trucks with the flat beds... Try holding a carrot out in the air at 60 mph the wat it... So many toxins in the open air... You would by for a light chlorine bath.... And I love the comment about tap water being sprayed on the produce at the grocery store.. Even the organic... Eat up....
International Traveler says
I travel consistently for work and have witnessed fellow staff members who live in the country I happen to visit wash any and all produce they bring home in a diluted solution of chlorinated water (as one commenter above noted she has been doing for 30 years). This is a common and necessary practice to avoid getting sick.
Anna says
Yes!! This is what we call "first world problems" Like she said, any produce is better than none!
Angus Martin says
Chlorine for 'water purification' is the technology of the past. There will be safer ways in the future to make sure that water is safe to drink. The future is now, of course, and other better solutions already exist, but since state-capitalism is so regressive (fear of change due to fear of loss of profit) we will continue to have our water treated with chlorine. Chlorine is probably also a by-product of some industrial process, so they love to make profit off of waste, like they do with fluoride, which they also put in the water, for absolutely no good reason.
Senor Pescador says
i like the last part eating some produce is better than not eating any at all
Jesse says
Chlorine is a gas. So if something is 'soaked' in Chlorine, it is assumed that it is water with chlorine gas dissolved in it (like what you would put in a swimming pool. The only question would be is what the concentration of chlorine used. Thanks for the informative article.
Pablo Garcia says
Let's add to the conversation the fact that apple juice has cyanide in it and most kids drink it straight up, not diluted with water, which come to find out has chlorine in it. BUT, the EPA says it's "safe."
Amanda says
Chlorine or not, they're always slimy in the bag and have zero flavor. They're just plain gross in my opinion.
Donna says
I would like to know about baby spinach, as well.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Donna. Baby spinach leaves are simply harvested earlier and are sweeter and more tender than more mature leaves. There may be some variation in nutrient content but nothing truly conclusive. No matter which you choose, just eat it. It is a powerhouse among veggies! :) ~Amy
Michele says
Hello,
Do you have any information on the nutritional difference between the "baby spinach" (which comes pre-washed and packaged) and just a regular bunch of spinach off the produce stand?
I've been curious...
thanks
Daniella says
Oh my greatness, I must say this to the world. I'm Daniella living in the US, I'm a patient of Uterine Fibroid tumor, i have seek for drugs, gone for many checkup, i hardly even sleep at night. I have been suffering from this ill health for about 9-11yrs now. I have taken drugs to suppress and all other medications but it still there.
Just couple of weeks ago i was surfing the internet and i saw someone talking about how Dr. Lamp cure her from breast Cancer which almost took her life with his UGBESIN BT1 medicine with some few spiritual work. It amze me so much that i had to contact Dr. Lamp through his email on [email protected] for his spiritual Herbal medicine to cure Uterine Fibroid tumor.
All he told me was that i should abide to conditions and in just 7days, i should go for checkup to be sure i am cured.
This sounds so heartwarming and so how funny but i gave it a bold step.
He asked me to send my picture so he can pray in his temple as he work his medicine. He gave me his OTOPY DV HERBAL, Certified by the FDA and UNICEF, generally accepted worldwide. he asked me to take it for 7days and also asked me to abide to conditions as the OTOPY DV HERBAL would was my stomach without pains.
My dear can you believe that after seven days i went to the hospital to know how check my self because i was now feeling light, the doctor was shocked to asked me what i took. He did several scanning and nothing was there anymore i was totally cured and healed. this Dr. Lamp herbal medicine surprised me.. he is currently helping my friend out who has not been able to conceive after 13yrs of marriage. All my friends and relatives wants to meet him for vote of thanks.
Dr. Lamp said he has different drugs for different illness and he is still currently inventing a new one that can cure any form of sickness concerning blood cancer.
Please meet this man if you are ill because health is wealth. Dont go waste your money on hospital bills just as i did for about 11yrs without results. his email again is [email protected].
Nieve says
Uhm about the carrots getting the blunt and rounded shape part.. so they become that shape from being tumbled around with other carrots? like the rocks in the river being round from being tumbled around in the river after hundreds of years? how freaking solid are those carrots (rock solid??) and how long do the carrots get tumbled around for (hundreds of years..??)?
If the carrots were blunt due to being tumbled around... they should all be of exact uniform shape, there should be some irregularities.
johnny says
"regular" carrots are fed tap water in growing, and when they are in the grocery stores they are misted with tap water. any greens on any vegetable will absorb the water and the chlorine in it no way to get away from it
Fae Dunn says
This article is very informative. For about 30 years now, when I bring home vegetables, I wash them in 1T clorox and 1 gallon of water to get rid of chemicals and mold as directed by my doctor back then. I do rinse them in distilled water (I distill my own) stored in glass.
We each do what we can tolerate and look for the best results.
Wanting More says
You write the truth about the particular brand you investigated (Cal-Organic) but it is also misleading that all brands follow their same practice. Most do not. Most do, in fact, soak in a heavier chlorine solution.
I would like you to research the EPA standards. According to them, it is safe to consume many things and those many things will change in 20 years when someone gets cancer. According to EPA standards today, it is okay to consume the equivalent of the average swimming pool contents as long as it is NOT DIRECTLY CONSUMED. Meaning, it is not okay to drink but it is okay to consume something that has been...shall we say, soaked?
I commend the information you are giving but I do feel it is somewhat misleading and applies only to one brand.
Concerned consumer says
I am sorry, but of course a company is going to down play their practices. Especially if they involve harmful chemicals. Call up the companys that use GMOs. I am sure they make it seem like it is a normal and healthy process. The point is, eat local, buy local and always question where your food comes from. If it seems to be to be true or to convenient to be true - then it probably is not true. Bottomline... companies want to make money. They have to streamline their processes to meet the demand. Therefore, they add chemicals (chlorine, artificial sweetners, etc.) food that are not natural and should not be consumed.
Buy. Shop. Eat. Local.
Dawn Becker says
YES! Thank you!!!
Angie Ferrell says
Saying the amount of chlorine in their soaking solution is just like our tap water is an overstatement. If that were true, they could simply rinse their produce in tap water to kill all of the bacteria. But they don't. They mix up a chlorine solution to use. I appreciate that when dealing with feeding millions you need to pasteurize, add preservatives, use antibacterials. It is a neccessary evil to keeping people from getting ill. However, the lesser of evils is not the healthiest either. Those carrots absorb that chlorine and you get the priviledge of eating it. Do you drink the pool water?
me says
mmm yummy pool water
TPage says
lol
I dont carrot all says
Your body absorbs a certain amount of chlorine everytime you go into a pool treated with it. Same goes for when you shower. Everybody who uses tap water to bathe has trace amounts of chlorine in their system. Skin is porous...
Jay Weidemann says
Uhh, tap water has a whole lot more wrong with it than just traces of chlorine. Hopefully, they use purified or distilled water at the production facility along with this trace of chlorine.
Jonathan says
If it were not for chlorine in tap water and to wash these foods prior to transportation there would much more disease, death, and general ill health than could possible be related to chlorine consumption. Not to mention there would not be enough food to feed the number of people on the planet.
Muriel says
Hotgame TM invented this way of growing vegetables.
For carrots, the best ones are organic since there's a big concentration of nitrates.
Fredly says
...as a self developed baby carrot FAN who gorges on them with roasted pine nut hummus (yes 'processed' Sabra) and triscuits or
rice crackers, I am somewhat stunned to read such news about my little wonders. I buy them from Aldi's at .99 a bag usually. I swear after several years of carrots daily, I think my eyesight has improved, and I don't wear my glasses as much! I also converted from sugar to stevia and don't keep sugar in the house anymore. Only use it in my coffee. Work out daily I do, and going for way better physical condition at 60 than at 30!
Helyn @ Helyn's Healthy Kitchen says
Hi Lisa and Jason! What a great post! Thanks very much for that research you did! I have sited your article on my blog today... very helpful!
Jb says
Grow your own and wash them in distilled water.
Candy says
I like the taste of regular carrots better than the baby carrots, and my kids do too. As a working mom, what is the best way to store them so they last at least the week?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Candy. I love this blog post on carrot storage: http://marycrimmins.com/how-to-store-carrots/. :) ~Amy
Amy Koenig says
We don't drink unfiltered water, and our filter filters out chlorine, so I do have an issue with them SOAKING them in a chlorine solution. I buy whole organic carrots as well though, so it's not that big of an issue to me. However, for people who do wash they produce with unfiltered city water that contains chlorine and other "stuff" - I still have to believe that is better than SOAKING them in a chlorine and water solution. Personally, I rinse my carrots before I peel them, so if I washed them in the unfiltered city water they would still have the peel on them, AND they wouldn't be soaking in them. The easiest thing to do is to just buy whole carrots, clean, and cut them up yourself.
Liz says
I'm enjoying your blog and getting some great ideas for packing my kids lunches. But, while I think you gave good info about the carrots, I don't think I'll be hiring you anytime soon to take care of my pool.
Laurie says
Thank you for this information. I was doing the Google search today and found that you'd already done the work. haha
I shared this blog on my own today. Will post on my Facebook soon (linked here).
alena says
I personally think the baby carrots are flavorless. I prefer the whole ones. A lot more flavor IMO.
D'SHARP says
CHLORINE HUH? HAVE ANYONE HEARD ON FOOD GRADE HYDROGEN-PEROXIDE I THINK THAT IS SAFER DONT U THINK?
Angelika says
This chlorine bath is also the standard process for bagged or packaged salad greens. Even organic ones.
Dave says
Facts not mentioned: The big carrots you pull out of the dirt of your own garden taste so, so much better & you can get them in lots of different cool colors.
Kara says
I was worried you were going to tell us they ARE soaked in tons of chlorine and I was going to be super sad. Both myself and my daughter have some serious texture issues, and petite baby carrots are the easiest for us to get down! So glad to hear they aren't as bad as I worried.