Shop safe at farmers markets

 

Food Safety Feature Articles

 

Shop safe at farmers markets

Curt Wohleber, Writer, University of Missouri Extension;
Story source: Londa Nwadike, Food Safety Specialist, Kansas State University
and University of Missouri Extension

 

Farmers markets are a great place to buy healthy local produce and
other foods, meet and support local farmers, and enjoy shopping in a
fun environment. But shoppers should also pay attention to food safety
when buying and using foods from farmers markets, says a University
of Missouri Extension food safety specialist.

 

“Because the experience level of the vendors with food safety practices
may vary greatly, the consumer needs to take a bit more of an active
role in deciding what products to buy and from which vendors,” says
Londa Nwadike, extension consumer food safety specialist for MU and
Kansas State University.

 

“Make sure the produce is clean, that it looks fresh, that it’s a
nice, intact piece of produce,” she says. “If you’re buying cut or peeled
produce, make sure that it’s surrounded by ice or is being kept cold.”

 

When looking at meats, eggs and cheese to purchase, it’s important
to make sure that the products are either in a cooler or on ice, Nwadike
says. These products need to be kept cold to maintain their freshness.

 

Another item to study carefully is milk. “If you’re buying milk at
a farmers market, it is a regulatory requirement that the milk sold
at the farmers market has to be pasteurized,” she says. “Check with
the vendor and ask if it’s pasteurized, just to be sure. Pasteurized
is much safer.”

 

Nwadike recommends looking for clues that can tell you about the
vendor’s food safety practices. Surfaces and any knives or other utensils
should be clean. Workers should have clean hands and clothing. Look
for a hand-washing station in the booth, particularly in booths selling
prepared foods or offering samples.

 

Marketing terms

 

At both farmers markets and grocery stores, you’ll often see food
marketed under such terms as “organic,” “natural,” “local” or “sustainable.”
There’s a certain amount of understandable confusion about what these
terms actually mean, Nwadike says.

 

Some terms are regulated at the state or federal level. Other terms
aren’t regulated, though individual farmers markets may have their own
rules, such as what qualifies as “locally produced.”

 

“If something is certified organic and it has the USDA organic seal
on it, then we know it has met certain criteria,” she says. “If something
just says ‘grown organically’ at a farmers market, for example, you’ll
have to ask the farmer what that means and what sort of practices he
or she was using.”

 

“Natural” only means that there are no added ingredients and that
the product has been minimally processed, and that only applies to meat.
“There is no regulated definition for ‘natural’ for anything other than
meat products,” Nwadike says.

 

“More general terms such as ‘local,’ ‘sustainable’ and ‘artisan’
do not have a regulated definition,” she adds. “Checking with the farmer
is the best way to know for sure what a lot of those terms mean.”

 

Quick tips for shopping at farmers markets:

• Fresh produce should be clean, look fresh, have no cuts or nicks,
  and be displayed off the ground or floor.


• Cut or peeled produce should be on or surrounded by ice and look
  fresh and cold.


• Meat, eggs and cheeses should be in a cooler or on ice. Packages
  must feel cold. Egg cartons should be clean and eggs not cracked.


• Milk should be pasteurized for safety. Ask vendor to confirm.


• Canned fruits and vegetables should be processed appropriately
  for the type of product. Ask vendor how they were handled and prepared.


• Hot prepared foods should have a lid and be warm enough that
  you can see steam rising from the pan. Preferably, you should see
  vendors using a thermometer to check food temperature.

 

Tips to make sure your food stays safe on the way
home:

• Keep raw meat separate from other foods.


• Make the market your last stop before going home.


• Use a cooler or insulated bags, especially if it takes more than
  an hour to get home.

 

Check out these printable MU Extension fact sheets to learn more:

 

 

This story was originally published by MU Extension news: http://www.extension.missouri.edu/n/2833

Last update:
Monday, July 18, 2016