Food and Water Watch Presents the Global Grocer

From our friends at Food and Water Watch…

Do you know what’s in your shopping cart? Although this may seem like a simple question, there’s more to the apples, cucumbers, peas and other fruits and vegetables you buy than meets the eye. Many Americans don’t know that they are consuming more imported fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as canned and frozen produce and fruit juice than ever before. However, these imports can contain hidden dangers, as imported produce is more likely to contain foodborne-illness causing bacteria and illegal levels of pesticides than domestically grown fruit and vegetables. What’s worse, a majority of these imports are unlabeled due to loopholes in requirements for country-of-origin labeling.

Fortunately, there’s a new online tool by Food & Water Watch, a national consumer advocacy group, to help consumers learn what countries our produce comes from. The Global Grocer: Where is Your Produce From? transports online visitors to a virtual supermarket, displaying fresh, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables that top grocery lists of many American consumers. After clicking on various items to add them to a shopping cart, Global Grocer shoppers can learn the likelihood of the food item being imported and from what countries. For example, many Americans may be surprised to learn that one out of four packages of frozen spinach is imported, and that China alone produces one out of seven frozen spinach packages Americans buy at the supermarket.

Click on the image above or visit http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/global-grocer to start your shopping trip and learn more about the country of origin of your favorite foods.