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Post by sweetleaf on Oct 10, 2006 8:54:57 GMT
Apologies if you already know this but it has only recently come to my attention, most supermarkets import their carrots from none EU countrys where it is still legal to use Paraquat, illegal in this country although we produce and export it!immoral, IMHO
Once paraquat gets into the tap root it stays there and UK residents are consuming this poison although they are not aware of it.
It underlines the neccessity to grow your own or buy organic produce, and refuse supermarket veg, which is basically unfit for the compost heap!
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Post by skarloey on Oct 10, 2006 9:01:08 GMT
Hi Sweetleaf,
I didn't know that. I DO shop at Tesco (and used to buy normal carrots) but since I started to grow a bit of my own this year, I now only buy their organic fruit and veg.
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Post by Plocket on Oct 10, 2006 9:04:31 GMT
Yikes that is scary! Thanks for letting us know Sweetleaf <thumbsupsmiley>
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2006 9:10:07 GMT
 What are the symptoms of paraquat poisoning - does anyone know? <gulpsmiley>
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2006 9:16:15 GMT
Heard this on the Beeb news this morning, aparently there is 1 UK supermarket which sells home grown carrots but they failed to say which one.....I'd ckeck the packaging if you have to buy carrots at a supermarket. Better still find a local greengrocer or farmers market
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2006 9:27:08 GMT
I've just checked my pack of Tescos bunched carrots, tops intact - they were grown in East Anglia  |
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Post by skarloey on Oct 10, 2006 9:27:49 GMT
Here you go Rita... www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/paraquat/basics/facts.aspNo known anti-dote or cure for a big overdose BTW. Oh and if an inept paramedic tries to give you oxygen, it's best to decline it as this speeds the whole process up. Mind you, at least you will die quicker. |
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Post by sweetleaf on Oct 10, 2006 10:04:30 GMT
Long term effects include Parkinsons disease, or Parkinsonian syndromes, cancers etc. this was mentioned today, although some doctors have doubts about this, notably those employed by large Pharmaceutical/chemical companies!  Takes you right back to the huge Septrin debate (a sulphur based antiobiotic) which is now banned in the uk except in exceptional circumstances, this was deemed safe, because so many reports were made by Doctors employed by these companies. I am one of many to whom exposure to this is lethal, if it happens to be administered again.  |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2006 10:49:48 GMT
That's incredible, Sweetleaf. We generally buy from the local greengrocer, but sometimes pick something up at the supermarket if in a hurry - no more. Scary! ... cheers ...
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Post by andy on Oct 10, 2006 11:20:02 GMT
Gulp......we used to use the stuff like it was water back in the 80's and we never covered ourselves with protective cloting. One of the more common uses was for "burning in" the lines on sports pitches.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2006 9:53:18 GMT
Just seen this thread.
Presumably this caution doesn't apply just to carrots. I am fortunate in being able to grow substantial amounts of vegetables, we are still eating frozen carrots from last year. Good job since this year's crop is almost non existent.
Without wishing to sound paranoid, the problem is more widespread than just supermarkets, because where else does this food go? We don't know the origin of the food we consume in restaurants and bars etc, or processed foods?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2006 10:55:59 GMT
Good point Curry - I often wonder where restaurants etc. get their produce from - eating organic at home is easy but not the case when eating out or when buying take-aways  |
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Post by isabella on Oct 17, 2006 18:19:56 GMT
Checked Sainsbury's - their carrots are from Scotland
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2006 6:47:47 GMT
Apologies if you already know this but it has only recently come to my attention, most supermarkets import their carrots from none EU countrys where it is still legal to use Paraquat, illegal in this country although we produce and export it!immoral, IMHO Once paraquat gets into the tap root it stays there and UK residents are consuming this poison although they are not aware of it. It underlines the neccessity to grow your own or buy organic produce, and refuse supermarket veg, which is basically unfit for the compost heap! Do you know which supermarkets Sweetleaf - as it would seem that Tesco's and Sainsbury's carrots are grown in the UK? |
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Post by sweetleaf on Oct 18, 2006 7:18:38 GMT
The news item I watched said "most supermarkets", and claimed only 1 solely buys uk produce, it may be that as carrots still seem to be in season in the uk,(mine were a disaster this year) the situation may change in the near future, they also claimed that veg with tap roots were the most hazardous because they go deep, and store chemicals/minerals within the root.
Stay vigilant, seems to be the message.
Perhaps if shops find the foreign imports are left on the shelf, uk farmers will grow more of our veg, thus saving on food miles and the associated pollution too!
Has anyone looked at frozen veg? Just curious, do they actually state where they originate, or is that only for fresh? I must admit Ive never looked myself.....
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Post by Juliet on Oct 18, 2006 22:11:19 GMT
veg with tap roots were the most hazardous because they go deep, and store chemicals/minerals within the root. Hi Sweatleaf, This is something I've read often in Soil Association mags - not with regard to Paraquat specifically, but with regard to chemical residues generally staying in the root. As a result I only buy organic carrots & have done for ages! This page: www.soilassociation.org/web/sa/saweb.nsf/ed0930aa86103d8380256aa70054918d/6b19f3eca09aabed8025708a00374e6d!OpenDocument has more info. about chemicals in food (scroll down & click on the foodstuffs to find out what chemicals you will find in them!). Didn't know about Septrin though - oh joy, I used to take gallons of that when I was little. For ages I thought that a painful swollen mouth was one of the normal symptoms of a cold, then I spilled some of it on my arm, & that swelled up too ... . Thought it was just me though. I wonder now if it's one of the chemicals that contributed to my developing ME ... |
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Post by sweetleaf on Oct 18, 2006 22:37:48 GMT
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Post by Juliet on Oct 19, 2006 16:41:39 GMT
Eeek!
Er ... thanks. Have glanced through some of the pages, but it's too gory for me to read in detail (very squeamish). Horrifying.
"Luckily" all it did to me when I took it for bronchial asthma as a child was cause swollen, blistered lips (I had it in liquid form) & a lifelong aversion to the colour pink. Much later, I developed ME as a result of an allergic reaction to a (different) medication - but no-one quite knows why some people develop ME and others, in the same circumstances, don't - & there is some evidence that exposure to chemicals over a period of time could be a contributary factor, so there could easily be a connection.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2006 16:49:19 GMT
I don't buy meat, vegetables or fish from supermarkets.
And I refuse to shop at Tesco's(spawn of the devil).
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Post by skarloey on Oct 19, 2006 17:49:02 GMT
Found out yesterday that the supermarket that only sells home grown carrots is...............
TESCO. Thank goodness for that!
Probably sells loads of other veg with a whole load of crap in though! ;D
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What are the symptoms of paraquat poisoning - does anyone know? <gulpsmiley> 
