Buying produce grown in Mexico?

[Bobberman]

I generally do not buy produce grown in Mexico ! I bought several crops from mexico for the seeds ony! Are tomatos from mexico bad or what? what produce would you not buy grown in Mexico and why?

[OROZCONLECHE]

All the Stuff I buy is from Cardenas and ...Yup all the stuff is from mexico, I don't See why not, I mean its cheaper anyways but if you want to buy only things grown here its a bit more expensive

[GardenRN]

Most of the time, in the summer, I try not to buy any produce at all! (except fruits I don't/ can't grow) If possible I'd love to only support local growers, or at a minimum, U.S. growers. However, my budget doesn't always allow it. I don't think there's anything "wrong" per se with buying it, it's just a matter of personal choice and conviction.

I wonder how things play out as to what pesticides/herbicides they are allowed to use in other countries, on food shipped o the U.S. and how closely it's regulated. Like how China was still using lead based paint on kids toys. Or is it based on that countries laws, which in Mexico, are almost non-existent by comparison.

[Father's Daughter]

In winter I sometimes buy plum tomatoes and let them sit for a while. They won't get to garden quality, but they do ripen some more before I use them and actually have decent flavor. When I first started doing this, my grocery store usually had US grown plums. A few years ago they switched over to Mexican grown tomatoes, and they would always go from firm with no flavor right to rotten--no ripe in between stage. Unless they happen to have US grown tomatoes, I don't waste my money anymore.

[rainbowgardener]

I would guess it is hard to avoid buying produce from Mexico if you buy from a regular grocery store and it is generally hard to know where you are buying from, as most produce in grocery stores is not labelled as to its origin.

As far as pesticides and such, the US is generally much more tolerant of poisons than most other countries-- maybe not Mexico, but certainly way more than Canada and most European countries. Many pesticides, herbicides etc are sold perfectly legally here that are banned in 20 or 30 countries around the world. So it's hard for me to believe that we are getting more pesticides on imported crops than we would on US agribusiness grown.

Certainly any produce that is grown to be shipped 2000 miles is not going to be the same as locally grown.

[Tilde]

I would guess it is hard to avoid buying produce from Mexico if you buy from a regular grocery store and it is generally hard to know where you are buying from, as most produce in grocery stores is not labelled as to its origin.

https://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-10-01-food-labeling_N.htm

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First proposed in 2002, the country-of-origin legislation finally took effect in full on Tuesday [Fall 2008]. All meats, fish, and fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables must be identified by their country of origin, whether by a sticker, a sign, a placard or a label. Organ meats, such as heart, liver or kidney, aren't included.

I find it mix and match - I try to at least find US grown if I can't go organic; but I'm trying to grow more of my own. "Local" foods here aren't usually organic - we're on sand so it's very heavy chemically enhanced. I've toured the "little" factory farms and little urban "u-pick" lots and done some pick-yr-own out there to ease the kids into gardening and/or get freally fresh foods. Of course with growing kids we don't have food around long enough to spoil unless it gets buried somewhere .

[webmaster]

I'm with rainbowgardener, regular US produce (and some of the so-called organics too) is smothered in pesticides. I wouldn't eat it (if I can help it) if it were free. I'm not saying that regular US produce is unhealthy, simply that I don't wish to expose my family to pesticide residues found on US produce.

As for tomatoes grown in Mexico, it's the same as U.S. produce, I don't eat it if I can help it.

I do purchase organic food from Mexico and it tastes as good as most organic grown in the United States. Which isn't saying much. But it's a step up from non-organic produce grown in the U.S.

Tomatoes in general thrive in a warm climate that does not get too cool at night. So Mexico is a good place to grow them. Remember, tomatoes are a New World fruit. Tomatoes are native to South America and were grown extensively in Mexico by the Aztecs. The very name of the fruit, tomato, is from the native meso-american language, tomatl. Tomatoes are quite at home in Mexico.

[DeborahL]

Whenever I buy organic greens for my rabbits I always wonder if the produce really is organically grown.
I buy USA grown, hoping it really is organic.

[webmaster]

You have good reason to wonder about how organic your organic produce may be. Here is a discussion about how so-called [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=225300]organic strawberries are not as organic[/url] as you think.

[Bobberman]

So loop holes are even in the organic industry! Wash it good I guess!

[PunkRotten]

I buy from this store called Fresh n Easy and I see some of the produce marked grown in Mexico. All their Tomatoes are grown in Mexico. And lots of other fruits are either from Mexico and other Central/South American countries.

Then there is this other store called Vallarta which is a Mexican store. And all their produce is known to be really cheap. Things like 3-6 lbs of Oranges $1, 4 bunches of Cilantro $1, 6 bunches of Radish $1, 4 Bunches of green onions $1, 2 lbs Lemons $1, etc etc. None of it is Organic. They do ahve very few items they mark organic but the rest is not and I have no clue where they get it. And I always wondered how it can be so cheap compared to all the other stores.


Probably the best store I buy from is this place called Sprouts. They got organic and non- organic for most produce and the prices are decent.

Whole foods is a huge health supermarket with everything organic but way out of my budget.

I try to grow mostly what I eat but still it is not enough where I I don't depend on the stores. I still buy plenty of produce from the stores. What I try to do most is buy organic for the most heavily affected produce like apples, bell peppers, spinach, celery etc. Other stuff I don't care.

[DeborahL]

Sprouts is where I get my rabbits' foods. I get organic because I can't bear the thought of them eating sprayed Romaine, cilantro, and parsley.
I get the organic carrots too.
And at this moment, Mommy is eating lemon meringue pie with a diet Coke !

[DoubleDogFarm]

diet Coke

Yukfoo!

Eric

[Bobberman]

I think die coke will neturalize anything bad from the mexican gardens!

[DoubleDogFarm]

Read the can, you'll be neutralized all right.

Buy Mexican Coke, it has real sugar not corn syrup.

Eric

[rainbowgardener]

@ Tilde - just to be sure before I replied, I looked closely when I was at the grocery store yesterday. All the produce that was in sealed bags had origin marks, mostly Produce of the U.S. (not saying where in the US). NONE of the unbagged, loose fresh produce had any mark on it, not on the item itself nor anywhere around it to indicate where it might have come from. No "sticker, sign, placard or label" visible anywhere.

I have never seen any such labeling on most unbagged produce, though some unbagged apples have origin stickers on them (some just have stickers that say for eg. Gala, but no origin).

I don't know if this is in violation of the law or if there's an exception for unbagged stuff. If it is in violation of the law, then the law is extremely laxly enforced, at least here in Cincinnati.

[jal_ut]

Are tomatos from mexico bad or what? what produce would you not buy grown in Mexico and why?

I guess you asked two questions. Supermarket tomatoes from anywhere are flavorless. I think they pick them green and ripen them with gas. Even if red they taste green. If you could pick a red tomato in Mexico and eat it right away it would be great!

I have no reservations on Mexican produce. Its fine. Except wacky weed.

[Tilde]

Good point, rainbowgardener - I generally shop at national chains; smaller local stores might not have as many labels ....

[rainbowgardener]

I shop at Kroger's. It started in Cincinnati, but is pretty widespread now and is a big chain of huge supermarkets. No labels on any unbagged produce.

[DeborahL]

Out here Krogers is called Stater Brothers.
Hey, everyone who made fun of my diet Coke-I'm actually being good drinking it-would rather have the sugar stuff !