Story:
Danger To Your Family!!
From the Department of Life Education:
Baby Carrots:
The following is information from a farmer who grows and packages carrots for IGA, METRO, LOBLAWS, etc.
The small cocktail (baby) carrots you buy in small plastic bags are made using the larger crooked or deformed carrots which are put through a machine which cuts and shapes them into cocktail carrots – most people probably know this already.
What you may not know and should know is the following:
Once the carrots are cut and shaped into cocktail carrots they are dipped in a solution of water and chlorine in order to preserve them (this is the same chlorine used in your pool).
Since they do not have their skin or natural protective covering, they give them a higher dose of chlorine.
You will notice that once you keep these carrots in your refrigerator for a few days, a white covering will form on the carrots. This is the chlorine which resurfaces. At what cost do we put our health at risk to have esthetically pleasing vegetables?
Chlorine is a very well-known carcinogen, which causes Cancer. I thought this was worth passing on. Pass it on to as many people as possible in hopes of informing them where these carrots come from and how they are processed.
I used to buy those baby carrots for vegetable dips. I know that I will never buy them again!!!!
Other Versions
The ‘cute’ cocktail carrots that you buy in grocery stores come from deformed crooked big carrots. They are put through a machine to become small cocktail carrots. This part everyone knows.
After they are cut to size they are soaked in large vats of water mixed with chlorine to preserve them…….. The same chlorine you use for your swimming pools. The reason for this is because they don’t have the protection of the skin so they use a good amount of chlorine.
Notice that after you have stored them in the fridge for a while ,a white film forms on them…..it’s the chlorine coming to the surface.
At what cost do we risk our health to have esthetically presentable VEGGIES …..?????? Well Folks…… I think after reading this we will all strart making our own carrot sticks out of fresh carrots and keep them in the fridge in water ( a few at a time), right?
Analysis:
These messages, in various forms, claim that the Baby Carrots, that is Cocktail Carrots that are generally sold in supermarkets are processed in Chlorine, and so can be bad and cancerous to human health when consumed. Although it is a fact that the baby carrots are processed in chlorine solution before packaging, they are not harmful to human health.
What are Baby Carrots
Baby Carrots are a particular variety of carrots that are grown just for the production of baby carrots. The baby carrots are smaller in diameter, sweeter and more tender than the regular table carrots. Once the carrots grow, they are cut into small pieces, peeled, washed, and then packaged for stores. Although the baby carrots lose some of their nutritional value during the peeling process, they still offer a number of healthy benefits, especially because they are low in calories. As these cocktail carrots are fresh-cut, healthy vegetables, they have become popular among calorie conscious people and kids who eat them as snacks.
As mentioned in one of the messages, the baby carrots were originally made by cutting and trimming the big carrots that are broken and odd-shaped. But now, most of them are made from carrots that are particularly grown for the purpose.
Baby Carrots Processed in Chlorine
It is a fact that the baby carrots are treated with water containing small amount of chlorine before packaging. But this is the common practice of washing any ready-to-eat fresh vegetable product with chlorinated water, because it acts as a preservative, and protects the consumers’ health by reducing bacteria that can cause food-borne illnesses.
The chlorine used for this purpose will generally be well within the limits established by the EPA, comparable to the acceptable amount of chlorine used in public drinking water. This will not be harmful to your health. However, note that Chlorine is a commonly used household cleaner and disinfectant, and is also a potent irritant to human eyes, the upper respiratory tract, and lungs. In case of long term exposure to disinfection byproducts while drinking chlorinated water or swimming in chlorinated pools, some limited studies have raised Cancer concerns.
White Covering on Baby Carrots
The white covering on the baby carrots after few days of storage in refrigerator, referred to as chlorine that resurfaces, is not chlorine, but simply the result of dehydration. It is called ‘white blush’ and it can even happen with normal carrots not treated with chlorine. This white blush around carrots is a harmless discoloration that happens because of moisture loss and/or abrasion during storage. It is not associated with the chlorine used for preservation purpose.
Therefore, the baby carrots treated with permissible amounts of chlorine solution are not harmful and not carcinogenic.
Hoax or Fact:
Hoax.
References:
The Origin and Evolution of Baby Carrots
Chlorine and Cancer
Health benefits of baby carrots
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