JJs

I always have washed stuff... have you ever watched those programs on tv whereas they are "washing" stuff in totally grossout water that's enough to gag a maggot...
and the workers 'relieve' themselves in the fields - another reason for the e-coli on veggies -

makes you not want to eat..

oldswimmer

Organically grown produce should be washed too...there are so many different guidelines for growing organic food, depending on where you live. Nebraska for instance has no ruling body in place, so anyone can claim they grow organic produce.... and in California and Florida (where I believe they have more regulations ,there are still several "organic" pesticides that may or may not be allowed for use on these fruits and vegetables. AND there ARE organic pesticides that can be dangerous! It is really impossible to know all the regulations.....the only really safe thing for consumers to do is WASH ALLyour fruits and vegetables! Sorry...stepping down from my box now....Being a horticulturist...this strikes a nerve.

ljsunflower

That IS scary! I'm glad she's ok now.

Sunflower7

Dr Oz says to soak fruit and veggies in a water solution with vinegar in it for 10 minutes before rinsing and eating it. B

burnsk

Thank you all for your comments and excellent advice. I have always washed the tops of cans before I open them. Will definitely be washing everything very well now. GD is doing fine today.

Thank you for your well wishes for her. My daughter says "Thank you" to everyone also.

burnsk

This sounds like a great idea. It's so hard to thoroughly wash grapes without removing them from the stems. Half the fun for kids is being able to carry them by the stems and pulling them off.

Maride

I am glad to hear she is fine and got medical help quick. I don't want to diminish the importance of washing fruits and vegetables. No one knows how many hands have handled them and they are dirty no matter what, but the fact that she responded to Benadryl and steroids is an indication that she had an allergic reaction. I would keep her away from grapes for a while and try to introduce them again slowly and by themselves. It sounds like an easy solution to point out the chemicals in the grapes, but the damage caused by these chemicals are usually caused by prolonged exposure rather than a one time instance. She could be allergic to them, but she could be allergic to something else she had with her breakfast, even if it wasn't the first time she has it. Sometimes it takes time to develop an allergic reaction. Sometimes your body react the first time is exposed to an allergen by getting ready and the next time the allergen is present the symptoms show.

I would go through everything she ate and drank, and try everything again, one item at a time and watch for a reaction, Benadryl on hand. Better safe than sorry.

Again, glad she is well.

Ramona Byrd

I have an old, large lemon tree in my back yard, and while I know darn well I never, ever use sprays on it except for some safe enough to eat (spraying water and soap on it helps a lot with bugs) I still wash them with dish soap, rinse well and soak for a while in bleach water, then rinse well. Lettuce from the grocery store I wash with vinegar water and rinse, then run hot water over it and then wrap in a towel and put it in the fridge. This is an old restaurant trick to make head lettuce crispy after it is old.
I try to get a lot of food at local farmer's markets, but still, we can't be too careful. I'm trying to get local comb honey, but due to regulations they find it difficult to do even that. Perhaps next month, or season.

Check to see if this darling little girl needs to carry an Epipen with her. She should be taught quickly the signs of her allergies
and what to do with it instantly. I've noticed that allergies increase in severity each time, so the time to get her trained is now.

-k

I've done this for years- 1 tablespoon organic cider vinegar per gallon of water; I fill my sink and throw in everything together. It also gets off any bacteria that may be on the surface of fruits & veggies.
:D