MAX FACTS
growing tips, news and trivia
Fighting Organic Food Fraud
The global market value of organic food nearly tripled between 2002 and 2011
when it reached $62.8 billion. But because organic food can fetch prices
often twice as high as conventionally produced food, the risk for fraudulent
labeling has grown just as fast. That’s why researchers from the Bavarian
Health and Food Safety Authority and Wuerzburg University are devising a
new way to see if farms are labeling their produce appropriately. They are
looking into a technique called nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, which has been used to authenticate foods like honey and olive
oil. Researchers analyzed tomatoes grown both in greenhouses and
outdoors with conventional or organic fertilizers. Their data showed a
trend toward differentiation of organic and conventional produce. The researchers conclude the test is a good starting point for the authentication
of organically produced tomatoes, and its further refinement could help root
out fraudulently labeled foods.
(Source: sciencedaily.com)
Resolve to Make Compost
Homemade compost will provide you with black gold that will lighten heavy soil, increase the waterholding capacity of sandy soil, encourage healthy populations of beneficial soil micro-organisms and
provide nutrients to crops. Composting is also a way to recycle your garden and kitchen wastes,
grass clippings and fall leaves and keep these materials out of the landfill. An easy
way to start composting is to build an open-sided container. The classic recipe
for hot compost calls for alternating 4-5-in.-thick layers of brown materials
high in carbon (leaves, straw, dried plant material) with 2-3-in.-thick layers
of green materials high in nitrogen (kitchen scraps, garden trimmings
and fresh grass clippings). To accelerate the decomposition process,
chop or shred materials first and toss a few shovelfuls of soil between
each layer of plant material. Sprinkle each
layer with water and repeat.
(Source: garden.org)
Lettuce Demand in Japan
An opportunity for lettuce growers in the United States has emerged overseas.
Japan’s fresh-cut vegetable market is growing, and Japanese produce importers
and processors say one of the products with the greatest potential is lettuce,
both iceberg and romaine. Since the early ’80s, Japan’s food service sector developments, and efforts to reduce costs, have led to the growth
of the cut-vegetable market for industrial use. A surge in Japanese
imports of lettuce over the last few years, especially from Taiwan,
underscores a new opportunity for exporters, particularly during Taiwan’s off-season. The market potential for these products has long
been recognized by growers in the United States, but fumigation
methods have prevented US exporters from being able to take full
advantage. With demand now at an all-time high, US exporters might
consider exploring more options for remediating the fumigation risks.
(Source: freshplaza.com)
30
Maximum Yield USA | December 2014