You just never know about the provenance of the food you buy

[Primrose]

Was reading in The Telegraph today that a crisis about toxic rubbish dumps around Naples and Mount Vesuvius is polluting the soil and ground water supplies for growers of vines, apricots, cherries and vegetables, including the famous Italian plum tomatoes and that local riots are taking place by farmers. Apparently there are fears that the well known wine known as Lacryma Christi (Tears of Christ) is also being affected by these toxic dumps.

I know that Italian planning laws can be affected by all kinds of mysterious influences, but you really wonder how the powers that be can permit such tips to be located in one of their prime growing areas. It makes me very glad that I rarely use tinned tomatoes these days and can rely on my home grown ones but it just goes to show that you never can tell what has actually gone in to those delicious looking cherries or apricots on a market stall or supermarket.

[PLUMPUDDING]

Hi Primrose,

The article does highlight a major problem that we would be totally oblivious to normally. I like your reference to "mysterious influences". When we were in Sicily the hotel we were staying in was one of a group who were trying to get permission to build swimming pools in their grounds, but they were being blocked because the water supply came through Mafia owned land. I believe Naples is a Mafia stronghold, so they will have big problems.

[madasafish]

The Mafia control most rubbish disposal sites in S Italy. Say no more..

[Chantal]

There was a lot of fuss about the Mozarella being affected last year, because the animals ate the grass that had been polluted by... etc etc

[Primrose]

When you read stories like this you realise how fortunate we are in being able to grow our own, even on a limited scale.

Being realistic, probably consuming a small amount of polluted foodstuff over the course of our lives probably won't do us too much harm but the danger always is that if you're continually consuming fruit, vegetables, meat and fish, all of which are exposed to pollution or toxic waste over the course of their lifetimes, the levels in the human body are bound to build up.

I don't know whether any scientists have done a detailed study on what all these toxins do to our bodies long term, but at least in a small area of our food intake, it's nice to be able to exert some control over what we eat.

One wonders whether the "mysterious sources" in Italy who are behind all this pollution are eating the food from their local area or whether they're having it flown in from elsewhere ?

[Nature's Babe]

It starts in the cradle Primrose
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/ref/to ... reastmilk/
and in some studies children have been shown to have levels much higher than adults. A lot of the toxins come from ordinary household products,cleaners and sprays and from flame retardents n our furnishings.

[madasafish]

The Romans proved that despite lead poisoning from water pipes and drinking cups, it makes little difference until you're so old you die of something else anyway.

(In the case of the Romans, probably cirrhosis of the liver... oops that sounds like us).

Of course if you drink water deliberately contaminated with aluminium, you'll go gaga earler.. but The Water Company got off basically scot free so who cares?