Professor - Country of origin labeling laws requires retailers to clearly declare country of orgin on meats, fish, fruits, and vegetables. If it is not Cleary listed on the package, it must be declared on the shelf (most common with produce). So in theory, one should know the orgin of the fresh food in question. With that said, no agency is actually policing this regulation, so not all stores follow the rules.
The vast majority of our food is safe, but issues happen. I am on an email list for recalls due to my business (grocery store) and there are multiple recalls every day. These range from undeclared allergens on labels to salmonella, etc. The vast majority of effected foods are pulled from the distribution chain before consumers ever get near them. I will say, it seems like the vast majority of the recalls I see are from Chinese products. But that doesn't mean all thier products are bad.
I myself prefer fresh, natural, unprocessed foids, local when possible. It's a big world though, and favorites can't always be found from a local framer.
With fresh produce, wash, wash, wash. No matter the source. With oranges and other rind produce, don't forget to wash the outside prior to slicing to avoid contamination of the inner fruit.
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