"Bad" neighborhoods get (literally) bad produce

A team of researchers at Drexel University went around to a few neighborhoods in Philadelphia and sampled ready-to-eat produce, milk, and orange juice. They tested the samples for bacteria, yeasts, and molds. To probably no one's surprise, they found that the lower the socioeconomic status (SES) of the neighborhood where they bought the produce, the higher the concentration of undesirable microbes in the food:

In general, microbial counts were high on raw produce sold at stores in both types of neighborhoods. This is not surprising because these are raw, perishable products; however, counts were almost uniformly higher in produce from stores in low-SES neighborhoods when compared to stores in high-SES neighborhoods.

Why? Some suggested reasons:

Small retail facilities that serve populations in low-SES urban areas may lack the resources, time, or knowledge to focus on sanitation and proper refrigeration. Small urban retailers may also rely on nontraditional transportation methods that are not refrigerated if they are located in small, inner-city streets. They may also be a captive market for less quality products from suppliers who have strict quality standards to meet for large corporate retailers.

In other words, they're selling the cast-off, blemished produce that SuperFresh and Whole Foods won't take. The vendors don't send it back as unsaleable to the growers; instead, they foist it on the shops in poor neighborhoods.

I recognize the double bind here. There are few supermarkets in low-SES neighborhoods -- instead you get cheap fast food, some drugstores, and corner convenience stores -- and it can be problematic to come into Center City on a regular basis to the Reading Terminal Market or the produce stands at the Gallery to get fresh fruits and vegetables. And from the vendors' point of view, just because an apple has a bruise doesn't mean it should be thrown in the trash. So long as it isn't rotten and full of worms, it's not unreasonable to try to sell the imperfect apple at some kind of discount to a shop in a neighborhood where the supermarkets are scared to build.

I'd be happy to pay $.60/lb for a bruised apple over the $2.00/lb for "perfect" apples I saw in my neighborhood SuperFresh this morning.

The researchers conclude that

[i]f low-SES populations consistently consume produce, dairy products, or meat and poultry that are of poorer microbial quality and therefore spoil quickly, it may negatively influence their willingness to purchase these products. It may also place them at increased risk of foodborne illness.

The article is forthcoming in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (.cfm file can be opened as a PDF).