Judy Harrison, a professor and extension foods specialist in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, was quoted in Yahoo Finance about food safety at farmers markets.
There are more than 8,700 farmers markets registered in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmers Market Directory. While there are good reasons to purchase the locally grown foods, research suggests that fresh and local doesn’t always mean it’s safe to eat. A Penn State University study found that many vendors at more than 40 Pennsylvania farmers markets didn’t follow basic sanitary practices.
“A lot of people assume that because a food is produced locally it’s safer, but that’s not the case at all—it comes down to what kind of food safety practices the vendor uses,” said Harrison, who was not involved in the study.
