What are salsa benefits and side effects every ethical consumer must know? Is salsa vegan? Good for you? Sustainable? Food you should buy organic and fair trade? Here are salsa pros and cons…
Food is something we consume every day. If you’re like me, you do all the research you can to make sure you don’t hurt yourself, the planet, animals or others when shopping. As an ethical consumer myself, I am giving you all the info I’ve found on salsa benefits and side effects.
You are going to learn all about salsa benefits and side effects. This will include salsa benefits for your health and potential risks, salsa water footprint and carbon footprint, sustainability, if salsa is vegan or impact animals in other ways, and much more.
After learning if salsa is good or bad for you, the environment, animals and human rights, you will be able to make the best choices you can the next time you buy food.
This post is all about salsa benefits and side effects that every ethical consumer should know.
Top Salsa Benefits And Side Effects
Health
Salsa benefits may include:
- better digestion
- hydration
- boosted immunity
- detoxification
- weight loss
Additionally, salsa is…
- Typically Gluten Free
- Not a common Food Allergen
- A Nightshade Food
Environment
Water footprint: low, it takes 214 liters of water to produce 1 kilogram of tomatoes / 26 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of tomatoes
Carbon footprint: low, 1.1 CO2e to produce 1 kilogram or 2.2 pounds of tomatoes, a car driving equivalent of 2.5 miles or 4 kilometers
Destruction: low, tomato production is relatively sustainable, there is no known significant damage to air, water, land, soil, forests, etc. as long as pesticides have not been used, be sure to buy Non-GMO/organic, as toxic, chemical pesticides contaminate air, water, soil, etc.
Salsa is…
- Sustainable
Animals
Kills: none, salsa production does not involve any animals
Harms: none, salsa production does not involve any animals
Indirectly kills or harms: unknown
Salsa is…
Laborers
Health and safety: hazardous, workers may experience physical abuse, exposure to toxic chemicals and pesticides without protection
Living conditions: poor, high rates of human trafficking, specifically in Immokalee, Florida, in the USA a third of all tomatoes are from Florida and during winter 90%, workers are in the heat and sun for 10-12 hours per day, must share living quarters with many others, sometimes 20 people
Wages: low, reports say workers earn less than 2 cents per pound of tomatoes, workers from Mexico and Guatemala are promised jobs in the USA, they are illegally trafficked and once in Florida must work on tomato farms to repay their debts to their transporters, they must additionally pay over $200 in rent every month
Salsa…
- Often involves worker exploitation, laborer issues, human rights concerns due to tomato farming
salsa may contain gluten.
Is salsa gluten free?
Possibly. Salsa may or may not be gluten free.
While celiac disease may not be as rampant as many marketing trends lead us to believe, you may have a gluten sensitivity…
Celiac and gluten sensitivity symptoms are similar and may include: recurring abdominal pain, chronic diarrhea, constipation, tingling, numbness in hands and feet, chronic fatigue, joint pain, unexplained infertility and low bone density (osteopenia or osteoporosis).
There are hundreds of potential symptoms, many of which are also symptoms of other conditions.
Going gluten free easier than ever with this: Gluten and Gluten Free Foods List
salsa is not a common food allergen.
Is salsa a common food allergen?
No, salsa is not a common food allergen. Some people may experience allergic reactions to salsa but it is relatively rare by comparison.
A group of the eight major allergenic foods is often referred to as the Big-8 and includes milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans.
These foods account for about 90% of all food allergies in the United States.
Severe food allergies can be life threatening. Following ingestion of a food allergen, a person with food allergies can experience a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.
Persons may still be allergic to and have serious reactions to foods other than the eight foods identified by the law.
Be aware of common dietary restrictions and food allergens with this: The Big 8 Most Common Food Allergens List
salsa is sustainable.
Overall, is salsa eco friendly? Is salsa sustainable?
Salsa production is relatively sustainable, there is no known significant damage to air, water, land, soil, forests, etc. as long as pesticides have not been used, be sure to buy Non-GMO/organic, as toxic, chemical pesticides contaminate air, water, soil, etc. when using regenerative practices.
A 2018 Oxford University study – which is the most comprehensive analysis to date of the damage farming does to the planet – found that ‘avoiding meat and dairy is the single biggest way to reduce your impact on Earth’ as animal farming provides just 18% of calories but takes up 83% of our farmland.
Consuming animal products and byproducts is not environmentally friendly and is one of the worst things for the Earth. Not only is meat production wasteful, it causes enormous amounts of pollution. The industry is one of the biggest causes of climate change.
Read more about ‘What Makes Food Sustainable Or Unsustainable?’
salsa is vegan.
Is salsa vegan? Yes, salsa is vegan. Salsa ingredients typically include tomatoes, chili peppers, onions, jalapenos, coriander, garlic and lime and not an animal product or byproduct, therefore making it a vegan food.
Animals of factory farms and the livestock industry are suffering. They live in horrific conditions that often include confinement, physical abuse and unnatural environments…so much so that they need to receive antibiotics to keep from getting ill or spreading disease. They’re also injected with growth hormones to become fatter faster and live short lives, being slaughtered as soon as they finish growing and are killed prematurely, well before their natural lifespan.
Because we cannot see for ourselves how these animals live and what they endure does not mean it isn’t happening. The meat, poultry and dairy industries do everything they can to distance us from knowing how our food comes to be in order to keep us in the dark about what we support each time we buy animal derived products and byproducts.
Go vegan for animals!
It’s the best way to help animals and it’s not as difficult as you may think. Speak for animals with your actions, for they cannot speak at all.
Going vegan is easier than ever, at a glance with this: Vegan and Non Vegan Foods List
salsa has labor issues and human rights concerns.
Is salsa a product that has known labor issues?
At this time, there are reports of worker mistreatment regarding tomato farming. Be sure to buy fair trade salsa or check to make sure the brand does not source Immokalee tomatoes.
Did you know the single largest employer in the world is agriculture? The labor involved behind each and every product cannot go unrecognized.
Sadly, many labor concerns exist around the world in both developed and developing countries. We must be vigilant to ensure what we buy is not contributing to industries that are unfair to their valuable workers. Some known problems include workplace health and safety, child labor, gender inequality, inadequate pay, wage theft and exploitation. Workers can even be subjected to harassment, humiliation and violence and unfair employers often fail to provide laborers with access to shade, drinking water, restrooms and breaks. Consequently, laborers can face nausea, dizziness, heat exhaustion, dehydration and heat stroke -the leading cause of farmworker death!
Such mistreatment has been likened to modern day slavery. Workers are often afraid to report issues because they fear it will result in losing their jobs or deportation.
Fair trade organizations fight to ensure better social, environmental and economic standards.
We can improve people’s lives with foods we eat every day simply by buying products that are certified fair trade.
Be sure to read up on this list of ‘Foods You Should Always Buy Fair Trade‘
This post was all about salsa benefits and side effects.
Sources:
Fun Facts About Your Favorite Salsa Ingredients | USDA
