Possible Soil Contamination

[bliskucha]

I'm very curious about something. In Ukraine, is there any concern about soil contamination from Chornobyl when you grow your own fruits and vegetables in gardens? Is there less of a concern the farther south you go, such as in Odesa vs. Kyiv. Also, is there any concern at all when you go out to eat in a restaurant where the foods may have been grown? I'm aware of possible contamination of mushrooms, but I just wonder about all the other domestically grown foods. I want to visit Ukraine very badly and I am, along with so many other people, naturally concerned about this potential problem.

[johnstruthers]

I'm going to repeat a lot of what I said in a posting on the mushrooming: Ukraine is a very, very large country, bigger than France and bigger than the combined Germanies. The contaminated area: You can't draw a line around it, because there are "hot spots", and in between it's clean. In any case, the combined area of nuclear contamination is a very small area in comparison to the rest of the country. I just looked at a map, and I think it would be less than 3% of the land. There was a period of time when people were concerned with contaminated food coming from those areas. First of all, any state or formerly-state run food processing enterprises that were affected have been closed. So now we're left with only homemade kolbasa and village-grown veggies and fruits to worry about: As a practical matter, the person from the village can't travel three hundred miles to sell suspect produce. There are no middlemen who could get away with that, either: There are still occasional sweeps with geiger counters at markets all over Ukraine, and where there was a certain amount of contaminated stuff showing up ten years ago, everyone got the picture, and there simply is no profit in it, and it is unheard of now. The real concern is the person who has a "hot" garden and feeds the family on it. Keep that in mind: They've got to feed the family first. Nobody is going to deliberately poison his family. So there really is no danger. I don't hear anyone bringing up that subject here. Ukraine has wonderful vegetables and fruit, and they are safe to eat. When you visit, enjoy the food. It's good for you, and has wonderful flavor. Everyone loves to open up a Ukraine-grown tomato for the fragrance.

[bliskucha]

John, I want to thank you so much for responding to my post concerning possible soil contamination in Ukraine. Being part Ukrainian, I really do want to visit Odesa very much. And after having read your post, I can honestly say that you have made me feel that I can confidently go and enjoy the, as you put it, healthy and delicious foods of Ukraine. People do worry about this sort of thing, and understandably so. What you say makes total sense, and I can't wait to start packing my bags and taking a whiff of the aroma of one of those amazing Ukrainain tomatoes!

Thanks again.

[Zbyszek]

Greetings Vanya, Hi Bliskucha,

John, your approach based on the common sense provides a good explanation concerning the sensitive food issues.
I live relatively far from Chernobyl(Warsaw) but we are also sensitive about the possible dangers. Specialists in Poland say that even with some doses of radiation, mushrooms which are the most sensitive foods to radiation can be occasionally eaten without any noticeable danger. The cultivated products are safer.
Bliskucha, we had a good, informative discussion with John and Hanja on the agricultural issues in the other thread, the Politics board:
http://www.ukraine.com/forums/showth...?threadid=4319
Regards from the Ukraine'sWesternNeighbourLand.

[johnstruthers]

Bliskucha,
I hope you enjoy your visit to Ukraine. You're going to that great city Mama Odessa, and they will treat you well there. There's a good mixture of Yiddish cuisine that you can enjoy there too, like various "stuffed fish" recipes. With respect to the fruits and veggies, you really will notice the difference. And it's far enough away from Chernobyl that there no chance at all of coming across something that isn't wholesome. If your glass of vodka seems to glow in the dark, well, that's something different. We all get that vision once in awhile. Enjoy!

[bliskucha]

John, once again, you've made Ukraine sound wonderful--and you've convinced me that Odessa is contaminate free--and as far as vodka is concerned, I've always wanted a glowing complexion! Thanks!

[Edited by bliskucha on 3rd January 2003 at 01:15]