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November 5, 2009

Anonymous The Dalton Daily Citizen Thu Nov 05, 2009, 10:12 AM EST

Prepared by the Office of Public Affairs

Georgia Department of Agriculture

Tommy Irvin, Commissioner

www.agr.georgia.gov

Q. I read that an ice cream had been recalled for an undeclared ingredient. What exactly is an undeclared ingredient?

A. When a manufacturer fails to list an ingredient on the label the ingredient is said to be “undeclared.” The manufacturer failed to “declare” it on the label.

Food manufacturers must list the ingredients on the product label. People want and need to know what is in the foods they consume.

Some ingredients cause allergic reactions in some people. These reactions can be severe and even fatal. That is why companies recall foods that do not list or “declare” all ingredients on the label.

Q. What is the difference between a pesticide and an insecticide?

A. All insecticides are pesticides but not all pesticides are insecticides. “Pesticide” is the umbrella term for substances used to kill or control insects, fungi, rodents, weeds or other organisms that are considered pests. Various types of pesticides and what they are used to kill or control include insecticides (insects), herbicides (weeds), fungicides (mold, mildew and other fungi), miticides (mites), molluscicides (snails and slugs) and rodenticides (rats and mice).

Q. What is the difference between an astringent persimmon and a non-astringent persimmon?

A. An astringent persimmon is one that will make your mouth pucker unless you eat it when it is completely ripe and almost jelly soft. Non-astringent varieties may be eaten while still hard like an apple without causing any puckering. Our native American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) is an astringent persimmon. Oriental persimmons (Diospyros kaki), also known as Japanese persimmons or Asian persimmons, may be astringent or non-astringent depending on the variety.

Sometimes persimmon growers who sell to grocery stores will attach a sticker saying EAT LIKE AN APPLE on non-astringent oriental persimmons to help educate the shopper. Even though non-astringent varieties can be eaten while still hard, many people believe the fruit is sweeter and more flavorful if allowed to soften a little. Both astringent and non-astringent types are equally good for making persimmon pudding, cakes and cookies.

The most common non-astringent oriental persimmon for sale in grocery stores is ‘Fuyu,’ also known as ‘Fuyugaki.’ The most common astringent variety is ‘Hachiya.’ Most oriental persimmons sold in stores were grown in California, New Zealand or Israel. A few you may find for sale were grown here in Georgia.

If you had a bad experience as a child due to biting into an astringent persimmon before it was fully ripe, give persimmons another chance. Try a non-astringent variety; you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

If you have questions about services or products regulated by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, visit our Web site at www.agr.georgia.gov or write to us at 19 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Room 227, Atlanta, GA 30334; e-mail info@agr.state.ga.us or telephone 1-800-282-5852.

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