"Oh my gosh, that is disgusting. Horrible."
It is, isn't it. Yet, that is common practice in the fields. Knowledge is important, even if it doesn't make you happy.
Most of the produce in your grocery store was handled, at some point, by illegal aliens. The rest was imported from Mexico and other countries. Watermelons don't grow here in the Winter, you know, nor do tomatoes, apples, etc.
Know the sources of your food.
At least the illegals in my town only pee on the floor when cutting your steak....hehe
The worst, I learned the *hard* way, are lovely, luscious raspberries. No way to clean the gradoo out from the all the little crevices. I became violently ill with the first sip of a smoothee I had made with frozen raspberries from Chile.
Really made me mad because I'm allergic to strawberries and had always been able to eat raspberries and loved them. Off my list now.
My husband teaches horticulture and won't buy anything unless he knows where it comes from. Even that doesn't prevent all problems. We buy nothing edible in our house that comes from Mexico, including canned goods. Also China and India. Something else that is dangerous that people know little about is cut flowers, my husband's specialty. Most come from countries that have few standards. The spray they use is extremely carcinogenic. He has his students wash their hands immediately after handling them at all. He was very upset when I told him that children at our church had been handing out roses last Mother's Day. Said children should NEVER touch flowers and adults should wash hands afterward.