is mulch safe?

[Liberty5_3000]

I'm terrible at coming up with titles...

My sister-in-law planted some pumpkins by the side of her house where they are in the regular landscaping type reddish colored bark mulch. I found out she was planning to bake with the pumpkins and I opened my mouth without thinking or having a good reason to and asked if it was safe to eat them since they had grown with the mulch around them. Now she is scared and doesn't want to eat them.

Is there any particular reason she should or shouldn't eat the pumpkins?

Thanks!

[JamieCatheryn]

The dye itself is safe, it's vegetable based, but the wood used in that kind is recycled wood, often treated wood, so could have arsenic and such which can get into the soil and the food. I wouldn't eat it or give it to my kids...as for anyone else I'd let them know there was a chance of contamination and let them decide if it was safe.

ETA some mulch is certified free of treated wood, there's a logo about it on the bag if so. MSA or something?

[cristeen]

It really depends. Around here, a reddish wood mulch would be cedar, and not something to worry about.

Did they put the mulch in themselves, or did someone else do it (like a landscaper)? If they'd recognize the bag, they can go back to wherever they got it and check, or call the landscaper to find out the brand.

[Liberty5_3000]

It wasn't reddish as in cedar, it was definitely a weird dyed red color. They had a landscaper put it in, and I'm pretty sure they'd sooner just not eat the pumpkins than call and ask about it.

Thanks for the help