Dirty Produce, which ones to worry about?

If you buy your produce, you should be aware they do contain trace amounts of pesticides and should be washed properly.

Washing and rinsing with water alone does not remove them. Some say that using vinegar/water in a spray or a little bit of dish soap will remove more pesticides. You can also purchase a veggie wash from the store but the best option is to eat a varied diet,wash all produce, and choose organic when possible to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.

The FoodGuide lists 43 different produce on a scale of 0 -100 and here is the dirty dozen

RANK	FRUIT OR VEGGIE	SCORE
1 (worst)	Peaches	100 (highest pesticide load)
2	Apples	96
3	Sweet Bell Peppers	86
4	Celery	85
5	Nectarines	84
6	Strawberries	83
7	Cherries	75
8	Lettuce	69
9	Grapes - Imported	68
10	Pears	65
11	Spinach	60
12	Potatoes	58

Why should I be concerned?

There is one thing that I know for sure pesticides are toxic to humans and animals. Sure there is a debate about it, but if you think about it any man-made chemical is toxic for our bodies. Here is what the Environmental Working Group (EWG) says about it

Pesticides are toxic by design. They kill bugs, weeds, fungi, rodents and other "pests." That's why the government regulates them--though not stringently enough. The risks you encounter when you eat them depend on a number of factors including the toxicity of the pesticide, degree and form of exposure, your age, genetic susceptibility, and exposure to other toxics, including other pesticides. We believe that:

1. You have a right to know what's in your food.

2. The risks from many of these contaminants remain unacceptably high, especially for infants and children

3. The government can and should take steps to dramatically reduce the number and amount of toxic chemicals, including pesticides, from the food supply.

So visit FoodGuide and print out the PDF pocket Guide in English or Spanish for the next time you are debating if getting that organic apple or celery is worth the cost.

EWG analyzed over 42,000 of the latest government tests for pesticide residues on commonly-eaten fruits and vegetables. Then they ranked the results based on six measures of pesticide loads, even after washing and peeling.

French Documentary reveals unsettling questions

I recommend you watch A French Documentary "The World According to Monsanto - A documentary that Americans won't ever see."

Also see another film here in part and click on the parts 2 and 3 to see the rest


These are very good films, that is well researched and covers such topics as GMO, BGH, PCB's, Herbicides, GM, crop contamination, deceit, and more.

I just watched it and I am utterly shocked, surprised, and saddened about the direction the world is headed in adapting the Genetically Modified Plants - GMO, and their impact thus far.

1. There are safety concerns with GMO plants
2. This was allowed to enter our food supply by applying political pressure and lobbying.

It's like a scary movie about a genetic experiment gone horribly wrong. Imagine this - a GMO species of a corn plant, contaminates the real plant species and in doing so becomes dependent on the chemicals manufactured by Monsanto for defense.

Monsanto, a large multinational company, who's objective is first-most bigger profits, and with a history of deceit and shady business practices, I get an uneasy feeling that they have my best interests in mind after seeing this film. Actually
the company is doing something lucrative. They are buying up the worlds seed supplies and in doing so trying to gain control the worlds food supply. They want to have every single farmer in the world pay them for the GMO patented seeds.

According to the film, Monsanto controls all seed supplies in India for cotton crops which contains BT type (GMO), and sells it at a premium to them. However, their claims about the advantages of the crops are false and the farmers are suffering.

"The GMO grown potatoes trigger an immune system response in rats" The scientist who did this study was fired immediately because this would harm the "progress" in biotechnology industry. Actually many people who try to warn about any negatives with GMO almost surely get persecuted.

Monsanto has repeatedly falsified studies about the safety of their products. They misled us by doing badly formed studies to come to a positive result. They also create confusion by trying to discredit valid studies.

What is more scary is GMO products are not specifically labeled in the USA so you can be eating one right now. I am not sure about the rest of the world.

"The FDA has told untruth to the American Public and the world since 1992" Its a sad day because I trust our government even less, and even begin to doubt the organic label at this point as well

So if there is a program in place such as organic, which allows me, a consumer to purchase foods at a premium, thinking that it is somehow better for my family and the environment, can I really trust this label? There is so much money involved, how safe does it make me really feel after learning that our government and the agencies simply let a companies product enter our food supply untested for any ill health effects and studies about the effect on the natural order? How safe does it make me feel about purchasing organic corn knowing that even in Mexico's heart of corn producers they found that their 'organic' corn has actually crossed with the GMO variety? What's being done about this? What sort of certifications do farms go through to ensure the standards are followed? Does anyone do a DNA test on Organic crops to ensure compliance?

So what are sore other concerns with this?
* Eating food that is not natural (Genetically Modified) is not safe and such foods should not be sold in the stores for consumption.
* What is being done to preserve the seeds of the natural plants and ensure that the GMO plants do not contaminate them?
* What is being done to ensure that our Government is looking out for our best interests? Election is coming in 2008, I hope the candidates address this issue as an important one.