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Do you really need to wash your strawberries
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last edited
by Jana Langley 15 years, 7 months ago
Pesticides and the Food We Eat:
Why Are Pesticides Used:
- Pesticides are used to protect the food we eat from being affected by insects, rodents, weeds, mold, and bacteria.
Facts That You Should Know:
- The use of pesticides throughout the world has increased by 50% over the past 30 years.
- 2.5 million tons of pesticides are applied annually
- Pesticides kill a large number of insects including the ones that prey on the destructive pests
- Use of pesticides contribute to:
- domestic animal deaths
- honey bee/pollination loss
- groundwater contamination
- decline in diversity of the bird and fish population
The Dangers of Pesticides:
- Ingestion is the most dangerous route for pesticide poisoning. The most frequently used pesticides are organophosphates and pyrethroids.
- Organophosphate poisoning symptoms include: headache, dizzyness, nausea, anxiety, restlessness. More severe : muscle twitching, incoordination, sweating, weakness, tremor, vomiting, tearing, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, blurred vision, and salivation.
- Pyrethroid is effective in high dosages. They have low toxicity because they are poorly absorbed and broken down efficiently and quickly. Poisoning symptoms include: tremor, incoordination, salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, paraesthesia (stinging, burning, tingling, numbness), and irritability to sound and touch.
- Infants and small children are most vulnerable to pesticide exposure. Due to a lower body weight, the pesticide affects the infants and small children much faster.
What's Being Done:
- The EPA set standards on the amount of pesticides allowed in the foods we eat
- In 1996, President Clinton started The Food Quality Protection Agency to set tougher standards on the pesticides allowed in food
What You Can Do to Protect Yourself and Your Family From Pesticides:
- Using fruit and vegetable washed, which are formulated to remove chemical residue from produce
- Environne and Vitanet - available at health food stores and some supermarkets
- Make your own using 1 tsp. of dish detergent per gallon of water
- Peeling fruits with high chemical residues (i.e. peaches, pears and apples)
- Buy organic!
- Grow your own fruits and vegetables.
- Eating canned fruits and vegetables. In the canning process, the produce is washed several times
- Buy produce directly from local farmers
Do you really need to wash your strawberries
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