Those organic groceries you’re splurging on? They could be covered in pesticides
Bad news for anyone who thinks eating organic means they’re not ingesting weedkillers and other potentially toxic synthetics. According to a new report from CBC News, more than half the “organic” fruit and veggies tested by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency over the past two years contained traces of pesticides. What’s worse, almost two per cent were so chemically contaminated that they violated regulations about the maximum levels of pesticides allowed in any food—let alone the kind labelled “organic.”
Food safety expert Rick Holley told the CBC that while the smaller traces suggest incidental contamination (for instance, through contact with non-organic produce, or through drifting sprays from neighbouring farms), the higher levels indicate deliberate spraying by farmers. Judging by the numbers, the percentage of outright organic-veggie-imposters is small. But, the fact that they exist at all makes every produce-buying excursion a bit of a gamble.
According to a spokesperson for the government watchdog, which released the data to the CBC under the federal Access to Information Act, the pesticide levels don’t constitute a health risk. And, to be fair, the organic veggies tested by the agency were less chemically polluted than their non-organic counterparts. There is, however, a new question to keep in mind when trundling down supermarket aisles: how much are you willing to pay for just a slightly higher chance of scoring pesticide-free food?
, the higher levels indicate deliberate spraying by farmers. Judging by the numbers, the percentage of outright organic-veggie-imposters is small. But, the fact that they exist at all makes every produce-buying excursion a bit of a gamble.
According to a spokesperson for the government watchdog, which released the data to the CBC under the federal Access to Information Act, the pesticide levels don’t constitute a health risk. And, to be fair, the organic veggies tested by the agency were less chemically polluted than their non-organic counterparts. There is, however, a new question to keep in mind when trundling down supermarket aisles: how much are you willing to pay for just a slightly higher chance of scoring pesticide-free food?){kind=link}
This is a well-known fact… what organic food eater didnt suspect they were eating the same crap as everybody else? That’s why I never bother paying more for organic stuff, it’s all the same.
They label food “organic” that grows 2 feet from a highway. Let’s be serious now, even if there are no pesticides, you’re eating exhaust pipe residue or some other form of cancerous crap!
” to be fair, the organic veggies tested by the agency were less chemically polluted than their non-organic counterparts”
Well that’s at least one reason to buy organic. I jist dont see why the article does go into what happened the false claiming perpetrators or why they didn’t list which companies were selling decent product. This is a pretty half baked article in my opinion.
Certified organic is still better than genetically modified monsters the likes of Monsanto want to feed us.
Do people seriously not know that organic foods use pesticides? What, did they think they hand-pick all the bugs off their crops? The organic pesticides being used can actually be more deadly than synthetic according to a University of Guelph study.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/science/organic-pesticides-can-be-worse-than-synthetic-study/article4322612/
source your food!
There hasn’t been one confirmed or suspected case of genetically modified food hurting anybody in history, despite decades of widespread use and literally thousands of peer-reviewed safety studies.
Every year, thousands of people are sickened from E coli and other bacteria that originate in animal feces, an organic fertilizer.
They don’t bother to go into what happened to false perpetrators because they don’t do real journalism anymore. They have a controversial headline “organic food has pesticides!” and all they care is to get you to click and see the advertisers. They just want to add to the general cynicism that is Toronto.
And people eat organics not just for their personal health but to support a better environment for all. It’s not all about me me me.
And I wonder if the peer reviewed “safety studies” of genetically modified food looked into the devastating effects genetic modified foods have the environment, enslaving farmers with terminator, “round up ready” seeds that only work with their patented “round up” fertilizer/pesticide concoctions? Probably not. Just looked at if it will kill you, so business as usual can continue.
The article should look at the sad sad state of farming nowadays. What was a communal, social, albeit physically demanding and challenging lifestyle, is now alienated, mechanized, sterilized, devoid of caring job. It is not surprising that suicide rates among farmers have skyrocketed.
But lets keep the articles pithy, cynical, and with an eye on the prize of saving money at every point possible so you can waste it on the shit they are advertising to you. Heaven forbid you paid more then the bare minimum for something as valueless as food!
Then they shouldn’t be afraid to label it Genetically Modified. As consumers we deserve to be given enough information to make an informed decision.
lol no. If you’re asking whether or not it’s genetically modified, you’re already clearly not making an informed decision. Moreover, since everything else on a nutritional label has a scientific basis for being there, including that information would be telling consumers that the FDA believes genetically modified food could be harmful– something which is patently false.
There are an infinite number of things you might want to know about your food. You might want to know the specific strain of plant, or what kind of farm workers harvested it, or what kind of land it was grown on. Since labels can’t contain infinite information, until you can prove one of these factors is actually relevant, you don’t have a “right” to demand companies label it.
“… you don’t have a “right” to demand companies label it.”
Yes we do.
Note the “Since labels can’t contain infinite information, until you can prove one of these factors is actually relevant…” bit.
The fact you call a conclusion wrong without even attempted to refute the logic used to justify it is an indicator of incredible laziness, ignorance, and/or low intelligence on your behalf.
“And I wonder if the peer reviewed “safety studies” of genetically modified food looked into the devastating effects genetic modified foods have the environment, enslaving farmers with terminator, “round up ready” seeds that only work with their patented “round up” fertilizer/pesticide concoctions? Probably not. ”
1. Yes, they looked at all changes made in genetically modified food, which you’d know if you bothered to put a little bit of effort into research before forming an ignorant conclusion.
2. “Terminator” and “round-up ready” are completely different technologies. Terminator seeds don’t actually exist; they were proposed and then Monsanto decided not to create them. You are clearly repeating buzzwords without actually knowing what they’ve mean.
3. Roundup is an herbicide, not a pesticide or fertilizer. Farmers are not enslaved– they can choose to switch back at any time, and by GMOs because it makes their lives easier. GMOs are actually good for the environment because they reduce the amount of land cleared for agriculture, and reduce the amount of pesticide and fertilizer used. They do increase the amount of herbicide used, but since roundup is far less toxic and naturally decays more rapidly than herbicides that farmers were using prior to the invention of “Roundup-Ready” crops, this too is good for the environment.
Before you rant about cynicism, you should stop justifying everyone else’s cynicism by making such blatant factual errors in your posts.
Are you stupid or what? as a consumer I have a right to know what’s in what I eat. Basic critical thinking fail!
Again, did you even bother to read my argument before you replied? There are an infinite number of things you might want to know. You might have a sincere belief that crops grown near graveyards are haunted, and you might form a movement of people who think that and demand labeling. That wouldn’t give you a “right” to demand such labeling.
That word, “critical thinking–” I do not think it means what you think it means.
You DO NOT HAVE AN ARGUMENT! there are NOT infinite number of things in our food! The number of ingredients are in fact quite finite; the fact that they don’t want to print them shows their ulterior motif.
Look, do you get paid by food companies to spew BS or do you work pro bono? Uggh, don’t tell me you are one of those delusional CONservative numbskulls who believe in free market capitalism nonsense?
You’re conflating “number of things in our food” and “way food is made.” The same chemicals are in GMO food as in non-GMO food. So there are, in fact, an infinite or virtually infinite number of questions one could have about food.
If all you can do is whine about your “rights” when you can’t even provide a scientific basis for concern, that says a lot about your movement. Everyone else has rights too, and mandatory labeling violates those by making food more expensive for absolutely no rational reason.
I have to provide you with scientific basis? are you too stupid to use google?
Labeling makes food expensive? WRONG YET AGAIN! In Europe they do it and food isn’t more expensive compared to here. More conservative BS instilled in your defective brain.
Actually, the European Commision is considering retracting the EU’s mandatory labeling because it’s unscientific, confuses consumers, and really does impose costs. So please, don’t give me that “but they do it in Europe” bullshit; unlike 99.9% of the morons saying that I’ve actually worked in Brussels.
lmfao at “use google.” Do you even understand what a burden of proof is? Or the difference between science and pseudoscience?
Sweetie, I’m not your teacher nor am I google. I don’t have to refute your pile of mistruths and lies. Capisco?
“I’ve worked in Brussels.” Cool story bro!
Go back to pleasuring yourself with Atlas Shrugged to protract your adolescent fantasy, dimwit.
actually terminator seeds were created by monsanto and the united states department of agriculture. There was a great uproar because these are harmful mainly to poor farmers in Pakistan and Brazil and the UN declared in their convention on biological diversity a moratorium on these and legislation in several countries have banned these. so they do exist that is no error.
The New York Times reported that in 1996, “Dennis C. Vacco, the Attorney General of New York, ordered the company to pull ads that said Roundup was “safer than table salt” and “practically nontoxic” to mammals, birds and fish. The company withdrew the spots, but also said that the phrase in question was permissible under E.P.A. guidelines.”[139]
On Fri Jan 20, 2007, Monsanto was convicted in France of false advertising of Roundup for presenting it as biodegradable, and claiming it left the soil clean after use. Environmental and consumer rights campaigners brought the case in 2001 on the basis that glyphosate, Roundup’s main ingredient, is classed as “dangerous for the environment” and “toxic for aquatic organisms” by the European Union.[140] Monsanto appealed and the court upheld the verdict; Monsanto appealed again to the French Supreme Court, and in 2009 it also upheld the verdict.[141]
On two occasions, the United States EPA has caught scientists deliberately falsifying test results at research laboratories hired by Monsanto to study glyphosate.[142] The first incident involved Industrial Biotest Laboratories (IBT). The United States Justice Department closed the laboratory in 1978, and its leadership was found guilty in 1983 of charges of falsifying statements, falsifying scientific data submitted to the government, and mail fraud.[143] In 1991, Don Craven, the owner of Craven Laboratories and three employees were indicted on 20 felony counts. Craven, along with fourteen employees were found guilty of similar crimes.[144]
I think its clear you are a paid industry troll! lol how low you stoop monsanto to shove your poison down people’s throats!