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Food Pollution (additives, pesticides, meat contamination)
Lettuce contaminated with toxic pollutant (April 2003): Two studies show that some lettuce is contaminated with perchlorate, a pollutant from the manufacture of rocket fuel, flares and munitions. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends no more than 1 part per billion of perchlorate in water. The study from the Environmental Working Group found more than 30 parts per billion of perchlorate in 4 of 22 samples in the San Francisco Bay area, and the study by The Press-Enterprise, Riverside, Calif., found an average of 8 parts per billion of perchlorate in 18 of 18 samples. Perchlorate affects the thyroid gland and the production of hormones. Reportedly, the military is directly or indirectly involved in the production of almost all perchlorate. Genetically modified food products do not have to be labeled: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a proposal in January 2001 to require companies to notify the FDA 120 days before bringing a genetically modified product to market. The proposal does not require companies to label their products as genetically modified, however. You may submit comment to the FDA until March 13, 2001. E. Coli escaping disinfection: A dangerous form of E. Coli can escape standard disinfection methods, say scientists at the University of Georgia. They placed a pierced apple in a bag with the bacterium and later found the bacterium throughout the apple -- even to the core. The researchers say it's probable that some bacterium could thus find protection against "chemical sanitizers, brushing or high-pressure spraying, or other commonly used interventions for cleaning and sanitizing." Heavy antibiotics in farming causing super-diseases? Last year, reports surfaced of a superstrain of food-borne salmonella that's resistant to most forms of drug treatments. Some strains are resistant to all known treatments, and other common food-borne diseases also are getting more difficult to treat. Organizations like the Union of Concerned Scientists say the cause is the heavy use of antibiotics in farming -- not to protect against disease, but as a cheap and easy way to speed up animal growth. Such concerns led to a European Union ban in December 2000 on the use of four antibiotics in animal feed. Fish becoming too toxic to eat: In January, 2001, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advised that pregnant women, women who might become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should all avoid eating shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish. These types of fish could contain sufficient mercury to cause harm. In the past, perch, bass, catfish, trout and walleye have been contaminated with toxic levels of PCBs, lead, cadmium and pesticides. And virulent bacterium and natural toxins can thrive in raw oysters, clams and mussels. If you're pregnant, you might want to avoid fish and raw shellfish. But the Environmental Working Group offers a startling suggestion that several other commonly sold fish should be avoided entirely if pregnant, and that you should eat still others on a limited basis only. This list includes tuna, halibut, sea bass, cod, pollock, and mahi mahi. See a 2002 CNN report on possible effects of too much tuna on developing fetuses. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offers guidance on which states have a mercury advisory on freshwater fish. And the Center for Science in the Public Interest says that raw oysters harvested from the Gulf of Mexico are contaminated with a bacterium that could kill anyone with a compromised immune system. The Seafood Choices Alliance helps you determine which fish are better choices for you. Caveat Emptor: Do not make the mistake of thinking that because there's an alert out, your grocery store will pull items off the shelf. We were told by one grocery chain that they only pulled items off the shelf when the FDA alert specifically asked them to do it. Nor do they generally post any warnings unless specifically asked to do it. Any grocery chains that sold swordfish and shark before the FDA alert are probably still doing it. Our advice? Bookmark the FDA site and visit it often.
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