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Pesticide Prevention
If you buy your food from a large grocery store chain or local growers, chances are your food has been treated with pesticides. Pesticides actually serve a useful purpose by protecting food from pests, such as insects, rodents, weeds, mold and bacteria. But many people are concerned about the harmful effects of pesticide on health.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates the amount of pesticide residue that can remain on food available for purchase. But despite these regulations, in certain cases a pesticide not meeting the safety standard may be authorized for use. Consuming pesticides may cause health problems such as birth defects, nerve damage and cancer.
If you are concerned about pesticide residue on the food you buy, try these tips from the EPA:
- Grow your own. Even apartment dwellers and people with small backyards can use containers to grow vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers and corn. Use only pesticide-free fertilizers to keep your soil rich.
- Choose organic fruits and vegetables. Food that is organically grown is grown and processed using no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides (although the EPA does not regulate organic foods). Health food stores, local growers and ethnic groceries, as well as larger grocery store chains, often carry organic foods.
- Wash carefully. Wash and scrub all fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water. Running water has an abrasive effect that soaking does not have. This will help remove bacteria and traces of chemicals from the surface of fruits vegetables and dirt from crevices. However, not all pesticide residues can be removed by washing.
- Peel and trim outer skin. Peel fruits and vegetables when possible to reduce dirt, bacteria and pesticides. Discard outer leaves of leafy vegetables. Trim fat from meat and skin from poultry and fish because some pesticides residues collect in fat.
- Eat a variety of foods from a variety of sources. This will give you a better mix of nutrients and reduce your likelihood of exposure to a single pesticide.
Celebrate National Poison Prevention Week with the EPA and other national health organizations on March 17 to 22, 2002, by implementing these pesticide residue prevention tips in your home.
Sources: United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pesticide Programs, "Pesticides and Food: What You and Your Family Need to Know," http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/food/; Poison Prevention Council, www.poisonprevention.org.
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