Roz Burnham

Metabolic Clinical Nutrition

 Rozburnham@verizon.net

www.mysite.verizon.net/rozburnham

The Most Contaminated Foods

Our conventionally grown food is plentiful and readily available. However, that picture of plenty may hide some food safety issues.

Recently, we have seen recalls in some fresh produce that we frequently eat.  Bacterial contamination, which originated at the farm, was responsible for several deaths and some very serious illnesses.

The FDA and USDA tested over 100,000 foods and found that many were contaminated by pesticides and fertilizer residue.  These dangerous chemicals are known to cause cancer, birth defects and damage the brain and nervous system.

 The most contaminated fruits were:

Strawberries, Raspberries, Cherries- 36 pesticides applied to crop

Apples and pears- 36 chemicals applied- half are neurotoxins

Peaches and nectarines-45 pesticides used by spraying growing fruit

Grapes- 35 pesticides used several times during the growth process

The most contaminated vegetables were:

Tomatoes- 30 chemicals seep through the thin skin while growing

Potatoes- 80% heavily contaminated with pesticides and fungicides

Spinach and lettuce- heavy pesticide contamination in 85% of crop

Celery- 94% of the celery tested was heavily contaminated

Red and Green Bell Peppers- 39 pesticides applied to peppers

Meat, Poultry and Pork:

High residues of pesticides, growth hormones, and antibiotics found.

Seafood:

Contaminated with toxic metals of arsenic, cadmium and mercury.

Milk, Butter, Cheese, Cream, Yogurt, Cottage Cheese:

Contaminated with pesticides, growth hormones and antibiotics.

Has there ever been a clearer reason to eat organic food?????