Caveat eater: Strawberries are about to get more toxic

Caveat eater: Strawberries are about to get more toxic

www.sfgate.com

a pesticide so cancer-causing that it's often used specifically to create cancer in rats for medical experiments was just proposed for approval for use on the state's strawberry crop.

The state's own Department of Pesticide Regulation had advised in a report against approving the gas, methyl iodide. And several Nobel prize winners asked the U.S. EPA not to approve it. (It did.) According to farmers, there are a number of alternatives to the stuff, including solarization, anaerobi

(visit the link for the full news article)

I like strawberries, but if this is approved, I will eat them much less frequently. I can't imagine such a toxic chemical is necessary or will dramatically improve yields. It's probably just cheaper compared to other safe pest control methods. The EPA is a joke. I wish I was in a position to grow my own fruits and vegetables.


www.sfgate.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Damn it!

I love strawberries too, those Bas-tards.

GRRRR!!!

I guess no more strawberries unless they're organic, which may be a conspiracy in itself??

*sigh* well....Time to buy some Hydroponics.

The EPA needs to change its name from "Environmental Protection Agency" to the "Special Financial Interest Protection Agency".

This is freaking disgusting, they have no concern for the human beings and other animals that will eat these strawberries. All they care about is the payoff.

Lobbying for methyl iodide, we have a single company, the largest pesticide manufacturer in the world, Arysta LifeScience.

Follow the money. I wonder how the SFIPA will screw us over next?

Just one more reason that I garden.

We planted about 150 strawberry plants last year and have been feasting on our crop this year.

It's great.

No pesticides at all.

California isn't the only state that grows strawberries...

reply to post by Quickfix


I hear your pain, I love strawberry's too ...Grr! I wonder if Canada will allow this? Hopefully ours will be safe. Every flipping day I have to get more particular and watchful at my local Freshco to see where fruits and veggies come from

Great post. We need to keep our governmental agencies in check or work with our communities to bypass them entirely!

I'll be sharing this important news.

Don't be a sheep!

Originally posted by Wildbob77
Just one more reason that I garden.

We planted about 150 strawberry plants last year and have been feasting on our crop this year.

It's great.

No pesticides at all.

I'm with you there, completely additive free. Same plants for the last 5 years. More than enough for jams, wines, leathers, ice cream, etc...

The companies selling their souls producing all of these "safe" frankenfoods should be the ones paying for the soaring health costs. Natural beings were not meant to eat unnatural foods. Maybe they could figure out how to stop the bee die off as well.

Sorry for those who can't garden, look for small local farmers and farmers markets, and ask questions as to sprays, fertilizer, etc... Most small time growers still care more about quality over quantity.

Originally posted by yellowcard
California isn't the only state that grows strawberries...

that's what you chimed in to say?
that's what you thought the real issue here was?

ok this stuff is bad they seam to know that so all they have to do is NOT use it just because someone says jump will you jump?

I'm with Wildbob77 here, we love strawberries and started growing our own last year. We harvest the best looking and tasting berries I've ever had. They are low maintenance too.

It makes me cringe when I think of all the children that eat and enjoy this lovely little fruit, unaware of the amount and type of chemicals used on the berries.

To the OP, thanks for bringing some attention to this matter!

Here is Arysta Life Science contact info:
919-678-4948
www.arystalifescience.com...
www.arystalifescience.com...

I have a question: Would these people at Arysta feed these berries to their own children/Grandchildren?

Peace


[edit on 3-6-2010 by speculativeoptimist]

that is insane.

more proof that you need to grow your own to get the best possible produce.

S&F for posting this, im a huge fan of the strawberry.

Who can't garden?
There are ways and means if you want to enough: windowsills and pots, balconies, heck, even grow lights.
Turn off your computers and turn on your green thumbs.

Thanks for posting this and giving us the heads up

This is all we need, another dangerous chemical in our food. Thank you EPA

[edit on 3-6-2010 by InvisibleObserver]

[edit on 4-6-2010 by InvisibleObserver]

Originally posted by Wildbob77
Just one more reason that I garden.

We planted about 150 strawberry plants last year and have been feasting on our crop this year.

It's great.

No pesticides at all.

Ditto. Not as large as yours, but enough for kids to get their fill. Completely organic, and great fruit indeed. Can't use year-round (the strawberry season is short) but it does help!

reply to post by Wildbob77


interesting as the strawberries we planted on the farm i worked at took two years to produce thier first fruit, may i ask what strain you are growing?


~meathead

Edit: to ask if you started from seed or bought prestarts?

[edit on 3-6-2010 by Mike Stivic]

I just love it when fear mongers and control freaks get their panties in an uproar over NOTHING!

The use of methyl iodide is being proposed because it is LESS toxic than the fumigant currently being used (methyl bromide).

Methyl Bromide is a gas used to disinfect SOIL - when the gas has disappated, then the strawberries are planted and grown.

Of course the greatest risk is to the person who APPLIES the fumigant, NOT the person who eats the strawberries.

The greatest issue with Methyl Bromide is NOT that it is toxic to humans. The greatest issue is that it is a gas that depletes OZONE.

Methyl Iodide is less toxic to the environment.

westernfarmpress.com...

This is the MSDS for Methyl Iodide

www.iodine.com...

This is a scientific paper evaluating the effeciency of methyl iodide in controlling pests that cause plant diseases and crop losses.

mbao.org...

Can someone please explain something to me - what do organic farmers - who claim to never use pesticides - have to say about it? How others farm their crops is NOT the business of organic farmers.

Commercial growers use a fumigant to disinfect the soil BEFORE the crop is planted to control disease and crop losses. If commercial growers stopped using fumigants, the following would result:

1. There would be a shortage of strawberries as crop losses mount. If this plan was followed for all crops, we could expect food shortages with people starving to death. I guess I would rather die of cancer in my old age then die of starvation now.

2. If commercial growers adopt the methods of organic farmers to grow strawberries - then what would be the difference between an organic farmers strawberries and a commercial farmers strawberries?

You know - it wouldn't be too hard to do a little background research before posting such a sensational headline!

You all are free to keep paying massive prices for "organic" strawberries but would you please allow the rest of us to eat as well?

It is the reaction of the public to the sensational propaganda without knowing the facts that cause activists and lobby groups to gain control over your private lives.

TIRED OF CONTROL FREAKS

I have been eating organic strawberries since two years. I don't trust any non organic foods anymore unless I know the local farmers who said that they don't use chemicals on their farms.

It's sad to see corporation control our foods and abuse the foods in benefit for their profits. Tsk, tsk.

Originally posted by yellowcard
California isn't the only state that grows strawberries...

That may be so, but California strawberries are shipped everywhere. Even up here in Washington state where strawberries grow wild, and people can grow there own, the grocery stores still sell the big, fat, strawberries from California and they sell them year round. Alot of people who don't have time, or enough sunlight to grow their own buy them for the conveince. We were buying them because our apartment doesn't face the right direction to get enough sunlight. Even if public opinion is against the cancer chemical as a pesticide, we don't trust the government not to use it. We will not be buying them anymore and we'll stick to the farmers markets that just opened up for the season.