Caveat eater: Strawberries are about to get more toxic

This article really opened my eyes:

Celery, peaches and strawberries are the most contaminated by pesticides

The most pesticide-prone produce? Celery, peaches and strawberries top the “dirty dozen” list.

The Environmental Working Group, a U.S. non-profit health-oriented organization, has released its latest shoppers’ guide to pesticides: the dozen fruits and vegetables found to be the most chemically contaminated — even after washing and peeling — and the 15 found to be the cleanest.

.....

Dirty Dozen

Here is the “Dirty Dozen” list, according to the Environmental Working Group:

1. celery

2. peaches

3. strawberries

4. apples

5. blueberries

6. nectarines

7. bell peppers

8. spinach

9. kale

10. cherries

11. potatoes

12. imported grapes

Link to Article

This dumbed down civilization will very efficiently eradicate themselves from earth surface in 100-150+ years. Wars, pollution, GMO, cancer, infertility. Very good, Homo Idiotus...

[edit on 4-6-2010 by 6205LH]

Reply to Redblue:

The article that you linked is called propaganda because it makes a statement WITHOUT providing any kind of evidence to back up its claims. Its the type of propaganda that you hear most from activists trying to alarm the public.

Of course activists have motivations that are not as lilly white as you would believe. They want money - money donated from the public and money given to them as grants from the government. No issue = No Money

Lets look at some read data for a change shall we?

www.ams.usda.gov...

See page 9

"Residues exceeding the tolerance were detected in 60 (0.5 %)
of the 11,960 samples tested in 2008 – 58 samples contained one residue exceeding the established tolerances and two samples contained two residues
exceeding the established tolerance. Residues with no established tolerance were found in 442 (3.7 %)of the 11,960 samples (413 samples with 1 residue
each, 23 samples with 2 residues each, 4 samples with 3 residues each, and 2 samples with 4 residues each). In most cases, these residues were detected at very low levels and some residues may have resulted from spray drift or crop rotations."


So at the very worst - only 4.2 % of almost 12,000 food samples has any kind of pesticide residue! And all of it a very low levels!

I won't stop buying stawberries anytime soon.

TIRED OF CONTROL FREAKS

reply to post by TiredofControlFreaks


Like I said I don't even need any pesticides for my strawberries. Not even the raccoons that literally break into my building mess with them. The stink bugs that like to eat holes in my tomatoes don't bother them. Never have seen any caterpillars hassle them. Nor aphids. Nor...

reply to post by TiredofControlFreaks


Wrong!!!!!

We living longer due to better sanitation and ready health care accessibility.

We living longer hook on big pharma drugs and prevention care.

We are living longer but no necessarily with better quality of life after we reach our old age.

In todays America is rare to find somebody in their seventies that is not Dependant of big pharma and fully active without any health care needs

We have more diabetics, we have more cancer incidents, hart conditions, antidepressant addicted and mineral, vitamin deficiency than ever even with all the food we have available.

We are not healthier just got more pills to keep us going.

reply to post by 6205LH


Don't worry GMOs will be doing that favor for us, the are the most damaging and dangerous crops to human life in earth.

Strawberries are one of the easiest plants to grow, and if you get the everbearing types you can enjoy them from june to november in temperate climates..
Even a balcony "barrel "can produce prolific amonts of them for months.
Like flouride,i bet this stuff they want to use is some type of industrial waste......!

What I will say is sad, but when we do grocery now, we strictly refuse to buy food from the States. We will not put into our bodies food that was chemically treated and passed in radioactive oven.

It just doesn't feel "right"... Sorry.

reply to post by TiredofControlFreaks


Only reason for past failed to grow health vegetables and fruits due to neglect simple maintenance on soil. Most failed crops happen in past occurred in large populate which have spoiled soil. They tried to grow crops on very unhealthy soil. The result is people starved due to lack of quality foods from crops. There are many proofs that in past did have success grow health foods from crops without any problem. How did they do that? They know the simple foundation to ensure the soil is health. They know, but primary in large populate in past are rule under kings and queens. Majority of kings and queens don't care the welfare of their people and let them try grow foods on very bad soil.

We can learn from the past that trying cumulative foods from the bad soil or plague from bugs by using man made chemical to prevent the bad crops will not solve the problem. It will lead to more problem with our health.

Basically, treat soil in good composed with natural elements then place foods in crops. It will give vegetables and fruits high quality of vitamins that will help our bodies.

Bottom line, using chemicals on crops are sign of laziness and maximum profits by corporations.

[edit on 4-6-2010 by Aslpride]

Ah - fear .....its a wonderful thing. It can be used to control a vulnerable population of people too lazy to do their own research or to even try to understand the issues.

In all of this thread, I have heard a lot of opinions but what I haven't seen is anyone providing any proof the methyl iodide, when used as a soil fumigant, before the strawberries are even plants, is a health risk when eating strawberries.

I provided links for everything I posted and still people insist on being afraid because 4 % of almost 12,000 different food samples had residues of pesticides in the parts per trillion or part per quadrillion range. (a part per trillion is 1 second in approximately 35,000 years. A part per quadrillion is 1 second in 35,000,000 years.)

Go ahead people - ignore the voice of reason. Continue to live in fear and be controlled by others

By the way - methyl bromide is also a fumigant used to control pests in many many food processing and food storage facilities. It stops rats and insects from eating half the food crop before it can get to you. It has been used for about 5 decades now.

Show me where it has been linked to any disease?

In the meantime, I am done talking to people who refuse to think! I know that California will approve the use of methyl iodide because politicians understand the old maxim "don't mess with the food chain"

You all carry on paying premium prices for "organic food"

Tired of Control Freaks

Originally posted by TiredofControlFreaks

You all carry on paying premium prices for "organic food"

Tired of Control Freaks

I dont pay for food. I grow and harvest my own. I think thats what you are missing here. There is no need for chemicals of any kind in the food supply. If people took just a little time and effort, they could easily grow most of their own.

The problem is, people have become lazy. Its easier to go buy prepackaged junk and toss in the microwave than it is to actually plan ahead for your families food needs.

90% of my food intake is created by me, and for me (and lucky neighbors) no pesticides, chemicals, or GMO foods. I am healthy, save a pile of money, am very well fed, and I must say, last time I ate something from a store, it had almost no flavor compared to what I am used to.

So go ahead, keep paying to live, its essentially what you are doing. Take in every chemical that they tell you is safe. Lets see who gets cancer or goes broke from skyrocketing food bills. Dont think this oil spill is going to affect your food prices? Think again. But you can sit back and eat all of the sprayed strawberries you like. As for me and mine, I'm harvesting lettuce, cucumbers, and radishes tonight. Free by the way.

reply to post by TiredofControlFreaks


Fine, you want proof? Here it is.

"The study found that organic fruit and vegetables contained as much as 40% more antioxidants, which scientists believe can cut the risk of cancer and heart disease, Britain’s biggest killers. They also had higher levels of beneficial minerals such as iron and zinc."

Link

The proof that process to grow organic vegetables and fruits come with quality. The information can be found in this link.

Fear of pesticides is good, look at this link.

Cancer rate will increase to 45 percent by 2030. Here's link. You claim that we are in better health than past and yet, the scientists give concern about cancer rate. Bottom line, too many pesticides in our foods that degraded the nutrition in the foods. As mention above, organic have better nutrition and can fight cancer and other diseases in our body. Fear? Yes, cancer is real and it's growing. My grandma and several friends died by cancer. Don't tell us that we live in fear of illusion. Cancer isn't illusion and organics have better nutrition aren't illusion either.

Bottom line, whether new pesticide never be a good news. None of pesticides are good or safe.

Originally posted by Aslpride
reply to post by TiredofControlFreaks

 

Fine, you want proof? Here it is.

"The study found that organic fruit and vegetables contained as much as 40% more antioxidants, which scientists believe can cut the risk of cancer and heart disease, Britain’s biggest killers. They also had higher levels of beneficial minerals such as iron and zinc."

Link

The proof that process to grow organic vegetables and fruits come with quality. The information can be found in this link.

Fear of pesticides is good, look at this link.

Cancer rate will increase to 45 percent by 2030. Here's link. You claim that we are in better health than past and yet, the scientists give concern about cancer rate. Bottom line, too many pesticides in our foods that degraded the nutrition in the foods. As mention above, organic have better nutrition and can fight cancer and other diseases in our body. Fear? Yes, cancer is real and it's growing. My grandma and several friends died by cancer. Don't tell us that we live in fear of illusion. Cancer isn't illusion and organics have better nutrition aren't illusion either.

Bottom line, whether new pesticide never be a good news. None of pesticides are good or safe.

Reply to Arlspride:

Your first link states that there is 40 % more "good" stuff in organic than conventionally grown food. Now what does that mean??? If they took the time to do the analysis, why didn't they provide the results!!!!!!! 40 % may be absolutely meaningless in terms of nutrition.

The fear of pesticides links refers to exposure to pesticides - not eating pesticide residues in food in concentrations and numbers so minute as to be almost imaginary. Further your link said nothing about methyl bromide or methyl iodide.

The link referring to increase in cancer diagnosis - 1 - nobody but nobody can predict the future. 2. of course there may very well be more cancer diagnosis in the future but this does not necessarily mean that there will be more cancer.

Increased diagnosis could be caused by advances in medical technology and increased access to health care.

And how did you get that eating pesticide residues in food in such tiny tiny amounts are the supposed source of all these projected cancers.

Learn to think - then you don't have to live in fear!!!

To all the people who grow their own food - good for you! Now how do you propose city dwellers with only a balcony for space do it????

TIRED OF CONTROL FREAKS

reply to post by Mike Stivic


I bought these sets that were in bundles of 50. The look like some dried roots with just a little nub.

But you plant them and they do well. The first season we got a lot of berries but then the plants sent out runners. The second season has been incredible.

A couple of miles down the road from us is a small (1-2 acres) strawberry patch. They replant each year. I wonder what would happen if they just left the beds for the next season.

reply to post by TiredofControlFreaks


Yes, because you have large, massive, corporate farms that only exist for profit. And many are based in California.

Just like cows aren't supposed to produce 40 gallons of milk at a time, they are forced too through the use of chemicals, breeding and hormones. So is any vegetable coming from a corporate farm.

Which is the whole basis of the local movement. Use local resources, and someone more attached to the community.

I grow my own strawberries..organically. Iget plenty. And they are so much better then the huge woody pulpy things you get from the store.


But if I didn't know better I would say you work for a chemical company.

Funny thing is, I use some netting and some cinnamon and my strawberries are just fine.

reply to post by Wildbob77


ahh thank you for clarifying, yes that is the easiest and fastest way to actually produce berries.

in my experience with proffessional strains of strawberries is that there genetics degrade over time we would replant every 3-5 years at the farm we worked on to avoid mutated shapes and smaller yields.

i also wonder why the farm down the street from you replants there beds every year.i am guessing perhaps they alternate thier crops and dont replace all the beds every year only half of them or a third ..that however is my speculation..

Thanks again for the replies and may you enjoy your berries as much as i enjoy mine!


~meathead

reply to post by aorAki


I do not have a yard, but grow tomatoes and herbs on my balcony. However, many people, including myself, do not have enough space to grow all the fruits and vegetables they need. Many people will need to buy produce and food at markets.

reply to post by Aslpride


It is not fair to call farmers that use pesticides "lazy" just because pesticide use cuts down on the amount of labor needed.

Following that logic, accountants that use spreadsheets are lazy because spreadsheets are less labor intensive than doing things by hand. Furniture stores that use trucks to deliver furniture are lazy because having a couple workers drop of a table using a truck is less labor intensive than having those workers carry the table across town.

Although one can argue that farmers that use pesticides are not giving enough consideration to the harm pesticides might cause, farmers that choose to use pesticides are not necessarily malicious. Farmers are business people that like to cut costs just like everybody else. Pesticides are highly effective at cutting costs, which is why farmers use them.