How Safe is our Food?

Consider this.


Food today isn't what it was to our grandparents.


Over the last 50-plus years our food industry has changed dramatically. Many of the foods we put into our bodies contain artificial preservatives to increase their shelf life … colouring agents to improve their appearance … enhancers to heighten their taste … processing agents to manage the food during production … emulsifiers and thickening agents to affect their appearance … fortifiers to control their nutritional values, not to mention the thousands of chemicals used hourly around the world to grow the food in the first place!

The agro-chemical industry is an extremely powerful lobby. It enjoys massive profits, operates on a multi-national (global) basis and has an interest in many commercial spheres, including drug medicine and food commodities. It is through this industry for the most part, that we have Genetically Modified foods forced onto our countryside. Governments yield to the extraordinary powers of persuasion that these huge commercial concerns are able to wield.

The discovery of the highly toxic insecticide dimethoate in Australian capsicum was certainly a shock to most Aussies that read about it. Dimethoate and the related chemical omethoate, which is even more toxic, have also been found in the residue tests of Australian produce. They cannot be removed by washing. Both are endocrine and nervous system disruptors, reducing testosterone levels and causing infertility. They can also cause birth defects, a variety of cancers including leukaemia, and can suppress the immune system.


Of further concern is their heightened effect when in combination with other chemical residues including medicinal drugs. As an example of this, pre-treatment of rats with phenobarbital resulted in a threefold increase in the acute toxicity of omethoate (1, Menzor and Best, 1968).

Today more than 3000 chemicals are used in the production and distribution of commercially prepared food. At least 1288 are purposely added as preservatives, buffers, emulsifiers, neutralizing agents, sequestrants, stabilizers, anticaking agents, flavouring agents, and colouring agents, while from 25 to 30 consist of nutritional supplements, such as potassium iodide and vitamins. The remaining chemicals are "indirect additives"-substances, such as detergents and germicides that get into food by way of packaging materials and processing equipment. Many chemical additives are natural ingredients, but a large number are not. The artificial substances that appear in food range from simple inorganic chemicals to exotic compounds whose biochemical activity is still largely unknown.

It is quite conceivable that the extensive use of antibiotics in agriculture will slowly turn our domestic animals into a major reservoir of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This represents a problem fraught with incalculable dangers to public health. Feed supplemented with tetracycline, for example, has already produced resistant strains of Bacterium cold and Clostridium perfigens. Both bacteria typically inhabit man's alimentary tract, but under certain circumstances they behave as disease-causing organisms.

As much as our knowledge grows and our standard of living improves, we are being exposed to an increasing range of poisonous substances. The human body is designed to operate on naturally occurring organic foods. We have seen over the past fifty years a proliferation of new diseases and huge increases in the known diseases.

Farmers use many artificial fertilizers and pesticides to speed growth, foods are often processed where chemicals are added to enhance the colour and flavour of our food or used to change the nature of the food and now companies are making synthetic foods with no nutritive value and as yet unknown affects on our bodies.

Most fruits, vegetables, grains and seeds are heavily sprayed with pesticides which can be cancer-promoting and toxic to the brain and nervous system, as well as causing birth defects and decreased fertility. Exposure to pesticides is related to many destabilizing health conditions, including mood-swings, aggressive behaviour, memory decline, depression and even Parkinson’s disease.

Not all toxic chemicals are in your food, but may also be in the containers that hold it — the soft plastic wrapping over fresh produce and plastic-lined cans and cartons holding drinks. Substances such as phthalates are used to soften plastics, encouraging a proliferation of breast cancer cells. It is advised to minimize the use of soft plastic film and bottles for food storage and use glass or hard plastic containers and paper bags. Furthermore, avoid putting wet and fatty food in direct contact with soft plastics.

One of the biggest myths is that once a chemical degrades, it disappears and is harmless. Most agricultural poisons leave residues of breakdown chemicals when they degrade.

A substantial number of agricultural pesticides such as organophosphates like Diazinon become even more toxic when they break down. Where research exists, it shows that many of the breakdown chemicals from agricultural poisons cause health and reproductive problems. Sadly there is virtually no testing to detect the residues of the breakdown chemicals of agricultural poisons in our food.

Very little research has been done to determine safe intake levels for the breakdown chemicals of agricultural poisons. Consequently, there are virtually no safety levels to determine the Average Daily Intake (ADI) for the toxic breakdown chemicals that contaminate our food.

It is time to dispense with the myths that food from conventional farming is safe to eat. The lack of rigorous testing and blatant disregard of current scientific evidence confirm there is a lack of credible science to back claims that the poison residues in food are safe to consume.

The only way to avoid these poisons is to eat certified organically grown food - produced without these toxic compounds.

The following are some of the poisons found in Australian foods in 2003: Acephate, Azinphos-methyl, Bifenthrin, Bioresmethrin, Captan, Carbaryl, Chlorfenvinphos, Chlorothalonil, Chlorpyrifos, Chlorpyrifos-methyl, DDT, DDE, Dimethoate, Diphenylamine, Endosulfan, Fenitrothion, Fenoxycarb, Fenthion, Iprodione, Maldison, Metalaxyl, Methamidophos, Methidathion, Methoprene, o-phenylphenol, Parathion-methyl, Permethrin, Piperonyl butoxide, Pirimicarb, Pirimiphos-methyl, Procymidone, Propargite, Propiconazole, Pyrimethanil, Tebufenpyrad, Tetradifon, Vinclozolin 2
Testing in Australia only looks at a small sample of the large number of chemicals used. The majority of agricultural chemicals are not included in residue testing. Some of the most widely used chemicals, including herbicides such as Atrazine, Glyphosate, 2,4-D, Diuron and Paraquat were not included in the testing.

The scientific and medical world of the 19th and 20th centuries was dominated by the germ theory. The present century is dominated by chemicals and toxins. We are slowly poisoning ourselves, killing ourselves, all in the name of greed, ease of processing, extended shelf life and convenience.

The use of these chemicals in our food supply is incredibly widespread. Worse, we may never know the threats they pose to, and ultimate toll they might take on, our bodies. Use of these chemicals is only now being questioned by mainstream and not likely to decline any time soon.

My point is this. Not enough time, effort and money are being directed to investigating the affects of these chemicals on humans. What does that mean? It's up to us; you and me! We can minimize our exposure to these chemicals.

Grow your own foods where you can, buy organic. Seek out the farmer who sells meats NOT treated with antibiotics and other fortifiers.

Worth some though.....

Take care of you and yours:)
molly