Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Organic Does Not Mean Pesticide-Free


Many people today prefer to buy organic products only, for their health and the health of their families. I buy organic, pesticide-free catnip out of preference too. Organic though, does not mean pesticide-free, nor does it necessarily mean that the organic products many people eat, or experiment with for Do It Yourself (DIY) cosmetics are safer than products that are not organic.

Since 2009, there has been another peanut scandal involving a different company. The company named in the link directly above, declared bankruptcy.

It is not about organically grown products to me in general, as I buy food available at my local grocer and I buy what I can afford. It is about all producers taking all precautions for safety, proper testing and government regulation compliance. I remember the spinach recall from a few years back, as well. Not all outbreaks result in deaths. However, one death is too many

See Also
Mayo Clinic, "Food Poisoning", updated 2014
The National Pediculosis Association,® Inc. Organic Pesticides, Debunking a myth, 2005
"Organic pesticides don't harm the environment."
"Completely false."
NPR Article, Organic pesticides, 2011
"In the USDA tests, there was ten times as much spinosad on organic lettuce than was found on conventionally cultivated fruits and vegetables."
The National Pediculosis Association,® Inc. Alternative lice treatments, 2009
"Non-toxic remedies are obviously a preferred choice over pesticides whenever possible. However, this doesn't mean that everything touted as "natural" is across-the-board safe."
The National Pediculosis Association,® Inc., Safety, 2009
See "What product should I use to treat my child?"
Mayo Clinic, "Nutrition and healthy eating", updated 2014
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF PURE AND APPLIED CHEMISTRY, Pesticide history, 2010
Chemistry Explained, "Pesticides", added March 22, 2015
Environmental Health News, Pesticides and prostate cancer, 2011
Public Health Notices, Canada, updated 2015
CDC, E. Coli Outbreaks, updated 2014
USDA Organic Certification - The National List
FDA, Recent Safety Recalls, current