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Take Action: Schools Must Provide And Encourage Organic Food
As yet another study, “Early life multiple exposures and child cognitive function: A multi-centric birth cohort study in six European countries,” draws attention to the benefits of organic food for the learning young mind, it is important that schools provide organic food to students.
July 19, 2021
As yet another study, “Early life multiple exposures and child cognitive function: A multi-centric birth cohort study in six European countries,” draws attention to the benefits of organic food for the learning young mind, it is important that schools provide organic food to students. The study, conducted by Spanish researchers based at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, looks at a totality of all environmental hazards that children encounter, rather than individual lifestyle factors. As study co-author Jordi Júlvez, PhD, notes, “Healthy diets, including organic diets, are richer than fast food diets in nutrients necessary for the brain, such as fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants, which together may enhance cognitive function in childhood.”
Researchers find that children who eat organic food display higher scores measuring fluid intelligence and working memory. Lower scores on fluid intelligence tests are associated with children’s fast food intake, house crowding, and exposure to tobacco smoke. Lower scores on working memory tests were associated with exposure to poor indoor air quality.
This study adds to prior research finding that eating a conventional, chemical-intensive diet increases the presence of pesticides and their metabolites in an individual’s urine, including higher pesticide body burden from eating foods grown in chemical-intensive systems. In fact, because of their smaller size, children carry higher levels of glyphosate and other toxic pesticides in their body. Coupled with this research are multiple studies showing that many common pesticides result in developmental problems in children. Most recently, a 2019 Danish study found that higher concentrations of pyrethroid insecticides corresponded to higher rates of ADHD in children. There is also strong evidence that organophosphate insecticides, still widely used on fruits and vegetables in the U.S., are dropping children’s IQs on a national and global scale, costing billions to the economy in the form of lost brain power.
Studies show children’s developing organs create “early windows of great vulnerability” during which exposure to pesticides can cause great damage. This is supported by the findings of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which concludes, “Children encounter pesticides daily and have unique susceptibilities to their potential toxicity.”
Switching from a conventional diet of food produced with chemical-intensive practices to organic diet drastically reduces the levels of pesticides in one’s body, with one week on organic food showing a 70% reduction in glyphosate in the body, according to one study. Socio-economic factors play a large role in access to heathy organic foods, and the ability to provide the sort of environment that allows a child’s brain to flourish, so it is important that school lunches, which provide nutrition across socioeconomic classes, help to equalize learning potential. Pitting access and cost against the long-term success of a child’s development puts many parents in an untenable position. The preponderance of evidence points to organic food providing the nutrition needed to give young minds the start they need in life. But eating organic should not be a choice to make – all food should be grown with high quality standards that reject the use of brain-damaging pesticides and protect the wider environment.
October Indoor Science Cafe - Recording Is Now Available!
Learning Critical Control Point For Hydroponic Food Safety "Hydroponic Crops -- How Can You Produce Safe Vegetables?"
Indoor Ag Science Cafe October Recording
Learning Critical Control Point
For Hydroponic Food Safety
"Hydroponic Crops --
How Can You Produce Safe Vegetables?"
by
Dr. Sanja Ilic (The Ohio State University)
This presentation 'Hydroponic Crops: How Can You Produce Safe Vegetables?' was given by Dr. Sanja Ilic (The Ohio State University) during our 23rd cafe forum on October 20th, 2020.
BREAKING NEWS: Keurig Dr Pepper Withdraws Peñafiel Bottled Water From US For High Arsenic Levels
Keurig Dr Pepper announced it was withdrawing Peñafiel spring water products from the U.S. market because sampling by an independent lab found they contained arsenic levels higher than the 10 parts per billion allowed by the FDA. The company did not say how high the levels were.
AUTHOR Cathy Siegner
June 24, 2019
Keurig Dr Pepper announced it was withdrawing Peñafiel spring water products from the U.S. market because sampling by an independent lab found they contained arsenic levels higher than the 10 parts per billion allowed by the FDA. The company did not say how high the levels were.
All unflavored Peñafiel mineral spring water products in PET bottles, which are imported from Mexico, are being pulled back. Keurig Dr Pepper said it had notified retailers, including Walmart, Target and others. Consumers can return products to retailers for a full refund.
The company noted arsenic is found in nature, including in aquifers where mineral water is sourced, and that levels can vary over time. It also said enhanced filtration systems had been installed at its facilities where Peñafiel is produced, and "the product now being produced is well within regulatory guidelines.":
Problematic arsenic levels in Peñafiel spring water became public several months ago. According to a recent Consumer Reports investigation, this brand and five others tested at 3 ppb or higher in a recent sampling of 130 bottled water brands. The report found that it was able to purchase Peñafiel products on Amazon and at retail stores in two states despite an existing FDA import alert issued in 2015 because the product contained arsenic levels above 10 ppb.
After the report came out, Keurig Dr Pepper told the group it had conducted new tests and found average arsenic levels of 17 ppb in Peñafiel samples. The company then suspended production at its bottling plant in Mexico for two weeks and said it was improving filtration. However, it did not issue either a voluntary withdrawal or a recall at that time.
Although arsenic occurs naturally, consumption over time has been linked to cardiovascular problems, lower IQ scores in children and certain cancers, according to the World Health Organization. On June 3, a California man filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging the company "acted irresponsibly and unlawfully" by selling bottled water containing unsafe levels of arsenic. More lawsuits could be coming since it took the company this long to withdraw the product from market. The complaint referenced the Consumer Reports investigation and stated the company had to have known there were high levels of arsenic in Peñafiel products before the report came out.
It's likely the ongoing controversy — and possibly higher arsenic levels in more recent testing — prompted Keurig Dr Pepper to issue the withdrawal. While Keurig Dr Pepper's core businesses include soft drinks, specialty coffee, tea, water and juice drinks, it's taking the time and money to withdraw the "very limited" Mexican products and invest in enhanced filtration systems, so Peñafiel's sales must be worth the effort.
This episode raises troubling questions about Peñafiel and could cause consumers to wonder whether it's safe to drink. Consumer Reports asserted in April that records it obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request show FDA has known about high arsenic levels in the brand's products "since at least 2013." The group is continuing to press the company and the FDA for more action about the problem and is advocating for reducing the federal arsenic level from 10 ppb to 3 ppb.
Meanwhile, Keurig Dr Pepper is working on its consumer-facing image by recently issuing a new corporate responsibility strategy and commitments document. Among pledges involving the environment, supply and communities, the company said it would "partner with leading organizations to accelerate portfolio innovation and transparency for health and wellbeing."
Other manufacturers have faced similar challenges, including Walgreens with acrylamide in cookies and General Mills, Kellogg and Post with acrylamide in cereal. Glyphosate has been found in most wine and beer, Tropicana and Safeway Signature Farms orange juice, Quaker Old Fashioned Oats, General Mills' Nature Valley granola bars and Ben & Jerry's ice cream. These incidents can lead to lawsuits, reformulations, new labeling and tightening up on production processes. But this latest case could also mean bad news for all the bottled water companies named in Consumer Reports' investigation, which may want to increase testing around their products.
Companies typically defend products by noting they meet state and federal standards for chemical residues, which is why Consumer Reports and other groups want to see permissible levels revised downward. Still, continuing negative news and withdrawals tend to leave a bad taste for consumers wanting healthier, untainted products.
Recommended Reading:
Monsanto’s Court Ruling Marks A Turning Point For Cancer-Causing Weed Killer
What started as a $289 million fine just had an even bigger financial effect on pharmaceutical and life sciences company Bayer. It’s now down $14 billion.
by Kristin Houser August 13, 2018 Health & Medicine
DAMAGING DAMAGES. What started as a $289 million fine just had an even bigger financial effect on pharmaceutical and life sciences company Bayer. It’s now down $14 billion.
On Friday, a state court in San Francisco, California, ruled that Monsanto — an agritech company Bayer acquired in June — owed California school groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson $289 million in damages. The reason: the company’s weedkillers Roundup and Ranger Pro gave him terminal cancer and weren’t adequately labeled to detail those risks.
Monsanto announced plans to appeal the court’s decision, but that couldn’t stop Bayer’s shares from plunging 12 percent on Monday, the equivalent of roughly $14 billion in value.
BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH? For years, health- and environmentally-focused agencies have debated whether or not glyphosate, the key chemical in both Roundup and Ranger Pro, actually causes cancer. In March 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an agency within the World Health Organization (WHO), determined it is “probably carcinogenic in humans.”
However, in December 2017, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) analysis of numerous studies led to the conclusion that glyphosate is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans — the data suggested the relationship wasn’t there (of course, the $120 million Monsanto and Bayer spent on U.S. government lobbying in the decade prior to that decision could have had some influence on it).
BAD FOR THE BOTTOM LINE. Carcinogenic or not, Monsanto’s glyphosate-containing products are still widely available, and that might not be in Bayer’s best interest if it loses its appeal of the California case. Johnson’s lawsuit is one of about 5,000 like it, and they could just keep coming as long as Monsanto’s glyphosate products are on the market.
If each of those existing lawsuits returns the same verdict as Johnson’s, Bayer could owe a whopping $1.45 trillion in damages — more than enough to bankrupt a company with a market cap around $104 billion.
But if just a single ruling in favor of the plaintiff was enough to cut Bayer’s value by 12 percent, Bayer may not need 5,000 verdicts to see some pretty substantial damage. Similar effects in the stock market from any future verdicts might mean that Bayer seriously regrets acquiring Monsanto — assuming it survives the aftermath.
READ MORE: Roundup Cancer Verdict Sends Bayer Shares Sliding [Reuters]
References: Reuters
August 13, 2018
Massive Algae Blooms Choking Waterways, Synthetic Fertilizers in Chemical-Intensive Land Management a Major Cause
In the food chain, as in all systems, balance is key; but in Florida, erupting algal blooms are evidence of a system wildly out of balance.
(Beyond Pesticides, July 20, 2018) Algae are elemental to life on Earth as generators of most of the planet’s oxygen and as food for myriad organisms. In the food chain, as in all systems, balance is key; but in Florida, erupting algal blooms are evidence of a system wildly out of balance. Blue-green algae species are coating the surfaces of many of the state’s lakes. In the past month, algae on the state’s most-well-known water body — Lake Okeechobee — grew from a crescent in one corner of the lake to 90% coverage of its 370 square miles. Algae have grown out of control in part because of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution, which arises from runoff from conventionally managed lands and from leaky septic systems. Beyond coating the lake surface, the slimy stuff is now found not only in the Caloosahatchee River, but also, along its entire canal system from Lake Okeechobee into downtown Fort Myers, and moving toward the river’s mouth on the southwest coast. Indeed, in early July, after touring the Caloosahatchee River estuary, Florida’s governor issued an emergency order to help state agencies in multiple counties better manage these harmful algal blooms in lakes, rivers, and coastal estuaries.
Such algae overgrowth arises from a concurrence of basic ingredients: ample warm water (think summer), sunlight, and pollution. Given that it is nigh impossible to control sunlight or water temperature — and water temperatures and extreme spring and summer rain events will likely worsen, given climate disruption — humans can have the greatest impact via their own contributing activities. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicates that, “The most effective preventative measures are those that seek to control anthropogenic influences that promote blooms such as the leaching and runoff of excess nutrients. Management practices for nutrients, specifically nitrogen and phosphorus, should have the goal of reducing loadings from both point and nonpoint sources, including water treatment discharges, agricultural runoff, and stormwater runoff.”
Put simply: nitrogen and phosphorous, characteristic of agricultural runoff from the use of synthetic fertilizers, boost algal growth. The extremely common use of such fertilizers in chemical-intensive (conventional) agriculture and turf care is a huge contributor to the problem.
A primary fix for the epidemic of algal blooms is curbing nutrient pollution by avoiding use of synthetic fertilizers in agriculture, and in turf and landscape management (of golf courses, sports fields, lawns and gardens, etc.). The optimal way to do that is to adopt organic agricultural and land management practices. A Beyond Pesticides Pesticides and You journal article from 2014 notes, “Organic standards stipulate that soil fertility and crop nutrients can be managed through tillage and other cultivation practices, such as crop rotation [and use of compost as fertilizer], which preserve and maintain the fertility of the soil so that synthetic inputs become unnecessary. Organic, therefore, eliminates the need and use of synthetic nitrogen- and phosphorus-based fertilizers, thereby significantly reducing the threats that nitrogen and phosphorus runoff have on aquatic ecosystems and the prevalence of algal blooms and eutrophication [overgrowth of plant life and death of animal life from subsequent lack of oxygen].”
Synthetic fertilizers contain water-soluble nutrients, some of which are not absorbed by plants, but settle in the soil and then migrate toward groundwater and ultimately, water bodies. Organic agricultural and turf management practices, such as the use of compost to boost soil fertility — rather than dumping synthetic fertilizers into the soil — are effective solutions to the problem.
Organic methods feed the soil, rather than feeding plants directly. Organic fertility and soil amendments (such as compost) are not water soluble; they feed the microorganisms in the soil and the breakdown products of that process release nutrients that then feed plants. This slower process does not result in the runoff associated with water-soluble synthetic materials. The 1990 Organic Foods Production Act established regulations that permit only those soil inputs that do not adversely affect the “biological and chemical interactions in the agroecosystem, including the physiological effects of the substance on soil organisms.” Synthetic fertilizers are prohibited in certified organic systems. As Beyond Pesticides noted in the Fall 2017 issue of Pesticides and You, “While chemical-intensive land management relies on synthetic fertilizers that are soluble chemicals taken up by the plant and prone to run-off into waterways, organic systems rely on feeding the soil microbes, which in turn produce solubilized nutrients that are absorbed by the plant.”
Researchers on the issue of algal blooms and “dead zones” in Lake Erie (and other Great Lakes) were able to pinpoint the two major factors that explain their observation of marked increases in dissolved reactive phosphorus, which is nearly 100% bioavailable to algae. Those factors, they concluded, were “a combination of agricultural practices that have been put in place since the late 1980s and into the 2000s, combined with increased storms, particularly higher intensity spring rain events [attributable to climate change].” The agricultural practices the researchers' reference include a shift toward more fall fertilizer applications instead of spring applications, the use of broadcast fertilizer that does not integrate into the soil, and an increase in no-till field management that leads to a build-up of phosphorus in the top layers of soil. No-till methods concentrate fertilizers near the soil surface where they are more likely to wash away during strong storms.
People, of course, don’t like to see their favorite lakes or rivers covered in green slime. But the problems with algae overgrowth are not only aesthetic: the blooms choke off sunlight to underwater organisms that require it for photosynthesis, deplete oxygen in the water and deprive other organisms of it, and can spread to ancillary water bodies. These conditions can cause the above-mentioned “dead zones” — hypoxic (low-oxygen) areas in large water bodies that cannot support most marine life in lower-level water. Sometimes, toxic subspecies of algae appear and present health risks (including liver and brain diseases).
In addition, the fertilizers that spur this growth can contaminate groundwater, including those aquifers used as sources of drinking water. A 2013 study found that synthetic nitrogen from fertilizers (as nitrates) leaches from soil toward groundwater over the course of decades, meaning that the agricultural and land management activities of as long as 50 years ago may still be affecting water bodies. Nitrate is a common contaminant of drinking water in agricultural areas where nitrogen fertilizers are used. Another “bonus” is that intensive use of synthetic fertilizers may increase the nitrate levels found in certain vegetables, such as lettuce and root crops. Research has indicated that long-term dietary exposure to nitrates may increase risk of thyroid disease (because nitrate competes with the uptake of iodide by the thyroid gland, potentially affecting thyroid function).
To combat algal blooms and their harmful impacts, Beyond Pesticides recommends advocating for organic agriculture, purchasing organics to leverage demand in the marketplace (and thus, protect human and environmental health), and encouraging organic land management at the local level (city, town, and/or county). For assistance with such advocacy in your community, contact Beyond Pesticides at info@beyondpesticides.org or 1.202.543.5450.
All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.
Source: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article214620390.html
Lettuce, Hydroponics, and E. Coli, Oh my!
Lettuce, Hydroponics, and E. Coli, Oh my!
January 21, 2018
By: Heaven Bassett
For those worried about their salads during the current nationwide (and international) outbreak ofE. coli O157 linked to romaine lettuce and “leafy greens,” there may be a future hope for your worries. As the CDC and FDA continue their traceback investigations, many have been left wondering what could have been done to prevent this outbreak.
Have you ever wondered if there was a way that we could reduce the risk of bacteria contaminating our greens? Wouldn’t it be nice to know that the risks for E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella, and maybe even parasites were a rare concern? Maybe, just maybe, could there be a better way for us to grow our leafy greens so that they become even healthier for us than they already are? Guess what! The technology (or rather growing practice) exists. It is called hydroponics.
Huh? Hydro-what?
Hydroponics. Let’s take a trip down the yellow brick road and take a closer look at the wonderful world of hydroponics.
Don’t let the name intimidate you. Hydroponics simply translates to “water-working.” To grow those uber-healthy greens for your organic loving lifestyle, water-working is the clever wizard behind the curtain. With E. coli outbreaks at play, contaminated water sources are on the mind. Though E. coliis regularly attributed to meats, a major contender to pathogen problems are soil and water.
This is where hydroponics may be of service. The dirt-free process of gardening can range from simple to elaborate, pending the experience and motivation of the cultivator. While some of us have used the technique with a few seedlings and a glass bowl of water as a lesson on biology, others have taken the process to intricate heights. Hydroponics is a fast-growing, safe-strategy, that offers more control than soil-based agriculture. As an eco-friendly and pathogen preventive measure, hydroponics presents the possibility of clean plant growth and year-round production.
Without hydroponics, natural and man-made variables are at play. Soil can be contaminated by a multitude of exposures. Think animal feces blended with water irrigation, coupled with aggressive pesticides, and you may just end up with an unhealthy stock of produce. That’s right, the recent E. coli outbreak has us waving a sad goodbye to that gorgeous flourish of leafy greens we just picked up from the supermarket; though, according to a recent NBC report, the exact source may not be our beloved romaine lettuce. Yet, we know the drill: When in doubt, throw it out.
Hydroponics could very well be the save all to a host of pathogen-problems. Soil is not the criminal; however, it houses the offending micro-organisms, and provides a perfect shelter for bacterium growth. Removing soil from the equation and carefully monitoring what produce roots are exposed to could diminish food-borne illnesses on a massive scale. Goodbye contaminated soil, hello nutrient rich organic grub.
Think of it this way, by focusing our attentions on the roots of the plant rather than the variable dirt conditions, we can give the produce what it needs to thrive, while protecting it from dangerous contaminants. For those who are eco-friendly, hydroponics provides more than one green benefit. Hydroponic systems use 20% less water than standard soil gardening due to targeted water use and cycling. Along with that positive, the sterile environment of hydroponics systems means pesticides are unneeded.
Drawbacks?
So, what’s the problem with hydroponics? Just as with all things, the answer takes a familiar shape:potential for human error.
It takes constant management and technical experience to efficiently manage hydroponics. Without the nutrients soil provides, produce can grow with a severe deficit. This can not only create subpar taste, but also culminate foods that are unhealthy, or dangerous, for consumption. The careful monitoring of nutrient distribution is vital in hydroponic practice.
A few things to chew on (food pun intended), is that in many circumstances soil acts as a safeguard. Hydroponic systems are not without their own disease drawbacks. Without soil, if water-based micro-organisms find their way into the stock, the entire crop is contaminated, rather than a portion of the harvest. This means regular testing is required, thus adding to the already high cost of these systems.
Speaking of pricing ventures, hydroponics are at the mercy of the power source. If a hydroponics system fails, the plants will die at a rapid pace. Hydroponic systems require more than one power fail-safe, causing the price tag to jump away from the average household.
So, is it worth it? Absolutely. According to the CDC, 265,000 STEC infections occur yearly in the good old U.S.A, 36% percent of these are from E. coli O157:H7. The full use of hydroponics could prevent those infections that have been spawned so frequently from sprouts, spinach, and other leafy vegetables. Also, with dedication, education, and thorough instruction, seasonal produce can be a thing of the past.
Garlic roasted Brussel sprouts hydroponically grown any time of the year? Don’t mind if I do.
References:
https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/soils/improvement/plant-nutrients