Posts Tagged: pesticides

An apple a day . . . or not

Almost every day I put an apple in my son’s lunch because it’s one of the few fruits he eats.  While I worry about his limited palate, I’ve always thought, “well, at least he’s eating an apple a day,” as the saying goes.  So the USDA’s announcement that apples contain the highest concentration of pesticide residue of any produce – and are ranked number one on the Environment Working Group’s list of the “dirty dozen” fruits and vegetables – was a punch to the gut. (more…)

Silent Strawberries?

The federal EPA is awaiting a determination from state regulators in California regarding a deadly chemical proposed for use in strawberry fields.

The chemical, methyl iodide, is being promoted as a replacement for methyl bromide. A rat and insect killer injected to sterilize the soil, methyl bromide is being phased out after it was found to harm the ozone layer – and farm workers.

Officials at California’s Dept. of Pesticides Regulation maintain the chemical won’t linger (more…)