M8.3 Pesticides

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For my last night's meal I had a chicken sandwich -- comprised of a bun, chicken patty, ketchup, and lettuce - along with a bottled water.

 I focused on both lettuce and water. I was shocked to see that there were 52 pesticides in our lettuce. The areas I was more concerned about were the probable carcinogens and and hormone disruptors. As someone who tries to eat vegetables, knowing that there are these many chemicals makes me hesitant to buy healthy vegetables. This shows just how different organic food can be for one's health since there aren't (if any) any chemicals impacting overall health. I was also surprised by the bottled water, I expected it to be worse given that there are many chemicals in the plastic container, however it does have less pesticides that finished water. Once again, given that water is needed for survival, I think it's concerning that our water isn't protected even more.

 In terms of public health, we should be supporting organically, local grown food and providing those options in food deserts. In addition, I think that there needs to be better education tools to inform the public of their exposures and alternative options towards healthier (less contaminated) options. Public Health can also assist in the growth of community gardens as a way to encourage reduce chemical exposure in smaller communities.



Comments

  1. UnknownOctober 23, 2018 at 6:00 PM

    Hi Daisy,
    Thank you for posting your meal! I am shocked that bottled water had 11 pesticides! I wonder in what process these pesticides can enter into the bottled water.
    Thank you for posting!
    Kera

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownOctober 24, 2018 at 11:17 AM

    Hi Daisy,
    Wow that is shocking that there are 52 pesticides in lettuce! Especially that some of the pesticides are possible carcinogens and hormone disruptors. I agree that this fact alone makes me hesitant to buy certain vegetables and also makes me lean towards purchasing only organic produce. I agree that it is important for us as consumers to purchase locally grown, organic food and I also agree that these options need to be available in food deserts. Great post!

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