Doctor Bon

Pesticides used in food production produce both beneficial and unwanted effects. Basically health authorities believe that the benefits greatly outweigh the risks. Common concern about pesticide residues in food appropriately focuses on chronic rather than acute toxicity because the amounts of residue present, if any, are extremely small. Pesticides greatly help ensure a safe and adequate food supply and help make food available at reasonable cost.

Once a pesticide is applied, it can turn up in a number of unintended and unwanted places. For humans, pesticides pose a danger mainly in their cumulative effects, so their threats to health are difficult to determine. Food grown with out pesticides can contain naturally occurring organisms that produce carcinogen aflatoxin (fungus) from forming on some crops. One of the problems with pesticides is that they create new pests because they destroy the spiders, wasps and predatory beetles that naturally keep most plant feeding insect populations in check.

Rinsing Fruits and Vegetables under running water is advised to reduce pesticide exposure. Carefully washing fruits and vegetables is another option, once a pesticide is approved for use, it must follow the margin of safety provisions required of food additives. Pesticide use poses a risk-versus- benefit question. Each side has a point that deserves to be considered.