MORE NUTRITION
If I am what I eat, what is the risk? contin'd...
Some of the chemicals in food are cancer forming. But Leonard Mead, chairperson of the Organics Association of South Africa, says that the scariest thing of all is that chemicals such as DDT are still being used in South Africa, while it has been banned internationally for years. Mead says that legal pesticide use is largely unregulated. Some retailers do check periodically, as confirmed by Woolworths, Pick 'n Pay and Shoprite Checkers, but Mead says it may be wiser to trust brands that get exported because they are checked by international governments and not retailers who have something to lose.For example you can be pretty sure that export-friendly fruit juices such as Liquifruit and Ceres will be within legal limits.
More and more studies prove that pesticides cause diseases such as Attention Deficit Disorder, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s,” he says, “but you need to look at all of the different things together. The determination of Maximum Residue Levels of pesticides in foodstuffs (that level at which the government says its safe to ingest pesticide) is done on rats and then based on average human measurements. No distinction is made with regard to babies and children. When you’re a mom, it’s simple. Pesticide is poison. They don’t actually know what it’s causing. Studies are ongoing.” Pesticides have also been linked to headaches, tremor, depression, poor memory, dermatitis, convulsions, nausea and diarrhoea. Many of the more serious studies can only be conclusive when done over the life span of human beings – question is are you prepared to be the guinea pig? Mead explains that, from an ethical point of view, the EU is reducing the amount of legal pesticides by half every year: “You have to ask yourself the question why?” “As a consumer the issue is simple,” he adds, “do you want to eat poison that is used to kill things?” My grasshopper pet is case in point, I think to myself… How can I be sure it’s organic? Leonard advises that the most important thing to look for is an organic certifier’s logo. The most prominent ones in South Africa are Ecocert, BCS, SGS, BDOCA, Soil Association and Skall. There are also others such as USDA, which can be found on imported products. These are not the only organic certifiers, so it’s important to read food labels. If there is no label on the product then the information should be available on demand. It’s pretty disheartening to find out that "only Woolworths and Pick ‘n Pay insist on organic certificates along with the produce". “We need to ask questions. We need to insist. And we need to become slightly more forceful consumers,” Mead concludes. More reasons to believe Organic produce may be expensive, yet research confirms that organic food is about 20 percent healthier, giving my body the nutrition it needs to sustain a healthy immune system. That may mean saving millions on medical bills and nutritional supplements. Perhaps it’s worth it after all. Supporting organic producers also means supporting local farmers and thus the local economy. Plus, the food travels a shorter distance from the farm to my table so it’s fresher. Where do I find organic produce? It’s simply not possible to find organic everything in South Africa. But organic ambassador Steven Saunders says the customer is king: “It’s only because you don’t ask for it. Start demanding organic and they’ll bring it in.” Both Woolworths and Pick ‘n Pay are dedicated to the organic movement and there are online suppliers such as ethical.org.za and earthmother.co.za, who are passionate about delivering simple, unadulterated produce nationwide. Or simply plant your own vegetable garden. It’s frightening to suddenly be faced with the truth. It’s human nature to want to walk away and pretend nothing happened. I’d rather heed the warning of my grasshopper friend. For more information, visit:www.soilassociation.org
www.go-organic.co.za
www.ehponline.org/members/2005/8418/8418.pdf
environment.about.com/b/a/216251.htm
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