More concerned with their food supply than ever before, Americans have developed an increasing interest in whether pesticides can be found in their vegetables, as well as in organic foods. The United States Government is trying to keep food supplies safe by setting limits on the use of pesticides on plants. Unfortunately, vegetable testing methods for pesticides require expensive and sophisticated laboratory equipment. However, you can minimize the exposure to pesticides in vegetables by choosing and preparing food carefully.
Today's Video
FDA and USDA inspections
The Food and Drug Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture work together to establish safe limits on plant exposure to pesticides. They set limits on how much pesticide residues are safe for the general public and strictly enforce these levels. These organizations monitor the use of pesticides in domestic and imported vegetables. Very rarely find vegetables with more than residual pesticide residues, even among imports. Foods found with unsafe levels of chemical contamination are immediately destroyed.
Testing Laboratory
Independent testing laboratories offer testing of pesticide residues in plant tissue. Plant material must be handled carefully and frozen as quickly as possible to prevent chemicals from being metabolized. They must then be sent on ice to the laboratory. This kind of testing is only useful for vegetables that can be destroyed. This is also expensive, because testing starts around $ 100 per sample for one contaminant. Many laboratories idexx indonesia only test suspected chemicals rather than listing chemicals found in plant material. Laboratory testing is not a practical choice for anyone except commercial farmers.
Limiting Exposure
If you are worried about the pesticides in the vegetables you consume, you can take many precautions to limit the risk of your exposure. Organic products are grown without using pesticides, theoretically making vegetables free of pesticides. Chemicals used in long-term agricultural plots can survive in the soil, but the overall pesticide residue from organic products is very low or absent. Eating a variety of vegetables also helps reduce exposure to pesticides. Vegetable variations really spread your risk by introducing vegetables from various farms and plots that have received various treatments.
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