Simon+R’s+2017+OpEd+Article

= The Dangers of Food Imports: = = Hiding in plain sight = media type="youtube" key="A5yFxkUitBw" height="331" width="603"

Imported food is a commodity within our culture, to the point that we don't necessarily know what is going in to them. Many of the companies that import food do not have to follow our standards for consumption. For example, a common import from Mexico is avocados, with the ever-famous "Avocados from Mexico" jingle. In Mexico, Avocados are sprayed with chemicals known as sulfites. A sulfite is a very common chemical used as a preservative. It is used in things like anesthetic liquids to inject patients with. Here is the problem with that. Sulfites by themselves really do no harm that we know of; there's no real side effects. But, there are quite a few people in the United States allergic to sulfites, so it became illegal to spray foods in grocery stores with sulfites. The allergy to sulfites is generally quite severe, basing myself on the information gathered from relatives of mine, since they are allergic to sulfites. Usually, the reaction plays out like a bad stomach flu, with diarrhea, vomiting, severe aches and pains, you name it. In my opinion, illegal for a good reason. But, we can have it shipped here no problem, which really defeats the point. You may be asking, "If I'm not allergic then how does this affect me?"

Well, the problem is that sulfites are not the only thing that is being introduced to your food. Let's take something that you wouldn't think is a problem- DDT. According to the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC), DDT is still legally manufactured in the United States; it simply cannot be used on crops. It can be sold to other countries who can legally spray their crops with it, then import it into the United States legally, so it amounts to the exact same thing. For DDT, the EPA has categorized it as a B2 carcinogen. This means that in laboratory tests on animals, it has been shown to cause cancer. These tests are used to determine whether or not it is likely to cause cancer in humans. If DDT causes cancer in animals (which it does), it's likely it will cause cancer in humans. This is horrible, especially considering the damage to the environment. The chemical's half-life is anywhere from 2-15 years, and in an aquatic environment it's half-life increases to about 150 years. This is monstrous considering that DDT has a much greater effect in animals than in humans and in humans it tends to do some damage.

Another thing that is usually not considered is lead. Lead poisoning can be very dangerous and is not to be ingested.

Here is a quick explanation of lead poisoning and how it affects the body (especially in children):

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However, you will be shocked to find that according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (A division of the CDC) there are many house-hold commodities and foods through which you may ingest lead; the majority of them, imported. Here is what the ATSDR had to say: "Even when lead is not intentionally used in a product, it may contaminate items such as food, water, or alcohol. Lead may contaminate food during production, processing, packaging, and storage. Production sources may include: atmospheric lead deposition into leafy vegetables (Mushak //et al.// 1989 as cited in AAP 1993) and grinding or cutting equipment during processing//.// Lead in packaging may contaminate food. For example, bright red and yellow paints on bread bags and candy may contain lead (ATSDR 2005; Mushak //et al.// 1989 as cited in AAP 1993).

[Side Note: Not trying to name names or anything, but...]

Although lead was phased out of cans in the U.S. in the 1980's, some imported cans may still contain lead//.// Food or beverages may be stored in lead-containing vessels that contaminate the product. Other sources of food contamination include candies, especially chili-based imported from Mexico, certain “natural” calcium supplements, and some ceramic tableware (especially imported)."

So, what should we do? What can we do? That's the real question. Well first, be mindful about what you buy, California is extremely stringent upon safety measures, especially for lead contamination. So if it's manufactured in California, you're probably safe. But whenever buying food, always be careful about where it is manufactured or grown and what kind of packaging it is in. Because according to the CDC :"Consuming even small amounts of lead can be harmful. There is no safe blood lead level."

Oh, and don't buy these, that's just a mistake. These were recalled for substantial amounts of lead.