16. January 2010 by Carol Whitaker.

One of the tenets of Green Gardening is to grow your own herbs, fruits and vegetables. When doing so, it’s important to use heritage seed that hasn’t been genetically altered in order to grow Green food.

Green Food is food that hasn’t been altered genetically. Genetically altered food is grown from seeds that have pesticides and herbicides (some are viruses used as pesticides and herbicides) which are inserted into the DNA of the seed. Many scientist (usually those who don’t work for the industries involved in putting the DNA of viruses into the DNA of food seeds) think this could be dangerous.

And frankly, personally, I’m not interested in eating food with pesticides, herbicides or viruses in them. However, I suspect that often we have no choice when that information is not divulged.

Here is some important information about some foods available at your grocery stores, which you should know:

Fruits and vegetables have something called a PLU code (i.e. secret code) which you will need to know to learn how your food is grown and whether it has been genetically altered. 

A recent study demonstrated, when we humans digest foods that have been genetically modified, the artificially modified genes transfer into and alter the character of beneficial bacteria in human intestines.

According to some studies, gene transfer of similarly genetically engineered agricultural crops surrounding native species has created highly resistant species now called superweeds. This has dire consequences. As engineered genes are spreading among and altering other other organisms in the environment, it proves an inter and intra gene species transfer mechanism. It is obvious that enetic engineering is dangerous.

Before you read how to tell what has been done to your food, keep in mind, while fruits and vegetables are marked for the way they are grown and whether or not they are grown from genetically altered seed, that is only for first generation altered seed. While the food, in theory, is marked for whether or not they have been genetically altered, foods which come from genetically altered foods or a second generation seed, and subsequent foods made from genetically altered foods do not have to be marked as genetically altered foods. As canola is genetically altered, but oil is made from it, the oil does not have to be marked as made from a genetically altered food.

Here’s how to tell sometimes, what has been done to your food and how it is grown or treated:

For conventionally grown fruit, (grown with chemicals inputs), the PLU code on the sticker consists of four numbers.

Organically grown fruit has a five-numeral PLU prefaced by the number 9.

Genetically engineered (GM) fruit has a five-numeral PLU prefaced by the number 8.

For example, for conventionally grown fruit, read on:

A conventionally grown banana would be:

4011

 An organic banana would be:

94011

 A genetically engineered (GE or GMO) banana would be:

84011

The numeric system was developed by the Produce Electronic Identification Board, an affiliate of the Produce Marketing Association, a Newark, Delaware-based trade group for the produce industry.

As of October 2001, the board had assigned more than 1,200 PLUs for individual produce items.

Incidentally, it has been said that the adhesive used to attach the stickers is considered food-grade, but the stickers themselves aren’t edible. Hmmm.

How to tell if food has been irradiated:

As part of its approval, FDA requires that irradiated foods include labeling with either the statement “treated with radiation” or “treated by irradiation,” along with the international symbol for irradiation, the Radura.

Irradiation labeling requirements apply only to foods sold in stores.

For example, irradiated spices or fresh strawberries should be labeled.

Irradiation labeling does not apply to restaurant foods. Foods with smaller amounts of irradiates foods in them do not have to be identified.

Source: Excerpted from FDA/CFSAN Food Safety A to Z Reference Guide, 2007

The Radura symbol (meaning irradiated food) - is a broken circle with something that looks like a leaf and a sun or a flower in the center.

Posted in Sustainability Issues | No Comments »

16. January 2010 by Carol Whitaker.

Six local sites at the Port Everglades water distribution system are contaminated with lead above the 15 parts per billion allowed by Federal Primary Drinking Water Regulations according to the letter sent out by Port Director, Phillip Callen, to Publix located at southwest 17 street in downtown Ft. Lauderdale.

Local supermarket, Publix, has the letter posted by the grocery carts at the front entrance to their store.

According to the letter 15 locations were tested. The letter also reported that Broward County has 12 months to study the problem and suggested methods for living with the situation.

Recommendations included allowing the water to run before using it; using cold water and not hot; and drinking bottled water.

The letter spawns more questions than it answers.Who are those affected? How many homes and businesses are receiving water tainted with lead? Which ones? How much lead is in the water? Is it 16 parts per billion or 270 parts per billion? Why haven’t the general public been made aware of the problem? Why haven’t these questions been answered?

If as doctors say, no level of lead is a safe level, and as lead has been removed from paints, jewelry and children’s toys because it’s too dangerous to touch or breath - what then are the dangers of bathing in the water, cooking with the water, drinking the water, or washing clothes in the water and watering plants with the water?

None of these questions have been addressed in a public fashion which seeks to inform and provide the citizens of Ft. lauderdale with the information they need to be sure that they are safe from the hazards of lead contaminated water.

News agencies, Sun Sentinel, WSVN - Channel 7 and New Times Broward edition were all  contacted. All said they were not aware of the situation and that they would look into it.

As yet, I’ve seen no news with answers to the questions this news begs.

Posted in Breaking Environmental News | 1 Comment »