8.3 Pesticides

Recalling my meal from last night I  definitely had some foods that were compromised with pesticide residue. Last nights dinner consisted of grilled chicken with avocado as a topping, salad (mixed greens) with ranch, side of steamed veggies. Looking at the website bell peppers had between 32.8%-42% of detectable residue, avocado had 0-1.1% of residue I  was honestly shocked to find the number of pesticides found in cucumbers, lettuce, and spinach. Cucumbers had about 86 pesticides found, lettuce contained 52 and spinach had about 54. I  think the amount of pesticide contamination in food is severe. Many of us don’t realize how much vegetables are exposed to hazardous chemicals while they are growing. In terms of public health, environmental health and awareness should be brought not only to the foods we are eating but also to surrounding areas where these foods are being grown to prevent the exposures. Making sure we are properly washing and wiping down our foods before consuming is very important.