Farm Chemicals: Be an activist

I went "shopping" the other day on the Internet. Went into a supermarket and picked out cereal, leafy vegetables, bagels, ground beef, and some fruit among the long list ot or orings of this "virtual" store. In a second after I entered my order, up popped this message:

"Thanks for shopping at the EWG Supermarket. You have 13 pesticides in your shopping cart." And, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), which created this interactive Web site, six of those pesticides cause cancer, five cause birth defects, three damage reproductive systems, five interfere with hormones, 10 damage the brain and nervous system, and two damage the immune system. Following this summary was a detailed report on each pesticide, foods where found on, and health effects. The ground beef in my shopping cart, EWG says, contained four pesticides - DDE, dieldrin, heptachlor epoxide, and hexachlorobenzene. Three of them - DDE, dieldrin, and hexachlorobeneze -- cause no less than five different health effects!

Instant reaction of the uninformed would be, "Put everything back. I'm not poisoning my family." EWG protests that's not their intent. According to their press release announcing www.foodnews.org, "For the first time, consumers can go to the Internet and instantly find out what pesticides are on the foods they eat, feed their children, and buy at the grocery store. And instead of panicking, consumers can follow simple tips for cutting back on pesticides -just as they cut back on calories, fat or cholesterol."

Not trying to scare the uninformed? This is how EWG describes the options digital diners can choose: "Daily Fare: Select breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack from among more than 150 foods and dishes. Or just pick a peach or an apple. You'll be amazed at how many pesticides you eat in the course of a day.

"EWG Supermarket: Pop in for a few items or wander the aisles and fill your shopping cart . . . We'll tell you which pesticides you brought home in your grocery bags and what their health risks are.

"Fruit Salad Roulette: Mix a bowl from more than 20 fruits and find out how many pesticides you ate. "Kid's Menu: Find out which pesticides are in foods children commonly eat including processed baby foods. And check to see if your child's diet exceeded government safety standards for pesticides that harm the nervous system.'

Where is EWU getting the data popping up on the screen? "From an EWG database that contains the resuits of more than 90,000 government lab tests for food contaminants for the years 1992 through 1996."

Not that EWG puts much faith in the government, as evidenced by this statement: "Right now, buying organic foods is the best option to reduce your intake of pesticides if (like us) you're skeptical about government and chemical company claims that pesticides are `safe."

EWG has invested big bucks in this interactive Web site, and it shows. It's attractive, well-designed, and you can move through the site with ease. Their motivation can be found in the list of 32 supermarkets, 23 food companies, and three government officials (Vice-President Al Gore, EPA Administrator Carol Browner, and Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman), to whom you can send an instant e-mail. Choose one or all, EWG urges:

"Be a One Minute Activist. Help make our food supply safer. Food companies, supermarkets, and government agencies have the responsibility to ensure that the food that we eat is safe. Use this page to tell them how you feel about the pesticides that are in your food. Don't let them minimize your concern about all the pesticides found in your foods. This is America. The Customer is always right."

What isn't right is the way EWG is manipulating people with this glitzy interactive Web site that provides no explanation of residues, of the fact that the "dose makes the poison."

But see for yourself. And once you've seen, take advantage of the opportunity offered to reach those supermarkets and food companies with your own thoughts on the safety of our food supply.

It's time for us all to become activists. It's past time to step up to the fact we all need to invest in getting the true story of pesticides and the food supply to the public. Foodnews.org cannot go unchallenged.