149 72 33MB
English Pages 640 [644] Year 2006
DIET for a POISONED
PLANET / / How
Choose Safe Foods for You and Your Family— the Twenty-first Century Edition to
DAVID STEINMAN "A message
we need
to hear,
an important work."
— Frances Moore Lappe, author of Diet for a Small Planet
Digitized by the Internet Archive in
2012
http://archive.org/details/dietforpoisonedpOOstei_0
Healthy Praise for Diet for a Poisoned Planet "Read
this
book! Diet for a Voisoned Vianet
is
most important books on cancer prevention. able and scientifically well-documented
inform readers
how
to avoid the toxic
in their food. I don't
know
among
the nation's
It is a
highly read-
book
that will clearly
and carcinogenic hazards
of any other book that
is
likely to
make such a valuable contribution to cancer prevention. No wonder the agrichemical and food industries and their hacks moved heaven and earth to try and block this important book's publication and distribution to the public."
— Samuel Epstein, M.D., professor of occupational and environmental medicine, University of Chicago "Steinman's guide to safe food and drinking water and the nontoxic
home
It is
important reading for anyone planning
is
the protect-your-health
book we needed years ago. a
pregnancy or
family"
—Erik Jansson, national coordinator, National Network "It
to Prevent Birth Defects
took David Steinman, not responsible
excessive levels of toxins
officials, to reveal that
were endangering people fishing
in
Santa Monica Bay. In this book, he persuasively warns against the pollutants poisoning our people-and offers personal and political
remedies."
—Tom Hayden, California assemblyman "D/>t for a Poisoned Planet will succeed
demand
that
government
allowed our food supply
officials
if it
spurs readers to
stand up to those
who
have
— and environment—to become tainted
with potentially dangerous pesticides, additives, bacteria, and industrial chemicals."
—Michael
F.
Jacobson, Ph.D., executive director.
Center for Science in the Public Interest
"We
agree with David Steinman
when he
says,
Teople have an
inahenable right to control their exposure to toxic chemicals.'"
—Harrowsmith Country
"Facing
a
Life
contaminated food supply and environment, Diet for a
Poisoned Planet helps us
ask the right questions and offers
provocative and useful solutions.
It will
open your
eyes."
—Jay Feldman, national coordinator. National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides
Diet for a Poisoned Planet How to for
Choose Safe Foods
You and Your Family
The Twenty-first Century Edition
David Stein man Foreword by William Marcus, Ph.D.
THUNDER'S MOUTH PRESS
•
NEW YORK
Diet for a Poisoned Planet:
How to
— The
and Your Family
Choose Safe Foods for You
Twenty-first Century Edition
Published by
Mouth
Thunder's
An
245 West 17th
Street,
New York, NY
A V A
Copyright
First
All rights reserved.
No
Press
imprint of Avalon PubHshing Group, Inc.
©
1
1th floor
10011
M
L
1990, 2007 by David Steinman.
published by
Harmony Books
part of this publication
may
in
1990.
be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system in writing
now known
from the publisher, except by
a reviewer
or to be invented, without permission
who
wishes to quote brief passages in
connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, or broadcast.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
is
available.
ISBN-10: 1-56025-922-1 ISBN-13: 978-1-56025-922-0
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1
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Force.
Contents Foreword by William Marcus, Ph.D.
Introduction
to
the
New
Edition
Introduction
•
ix
•
xi
xxxi
•
ONE An End to
Food Anxiety
•
1
TWO Plant Foods
•
IS
and Fruits
•
33
Grains
•
8S
THREE Vegetables
FOUR
FIVE
Animal Foods
•
113
Meat and Poultry
•
123
Seafood
•
165
Dairy Foods
•
193
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE Eggs
.
223
Prepared Foods
•
233
Beverages
•
26^7
Additives
•
291
Irradiation
•
321
Drinking Water
•
331
The Nontoxic Home
•
399
Pregnancy and Toxic Chemicals
•
439
Baby Foods
•
465
Detoxification
•
477
TEN
ELEVEN
TWELVE
THIRTEEN
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN
SIXTEEN
SEVENTEEN
EIGHTEEN
NINETEEN Safe Eating in the Real World
497
Our Food
503
APPENDICES
521
Appendix A: Safe Foods Shopping List
528
Appendix B: Personal Action Guide
530
and
Toxic Chemicals
551
Principal Sources
515
Acknowledgments
591
Index
599
Author
606
POSTSCRIPT Pesticides in
Glossary of Pesticides
About
the
Foreword by William Marcus, Ph.D.
This book will change how you approach the food you every day.
It
may
eat
even change the methods used by our farm
community to produce our food. Written in the tradition of Upton Sinclair's The Jimgle and Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, Diet for a Poisoned Planet overturns the idea that our food supply is
from
free of contamination
and
clarity,
With
toxic chemicals.
great insight
David Steinman explains which foods promote good
health and which foods are so burdened with poisons that they
adversely affect your health.
To
give
note that
you one indication of how
when
from
far
safe
our food
is,
calculating the "acceptable" levels of carcino-
genic pesticides in food, the Environmental Protection Agency treats each pesticide as if it
exposed. This, of course,
were the only one is
far
from the
cumulative exposure to
many
gerous.
wrong, and
will
I feel
that this
is
to
truth,
which people are and
it
permits
a
pesticides that can be ver}^ danit is
my
hope that
this
book
help persuade our government to address these issues of food
safety.
Cancer, this
we
are told,
is
decreasing. This
book shows, cancer deaths have
risen
is
simply not true. As
from
less
than
1
percent
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
of all deaths in the nineteenth century to at least one out of five deaths (20 percent) in the United States today. Exposure to car-
cinogens can be divided into those about which one can a
made
choice and those that are obligatory. Exposure to carcino-
genic pesticides and other toxins in foods substantially lessened
is
a choice
and can be
by simply following the suggestions con-
tained in this book. Diet for a Poisoned Planet will help
choose the best possible foods that contribute the
least to
you your
body's toxic burden. I
heartily
because
it
recommend
this
can help you cut
book
as required
down your exposure
reading both
to carcinogens
and because by following the steps outlined here you can immediately and dramatically improve your health. toxins have low-level neurotoxic effects.
Many food
Once you
follow
these instructions, feelings of tiredness and lack of clarity of
thought
will
diminish and feelings of general well-being will
return once again.
improved.
The
quality of your
life will
be measurably
—^William Marcus, Ph.D., senior science
advisor,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The foreword by William Marcus is written in his capacity as a private citizen. Anything he has written is his own opinion and does not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of his employer, the United States Environmental Protection
Agency.
Introduction to the
I
wanted
to
change the world for the
New Edition
better.
My world was poisoned. My Eden was a toxic waste dump. I
knew
this firsthand.
In late winter and spring of 1985, study in which
entific
my small
1
conducted
a
landmark
study team, which consisted of a
medical doctor, biologist, analytical chemist, and myself nahst),
measured the blood
sci-
levels of local
eating fish caught from the Santa
fishermen and
(a
jour-
women
Monica Bay and found
that
those persons eating the most locally caught fish had the highest levels
of industrial pollutants and pesticides.
would have profoundly important cations.
On
a
scientific
The
and
study
we
political impli-
personal note, I'd volunteered myself to have
of pollutants studied, and
levels
levels
of pesticides and industrial pollutants, especially for
age. littie
The
finding struck
old me.
me
at
my
core. It
was not them.
It
my was
I recalled many when I was a teen and would go fishing out of Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach or
That opened floodgates of memory.
happy, long days at sea
on the party boats
my
had remarkably high
blood
I
did
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
sailing
my way
and trolling in the Catalina Channel on
Catalina,
my
of us in
all
caught, and not
to
family consuming the fish that I'd
knowing nor having ever been informed
that
they harbored extraordinary levels of industrial contaminants
some corporate environmental pervert dumped earlier in the 1980s, dolphins
there.
loaded with pollutants washed
whom
up on shore, and the chemist Rich Gossett (with working) documented the tific
A great deal
annals.
Then,
levels to
I
was
be the highest in the scien-
of concern had been expressed about
Monica Bay in Los nobody had the smoking
potential contamination of the Santa
Angeles, but
nobody had the goods
gun evidence. The
work
tional analytical
funded
fish
—
were polluted, we knew, fi-om addi-
that Gossett performed as a publicly
scientist at the
Southern California Coastal Water
Research Project based in
Long
Beach. But nobody had con-
structed the bridge over which the connection
between polluted
Our
fish
would be made
and polluted people. We'd done
it.
study was going to be pubhshed in a peer-reviewed
medical and scientific hterature journal (and eventually would
appear in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry^
vol. 8. no. 10,
we had learned couldn't wait. We all commitment to this ocean. We were all surfers,
1989: 951-56), but what felt a
personal
fishermen, or just plain lovers of the ocean and had lived
around
our
it all
lives
—and we owed something to
If we waited for the sanctity
by then,
it
would be too
of a peer-reviewed pubhcation,
late, all
Santa Monica Bay needed help. luted;
the
dumping
county and
biological
city
steam would be
Our
let off.
local waters
sanitation
departments were
were becoming
and bacterial infections and, in some
The
were pol-
and chemical pollutants into the
waters where swimmers and surfers viral
welfare.
its
areas,
ill
local
with
high rates of
cancers (although not documented in peer-reviewed studies). Yet,
Xll
without
a
smoking gun showing
a direct link
between
David Steinman
pollution and
human health consequences,
We had come to risk everything. We had to act. cleanup.
will, at that time, didn't exist to effect a
to the point
We
to see
Tom
Assemblyman
Hayden,
in his Santa
who urged us to stand up the powers that be and to release the human data. He said, "But do it in a meaningful way where we can get
Monica to
where we had
went
frankly, the poHtical
office overlooking the bay,
most impact.
the
We want to get back at these motherfuckers
for polluting our waters."
Congressional representatives
Mel Levine and Henry
Waxman, both Democrats whose either bordered or alerted.
representative
districts
were close to the Santa Monica Bay, were
Their constituents had already sensitized them to the
pollution problems brewing in their watery backyards.
oceans were bad for tourism,
word out was bad
if
nothing
ties,
one with which,
how not
at that time, I
just
—and much of
to
damage
that
had particularly close
having been given the blood samples of
and fishing shop owners and
Bad
but then getting
for the sport fishing industry
our inner discussion had been on industry,
else,
many
party boat
being an avid fisherman and
reporter.
They had and
it
every reason not to want this information out,
was going to hurt them.
Bill
Nott, president of the
me He named
Sportfishing Association of CaHfornia (SAC), told to
meet with me. Make
it
alone, he said.
descript diner off the freeway in Torrance,
he had a
non-
where he and
I
could talk alone and out of earshot.
Nott had done
a lot as the
SAC's
first
president to keep
He
sport fishing within the reach of everybody. guy,
I
a
good
learned, caught in a difficult situation.
"Facts might be fact," he said. "But tive.
was
Why don't you pick on
polluted. Don't pick
it is all
about perspec-
celery or lettuce? They're just as
on the fishermen. Fish
is
the last of the
Xlll
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
wild foods available to us, and
whole it.
lot healthier
might be polluted but
it
it is
a
—and that stuff has hormones in
than beef
Don't pick on the fishermen."
Democratic representative Henry Waxman, chairman of the Congressional Subcommittee
ment, requested that
Kelter,
an expert witness at a hearing
I testify as
Monica on February
to be held in Santa
On
on Health and the Environ-
or around February
10.
received a
I
9,
from Alex
call
M.D., chief of the Environmental Health Hazard
Assessment for the State Department of Health Services, and
warned of
from the
associate
his
me
DDT
in
and
in
office
state
Sacramento. Kelter
no uncertain terms about linking the high its
DDE
metabolites such as
pesticides manufactured
levels
(two now-banned
from petroleum and chlorine that are
highly toxic to wildlife and humans) and polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs) that
with cancer.
Many
we were
finding in
men and women
experimental studies had already hung
these chemicals as carcinogens, and the literature was about to
explode with
human tissue and
case-control studies linking the
chemicals with breast cancer. "You're going to cause people to panic. I'm
warning you. Don't mention
tence as cancer."
The day
I
remember
at the civic hall
fish
told the
had
to
Waxman
biphenyls, or
's
committee.
PCBs,
ate the
most
DDT)
local
DDE (a
and for polychlorinated
a type of widely used fire retardant that
was weaker.
two chemicals with
XIV
auditorium
were three to four times higher for
dispersed into the waters of the bay;
of potential
The
was filled with concerned people and the media.
metabolite of the pesticide
it
will always.
committee that the people who
levels that
although
and
of the hearing, the four members of our research
team were presented
I
that call
DDT in the same sen-
I said
was
we also found a correlation,
experimental studies linked these
cancer. Experimental studies are indicators
human harm, and we
should take them seriously,
I
David Steinman
said. I also
pointed out that our own testing blew to smithereens
the idea that sport fish were any safer than commercially
caught
fish.
who
"For anybody
thinks the white croaker are
any different in markets than they are from the nonsense,"
piers, that's
Kelter was put on the hot seat and said
I testified.
the state could consider restricting harvesting fish fi-om certain areas (a restriction that would be put in place for white croaker).
Hayden
called our findings "Neptune's revenge."
Television
our
bay,
news was big on the case
fish,
news
local
dios after the hearing.
We
one heady moment, we at least
our hometown
Loma Linda
clean
felt
—
—and
live in
Los Angeles, and
we were changing
the world
—or
was well connected with
his residency.
to that day
and that hearing, the
political will to I felt
created a tsunami of goodwill for the city of angels.
There was no question
Monica
for
for the better. I did a lot of interviews,
up the Santa Monica Bay had been coalesced, and
we had
like
was our
University and Glendale Adventist Hospital
where he had done
Thanks
it
outlets did feedbacks to the stu-
were
didn't hurt that our physician
it
after all
and where our kids swam and surfed
everyone from the
and
—
that
we needed
to clean
up the Santa
Bay.
People were being poisoned by the locally caught seafood,
and several of the contaminants most tissues
were proven to cause cancer
up
likely to build
in their
in experimental studies
and quite possibly would do so among the fishermen and
women,
too, I said. It
was the kind of research that enabled
Heal the Bay to pressure public
activist
groups
initiate
dramatic policies to clean up our local bay.
like
officials to It also
hurt
the sport fishing industry for a while, I'm afraid. People devel-
oped
a
phobia of eating the local catch.
Soon portions of the Bay were declared site.
a federal
superfand
Polluting companies were assigned Habifity in the court
XV
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
system, and plans to clean
up the most polluted
areas
were put
into place.
Public education campaigns were conducted that educated
about the hazards of dumping hazardous chem-
local residents
storm drains that emptied into the
icals into
In the aftermath of
all
of the attention,
bay.
learned that people
I
had plenty of questions. They didn't want to lot of
feel helpless.
A
nervous people were out there suffering from food anx-
They needed to know what was safe to eat. If locally caught seafood wasn't, how about seafood from other areas of the
iety.
How
country?
about farmed salmon?
and vegetables? I
What
How about our terrestrial
followed up this seminal study with
on an assignment with the Arizona duce our award-winning
series
fruits
flesh foods?
more
Republic
about our
research.
I
took
and helped to pro-
The Poison Within.
I
traveled to
Nogales, Arizona, to view border inspections for imported produce.
I
remember
down
driving
to
Newport and buying
a
big black cod from a skiff fisherman and having that big fish
measured for
pesticides. It
had so much
tively lax federal regulatory guidelines
Down
been sold to the public. kets,
it
by even
rela-
should never have
San Pedro,
at the fish
mar-
white croakers were a big catch, and they were almost as
polluted. Bonito for ceviche
caught swordfish, and
all
all,
my own bay,
was popular and so was the
were polluted according to
ratory testing. Back then after
in
DDT
too,
it
locally
my labo-
me because this was, my father and I sailed on our
was sad to
where
sloop over to the Channel Islands and fished from the seas for barracuda and
went skin diving and where we speared
or trolled for enormous sharks and caught. to the
It
was
my world
and
it
we
certainly ate
fish
what we
had gotten screwed up.
I
went
San Joaquin Valley and met with farm workers and
farmers whose lives had been destroyed by pesticides, people
XVI
1
David Steinman •.
whose children were born without Hmbs or who developed cancer.
Other members of our team brought home
similarly
gut-wrenching stories from Louisiana and other regions of the country.
I
even went to Nogales and saw
trucks, passing into
planet was poisoned,
we
all
needed
do
to
lines of
maybe
was,
I
maybe we
all
new
consciousness. First,
severity of the problem, though. I
had to take
gold off our polluted food supply and show it
That was the genesis
was.
were, and
detox as a people and a nation,
a collective
and maybe we could do some of that detox with started to create a
produce
America and largely not inspected. The
book
a
we had
to see the
the glitter and
all it
that
naked for what
for Diet for a Poisoned Planet's
investigation into the safety of our food supply. I
did not
didn't
want
know then
me
that extremely powerful interests
to write about the chemicals in
foods or
thei?'
to discuss the health impHcations of these chemicals' presence.
They had
a big
beef against
then and maybe wished I'd had a
meant
head down the road
to
down
have gone
it,
would be
a
in
luting bad corporate actor industries
full
no doubt, but
marked man
and lobbies
in
it
understanding of what
it
I
did not
was heading.
I
and been more protective of my I
know
naked lunch.
a
I
could have
interests.
my
life
I
From
think I'd
still
known more that point
on
to just about every pol-
from two of the most powerful
Washington (food and
agriculture)
and one powerful White House bent on making sure
I
and
every sympathizer from within would shut up or be silenced.
Maybe
I
should have picked up
taken a big on,
I
I
hunk
in
my
mouth.
a stick
didn't
I
would have to be defiant or
else
had already gone through the
of chewing
know
that
gum
and
from then
be crushed.
fiery congressional hearing
with regard to the Santa Monica Bay.
I
thought
I
was prepared
would happen with publication of the Diet for a Poisoned Planet. I had just gotten a great blurb fi*om Dr. Michael for
XVI
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Jacobson, director of Center for Science in the Public Interest,
who said he was "excited" over its release. Hayden and Waxman, of course, had helped, too. So had Frances Moore Lappe,
lots
of good people. But
publication was already a
its
monster, and events were out of
my
control.
Fd
just
have to
hold on for the ride.
Long
before the
book was published, word had gotten out
to key industry sources, fight Diet.
swanky
and they had decided that they had to
That was thanks
California
to a fantastic
June 1990 excerpt
magazine with Greg
He
Critser.
together a landmark issue about organic foods and
in
put
how it was
my article of me brooding
going to grow the California farm economy, and
"How I Came
Clean," complete with pictures
on the beach, was the big Kahuna
in the center of the
crosshairs of the political hit man's gun.
In the California excerpt,
growers continued to use
noted, the California raisin
I
a pesticide called dicofol that
contaminated with the banned pesticide about every box of
DDT. As
was
a result, just
our children took in their
raisins that
lunches contained fresh residues of a pesticide that had been
banned
United States almost two decades
for use in the
There was no arguing with the obtained
my
laboratory testing
with both dicofol and
DDE.
Every
raisin
residues, I noted.
food
—one
certified to
DDE tissues
right)
XVlll
earlier.
all, I
had
by making Freedom of Information Act
results
requests to the federal
own
data, either. After
Food and Drug Administration whose showed that raisins were contaminated
DDT and
had about
As
its
various metabolites such as
six to
seven different pesticide
a result, I rated raisins as a "red light"
that should not be
consumed,
be grown organically.
I
unless, of course,
pointed out that
DDT and
were cancer-causing chemicals and building up and that dicofol (potentially cancer-causing in
was the backdoor entryway
in
its
for fresh residues of
our
own
DDT
T David Steinman
and
DDE
to enter the diet.
This was too much of the naked
truth again, this time for Cahfornia's raisin growers. Instead of
trying to do something about the
problem (such
as finding a
safe substitute for dicofol), they decided that the
messenger
They went at it with a vengeance. There was no end of money they were going to spend
should be beheaded.
defend their precious shriveled nuggets.
to
A few years earHer, in
1986, the raisin growers had begun airing
TV
commercials
using the Cahfornia Dancing Raisins. So popular were these characters, brought to "life" through claymation, that they
been invited to perform
at the
White House Easter Egg
had Roll
and Christmas Tree Lighting and in the Macy's Thanksgiving
Day
Parade.
They even
starred in their
own
CBS
mation Christmas Celebration," on the work. Raisin
"A Clay-
special,
television net-
had increased some 17 percent during
sales
this
period as well.
On
Sunday, September
friend. "You're
2,
1990,
wanted now," she
I
woke up
from
to a call
said. I didn't like the
a
sound
of her voice.
"Go
to the newsstand.
Get the Chronicle-Examiner
In an article in the San Francisco combined issue of the
Chronicle-Examiner that
of Los Angeles,
I
I
picked up in Highland Park, outside
read about
how the McClatchy News
was reporting from Fresno that "the piling
ammunition
raisin industry is stock-
for a battle to defend the raisin's
^nature's candy' against a
book
Service
that calls
it
the
most
image
as
pesticide-
laden food people can eat."
The
California Raisin Advisory Board
(CALRAB) had
voted the week before in a one and one-quarter hour closed session to spend
some $558,000
in a
campaign targeted
at
fighting Diet for a Poisoned Planet, reported the paper.
A
lot
was
$400 million
at stake.
The
industry produced up to around
a year in raisins,
and
raisins
were second only to
XIX
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
cotton for value in Fresno County. Half a million to spend on
some smart mouth was a drop in the bucket, especially when you had rich friends and associates who knew how to squish bugs
little
—or plant them.
The problem, as I saw it, was The raisin growers had gotten a came
that I
little bit
as I
it
bit or else
their guts that the public could
The
They
didn't like
how
only image they wanted of their
vaunted chemical crop was that of dancing hell,
one
like it
when
of dicofol was not dan-
never stomach that line of reasoning. the whole thing smelled.
telling the truth.
whiff of that truth
and they didn't
to their crop,
maybe they thought that a gerous. They also knew in
was
raisins. I
was
raisin
and they thought I should shut up. That was the problem
saw
it.
As they saw
David Steinman was the problem. They
it,
intended to do everything possible to make this book dead on arrival.
That was what Kriegel of
I
learned from a personal note from Bruce
CALRAB.
Funny, the envelope
it
came
wasn't stamped yet ended up in a mailbox outside If
you want
to get
me, come on.
I
was ready,
I
inside of
my home. told friends
and supporters.
The firm
raisin
growers hired the controversial public relations
Ketchum
purpose was to put their
But then, Ketchum
wrong
campaign whose
to initiate a disinformation
is
clients' profits
known
over consumer health.
for historically being
on the
side of just about every environmental issue possible.
"According to the O'Dwyer's Directory of
Ketchum
is
the sixth largest pubUc relations
PR
company
Firms, in the
United States, receiving net fees of over $50 miUion per year," report John Stauber and Sheldon
XX
Damn
and
Rampton
Good for
You: Lies,
(Monroe,
ME: Common Courage Press,
Lies
in Toxic Sltidge Is
the Public Relations Industry
1995). "Headquartered
— David Steinman
in
New York
food
clients,
Ketchum
City,
number of corporate
represents a
including Dole Foods, Wendy's, the Potato Board,
Oscar Mayer Foods, Miller Brewing, Kikkoman, H. the Beef Industry Council, the
J.
Heinz,
CaHfomia Almond Board, and
the California Raisin Advisory Board. In addition to writing
and organizing news conferences, Ketchum
press releases
aggressively markets
its
In
fact, as
Stauber and
'crisis
Rampton noted
PR
boasted of its experience handling
Superfand
a
specifically, "In a
Services Report,
Ketchum
PR problems ranging 'from
toxic waste crises to low-level nuclear wastes,
relations at
management,'
PR industry."
O'Dwyer's
profile written for
in
services
growing specialty within the
sites to scientific
from community
meetings where issues
hke toxicology of pesticides are reviewed.'"
My work was
a crisis.
Early in the
my book had been excerpted in
summer
of 1990, after
magazine and shown
California
that the California raisin growers
were
DDT on
a pesticide called dicofol,
their crop in the
form of
basically
still
using
Betsy Gulhckson, senior vice president at Ketchum, was called in.
Gullickson
is
considered an expert in "food marketing
strategic counsel,"
and
my book
was the type of
"crisis" that
she was hired to manage.
Her 1990 memo
outlined a plan to assign "broad areas of
responsibility," such as "intelligence/information gathering,"
Ketchum employees and to Gary Obenauf of CALRAB. Months before the publication of Diet for a Poisoned Planet, Ketchum sought to "obtain [a] copy of [the] book galto specific
leys or
manuscript and publisher's tour schedule."
"All 7,
1990,
documents
.
.
.
memo from Gullickson. "Make
—are so stamped.
even notes to yourself have
a shredder; give
warned
are confidential,"
documents
a
September
sure that everything .
.
.
Remember that we
to Lynette for shredding. All
conversations are confidential, too. Please be careful talking in
XXI
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
the halls, in elevators, in restaurants, etc. All suppliers must sign confidentiality agreements. If to the client, another office or to
them know
that a fax
is
you
documents
are faxing
anyone
else, call
them
coming. If you are expecting a
to let
fax,
you
or your account coordinator should stand by the machine and wait for
it.
anybody
We
don't want those documents lying around for
to pick up."
Gullickson recommended that spokespeople "conduct one-
on-one briefings/interviews with the trade and general con-
sumer media issue.
.
in the markets
most acutely interested
in the
The [Ketchum] agency is currently attempting to get we can 'shadow' Steinman's appearbest scenario: we will have our spokesman in town prior .
.
a tour schedule so that
ances;
to or in conjunction with Steinman's appearances."
A
second
PR
firm
—Edelman Worldwide—
with additional funds from other groups.
^was also hired
The American
Council for Science and Health (ACSH) joined the a July 12, 1990, three-page letter to John
for the first
sumers" and "may pose also said
would inquire Agency,
as to
if any, is
it
In
Sununu, chief of staff
Bush White House, the head of the group
was concerned about people who "specialize
The group
fi'enzy.
said she
in terrifying con-
a future threat to national security."
would be of "immeasurable help
what
role the
if
you
Environmental Protection
playing in promoting books such as Diet for a
Poisoned Flanet^
In an August 7 letter fi-om to
Ede Holiday who was
assistant
Chief of Staff John Sununu, the White House informed the
ACSH that in fact a representative of the EPA had been found to have written the foreword for Diet for a Poisoned Planet. I
had enlisted the aid of WiUiam Marcus, Ph.D., entific
advisor to the federal
a top-level sci-
Environmental Protection
Agency, to write the foreword; even though Marcus was speaking as
XXll
a private citizen,
thanks to the witch hunt that the
David Steinman
White House
initiated,
he was
fired fi-om his position (and
with back pay, thanks to union intervention,
later reinstated
noting he had a right to speak his mind as
which he had
clearly
done
a private citizen,
in the book).
Meantime, Crown received
a letter fi*om the politically
Gump,
connected Washington, D.C., law firm of Akin, Strauss,
&
Hauer
Feld threatening legal action
books
if all
were not removed from bookstores. The federal Department of Agriculture began a series of phone to
calls to all
warn producers against having me on I left for
my book tour
At the time
I also
media
outlets
their shows.
and was booked on the Today Show.
represented the pubHc interest on the safe
seafood committee of the National
Academy of
Sciences.
had been charged with advising Congress on enacting
We
legisla-
make our seafood supply safer, and we were in the process of finishing up our book Seafood Safety that the National Academy Press pubHshed a year later. We were one of the first publicly funded research groups to warn against tion to
chronic exposure to methylmercury and other chemical poisons from our seafood.
I
taped an interview for the Today Show
with then host Deborah Norville and discussed the hazards of
consuming swordfish, which have perhaps the highest methylmercury bearing age.
I
in the diet, particularly
against
women
of
of child-
had high
levels of
toxin. Today, of course,
warnings
added that swordfish
PCBs, another reproductive
by
levels
also
consuming swordfish and other seafood items with
high levels of methylmercury and in supermarkets
PCBs
are routinely provided
and in government Hterature since we know
that in utero exposure to both this heavy metal and this bromi-
nated chlorine rob our children of their
opment. Indeed, for more than
full intellectual
devel-
a decade, researchers Stanley
and Sandra Jacobsen had been following Great Lakes children exposed to
PCBs
during their mother's pregnancy and have
XXlll
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
documented
that developmental defects at birth (reduced ges-
tation, small
head circumference, and lower birth weight)
have persisted into intelligence
deficits
now
and behavioral prob-
lems even into their later years. Today had the opportunity to help millions of
women
to
avoid a potentially dangerous chemical, high exposures of
which during pregnancy rob the developing important health information, but
They had been
fetus of
its fullest
They could have been in the vanguard
intellectual potential.
my
segment never
of
aired.
contacted by either the federal government's
PR firms and against airing my informa-
Department of Agriculture, the ACSH, or other business interests and were warned tion;
of course, some advertising could be pulled. Don't knock
the food supply was their message to the producers at the
show, and they caved.
I
wanted to help people; that part of my
mission had just gotten tougher.
Why was
this
information important?
the chemicals
you
rationale at
all
about improving-your
nation and
its
people.
are ingesting
Our
is
Of course, knowing
important life
if
you seek any
and the health of our
dietary choices profoundly affect
not only our health but also the health of
all
of our children
and of our planet.
Many of the
chemicals detailed in Diet for a Poisoned Planet
were clearly recognized carcinogens
and
neurotoxins,
increasing risk of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's. In addition,
many such
chemicals were coming
known as xenoestrogens, substances that act much like the female hormone estrogen when absorbed into the human body and that have been shown to potentially cause reproductive damage among our own babies, including undeto be
scended
testicles,
increased
risk
of
testicular
premature menarche (onset of puberty in aberrations in
XXIV
girls),
cancer,
and even
normal general and gender-specific behavior, as
David SteiNxMan
well as declining ability to cope with stressful or difficult real-
and events.
ities
In addition,
many
—such
food supply
from
oil.
Our
of the most dangerous chemicals in the
as dicofol
—were and are today produced
extreme, often unnecessary, reliance on these
chemicals for food production was serving to fuel our lennium's dependency on foreign
new mil-
oil.
By making informed food shopping decisions then, consumers could have been empowered to avert our dependency on oil, particularly
from
hostile
governments and regions; war in Iraq in
2003 might have been averted strongly early
if consumers
on through books
But money was
all
had been empowered
like Diet for
a Poisoned Planet.
that mattered with the raisin growers
who were
and the food and agriculture chemical industries
interested in preserving their sales of chemicals and chemically
contaminated foods.
They simply
were increasing the
didn't care that they
risk
of cancer in our children, polluting our environment and drinking water, thwarting ally
would be good
new market development
for their stodgy industries, or
that actu-
weakening
U.S. national security. In
fact, I
paign from a disgruntled
documents from the In
a
long
Ketchum camstaff person who secreted out many
learned the inside details of the
PR
letter, this
firm's offices.
whistle-blower told
me
that the firm
had allegedly paid former surgeon general C. Everett Koop to speak out against the book tacted Koop); he said that public.
He
said
(it is
I
known
he had no problem with
eating peanut butter (another food the end of the story.
trashed the in
USA
No
more
that the
ACSH
con-
was unnecessarily scaring the
I
his
own grandchildren
had singled
out); that
was
discussion was required, and he
book completely and
told
America our food
Today in an interview with Barbara Reynolds.
I
is
safe
threw
XXV
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
down
the paper and felt
what?
I
my
blood
rise to
my
told friends. Safe for the farm workers
head. Safe for
who
picked our
crops and whose children were being born without limbs
because of their parents' exposures to thalidomide-like chemicals
such as captan? Safe for the farmers whose rates of non-
Hodgkin's lymphoma were several times higher than normal
due to their exposure to phenoxy herbicides such
were laced with cancer in
atrazine,
which was shown
human populations?
as
whose drinking water
Safe for Midwestern residents
Safe for
2,4-D? supplies
to cause ovarian
women who were
accu-
mulating organochlorine pesticide residues in their breast sues and for
whom
their risk of breast cancer
tis-
was increased
over normal rates? Safe for the offspring of mothers living in the Great Lakes region
whose
tissues
had accumulated PCBs
and whose children were being born with significant IQ and neurological deficits? Safe for our wildlife that were exhibiting disturbing abnormaHties such as blurred sex organs that were
neither distinctly male or female, very possibly due to the feminizing effects of organochlorine pesticides such as
DDT?
Weren't these organizations or so-called experts even thinking about farm workers or our environment? Did they even care?
Or
did brown-skinned people not really count?
And what
of
our children? Didn't they know that cancer was the leading killer
of children under age fifteen
rates
were increasing?
—and that childhood cancer
What world were Koop, Ketchum, and
the rest of their cronies living in? Didn't they care about other
people?
Or
did they want us to accept a vision for American
that included poisoning ourselves I
from within?
was in Washington, D.C., next and met with Devra Lee
Davis, Ph.D.
A scholar in
residence at the National
Academy
of Sciences, Davis was a world-renowned epidemiologist
whose own major, peer-reviewed increasing cancer rates
XXVI
among
scientific
work pointed up
to
the industrialized nations and
David Steinman
among middle-aged Americans and Europeans, trend that she, hke part, to the rising
I did,
beHeved was
chemical exposures
a disturbing
attributable, at least in
we
face.
My work and conclusions drawn thereon were facing enormous opposition from the agrichemical and food industries, and we talked one afternoon about what was at stake. I told her about all of the many trumped-up charges that I was defaming raisins and peanuts, for God's sake. It's the way they work, she said. I
had to be tough, she added. She'd seen
Mary Amdur grew up where
in Pennsylvania's
coal-fired plants
cants into the
cancer at age
before, too.
Monongahela
visible
and
Valley,
invisible toxi-
She had seen her own father die of lung
air.
forty.
tant professor
spewed both
it
at
Amdur eventually went to become
an
assis-
Harvard Medical School. She started
studying the effects of chronic low-level exposures to the
heavy metal lead that was being used
At the time,
as
an additive in gasoline.
in the 1950s, the lead industry, led
by Ethyl Cor-
poration, claimed that low-level exposures to lead were not
dangerous. Yet,
Amdur
's
work demonstrated
lead exposures were, in fact, dangerous.
As
that low-level
a result, she
had
to
go up against some of the wealthiest and most immoral com-
when
panies in the nation. At one point,
men
in an elevator,
cize the results of her work," Davis later reported in her
When Smoke Ran
Like Water.
forty years later she
The
remembered
were about to close around
men
two
confronted her and "signaled that she should not publi-
my
book
incident haunted her, and "feeling as
though hands
neck" when those two strange
confronted her in the elevator.
Amdur was
defiant,
though, and continued her research.
Harvard toxicologist and psychiatrist Herbert Needleman also
went through
sive evidence that
hell.
Needleman's studies provided conclu-
even low-level lead exposures lead reduced
childhood intelligence and induced aberrant behavior. His
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
work was published
in the prestigious
New England Journal of
Medicine in 1979, and, although other researchers had already
begun showing these effects, the difference was that Needleman's work showed damage not only occurred among
among
the poor or racial minorities or
who were
children
poorly mothered but also that the deficits of brain function
were occurring among middle-class white children
do
families.
With
removed from
gasoline, the International
in well-to-
were to be
billions of dollars at stake if lead
Lead Zinc Research
Organization hired more than one dozen scientists to discredit
Needleman's work and even accused him of the serious charge of scientific misconduct in performing his studies. This harass-
ment of Needleman went on lication of his totally
landmark
for
and
results
removed from gasoline
Like
more than
a
decade after pub-
after lead
in the mid-1980s.
Amdur and Needleman,
I
was going up against some
of the most powerful interests in the country. intent
on
a brutal disinformation
ticated, well connected,
the tobacco industries,
In the South,
crop was
—and
They were
campaign that was
and insidious
Amdur
was almost
as
as sophis-
any such campaign by
said.
was attacked by the peanut growers
I
—one
remains today
(their
of the most pesticide-
contaminated in the entire food supply). In Colorado,
my
I
was attacked by the cattiemen who decried
reporting on the use of growth-stimulating drugs in beef
production. It
became
a free-for-all.
My book was a best seller in Seattle
and lauded in San Francisco and Vermont.
began coming out and
There
are
two
In the world that
sales
took
Good
reviews
off.
parallel universes in this country, I learned. I
envisioned, people cared about each other
and that meant they cared about what kind of chemicals were being used to grow their food, because they recognized the
XXVlll
David Steinman
profound implications that their
own shopping
decisions have
not only for their personal health but also for their children,
and our world. In the other universe,
their communities,
people conveniently disconnect themselves from their responneighbors, to their communities, and, most of
sibility to their all,
to our children's future.
Diet for a Poisoned Planet, together with
National
Academy of Sciences, made
my work
at the
a difference to shape the
world.
Today,
women
of childbearing age are routinely warned
against eating certain kinds of seafood due to contamination
with heavy metals and pesticides. Fishing in certain areas of Santa Monica Bay was restricted to prevent dangerously poisoned fish
ethnic markets.
The
The bay
is
from being delivered
marketplace for organically grown food
a healthy
pace and
is
to
also cleaner than ever before. is
growing
at
contributing to the exciting growth in the
food industry. Ironically, the tries
book
that the food and agrichemical indus-
so vehementiy opposed helped to give birth to the
organic food industry, which egories in the food industry.
is
one of the
fastest
More and more
growing
cat-
certified organic
farmers are protecting the tradition of the family farm, and has created
more
it
business and profits for the agricultural and
food industries. Progressive raisin growers like Dole undertook a pledge to eliminate dicofol
from
products.
their
(Sun-Maid Raisins
my own laboratory
claims to have eliminated dicofol; however, testing
shows that Sun-Maid Raisins do
dicofol
and could be involved
and deception
But
New
let's
at worst, as
face
it.
The
I'll
still
have traces of
in public disinformation at best detail in this edition.)
planet
is
poisoned.
It
needs our help.
dangerous chemicals have replaced some of the older
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
more signs and symptoms of our petrochemical dependency as more and more food is packaged ones, and
we
are seeing
We
in plastic instead of glass. tective of
our national
safer replacements
must be ever and
interests,
whenever
it is
possible.
and pro-
vigilant
in our interest to find
That
is
good
for
you
and good for our nation. Today,
Freedom
I
am
Press,
the father of three children. Today,
which publishes the popular
run the
tion for
Healthy Living, as well as books on national politics, sex,
health,
and many other
Today, our world
topics.
more
is
our work cut out for
polluted than ever and
We
us.
have to do what
on even against extreme odds.
carry
and we see
how
it
extreme odds. For
could be.
many
We
We
must
all
this
I
do know
coming clean
this. If is
you read
when
they see
this
how
if it is
Sometimes, people it.
is
one answer.
in
how you
nation requires no
less.
book, you will see
why
so important to your long-term health and
your children's future, and for the planet.
it is,
book, you can help to
Our
detoxify yourself and our nation.
—and
be defiant against
of us, extreme green
approach the information in
we have
right
is
see the world as
But whether you are extreme or moderate
Los Angeles, California
good
just don't
Here's a good thing.
David Steinman
XXX
I
Doctors' Prescrip-
it is
good
know a good
thing
for you,
Introduction
I
WANT TO
me. I
tell
you
a story.
grew up near the ocean
name
a true story,
and
it
happened
I
loved fishing
to
could happen to you, too.
It
since
It's
I
was
it,
I
in
Los Angeles, and
a teenager. Pier fishing, surf casting, party boats
did
it.
And
like
most fishermen
I ate
what
I
—you
caught.
In April 1985, signs appeared at piers and on the beaches of the county of
Los Angeles:
WARNING Eating fish caught in Santa Monica Bay
may be
health because of chemical contamination. the fish called white croaker, king
I
was shocked.
I
wanted
to
I'd
been eating
know more.
How
fish,
locally
You should not
eat
or torn cod.
caught sport
fish for years.
Was
I
was pretty upsetting.
I
dangerous were these
going to die from having eaten them? felt like a
harmfiil to your
It
fish?
victim.
Newspaper reports eventually revealed
that
DDT-laced waste
sludge from a pesticide manufacturing plant had for years been
dumped
in the area
of Santa Monica Bay
To keep
the barrels
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
containing waste from floating and creating navigation haz-
workers hacked them open before dumping them.
ards, barge
The fish
contents of those barrels had accumulated in the bodies of
feeding in these waters for years.
Now they were accumu-
lating in the bodies of people eating those fish.
At the time
I
was writing for
editor there to support
new approach by
me
fish
my
in doing a study with a completely
who
ate a lot of
My aim was to find out just how dan-
were.
The answer was
even worse than
ate a lot of sport fish
had serum
ten times higher than people
Taking
tested, too.
Weekly. I persuaded
testing the blood of people
locally caught sport fish.
gerous the
LA
my
I
expected. People
DDT and PCB
who
did not.
age into account,
I
I
who
levels six to
had
my
blood
had one of the
highest levels in the study group.
This news stunned me,
as
you may imagine.
wondering how many other poisons were started
me
why government
asking
It started
me
in the foods I ate. It
officials,
who had known
about the dumping for years, had withheld the information so long. It started this I
me
doing the research that eventually became
book.
wanted
research
I
to get rid of the poisons in
my
body. All the
saw indicated that the higher the levels of pesticides
and industrial pollutants cancer and other diseases.
in the blood, the higher the risk of I didn't
unknowingly eaten tainted
want
to get sick
from having
fish for years.
My first step in cleaning up my body was to determine how toxins get into
it
in the first place. Finding the answer to that
question was not easy. In the past fifteen years, I've
dreds of requests under the
government
made hun-
Freedom of Information Act
for
studies about the safety of our food. I've looked at
tens of thousands of chemical analyses of foods. I've analyzed
government
XXXll
studies of
hundreds of foods and sources of water
David Steinman
which have the highest
to find out
levels
of toxins in them,
which the lowest. American farmers have used ever-increasing doses of pesticides for decades, and the combination of histor-
doses in the
ical
and fresh doses on every crop can make
soil
eating an undesirably risky business. But, fortunately,
I
was
many Pow-toxin, safe foods that can be found in any supermarket. And I was able to single out the worst foods the ones we must stay away fi-om. able to identify
—
America's waters are polluted, too, by the runoff from pes-
and by industrial wastes. Fish caught in some waters are
ticides
simply too dangerous to
many
eat.
But again,
I
was able to identify
seafoods of absolute purity.
As
I
pubhshed the
journals, I
was
results of
thrilled
my research
by the responses
in
magazines and
I got.
People were
know what I was learning. Across the country, people knew they were ingesting toxic chemicals from their diets, but there was no way for them to find out which were the safe eager to
foods and which ones were dangerous.
I
began to see how
I
could help other people relieve their food anxiety and take the
same
steps
I
was taking
for safety. I
had
studies, I felt better than I ever
had
After switching to a diet consisting of the safe foods
my
learned about fi-om before.
I lost
weight;
tently better spirits;
without fatigue. also
knew
as well,
But
that
I
I
I
had more energy and was
my work
was
feeling. I
finally
felt
in consis-
could concentrate longer on
rarely got sick. It
was
and that
I
I
a
wonderful
doing something to save our planet
good, too.
couldn't stop wondering whether the chemical toxins
lodged in
my body years before were still in there,
ting the stage for diseases.
program, and
it
So
I
possibly set-
created an active detoxification
worked wonders. After detoxing, the
DDT
in
PCBs
decreased 90 percent. This
my body
was reduced by 70 percent. The is
astonishing
level
of
level
of
when you XXXIll
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
consider
how
high the levels had been, and that only a couple
of years ago most scientists believed
it
was impossible to
rid
your body of these toxic chemicals once they had accumulated in
your
fat.
The
safe foods
of toxic chemicals I
think of
as a
it
—that
is
and detox basically
a lifetime's
You
It
can
what
I've
accumulation
put in
this
book.
message of hope. Combining careful food
decisions with active detox has changed
yours, too.
me.
for
show you how.
help you, too. Fll
How to find
program worked
active detox
will feel different.
my life.
It
can change
Let your body do the
talking.
There's a lot of bad news in here about poisons in our food. It
may seem
discouraging. But I've got to
tell
you what's dan-
gerous in order to point you to the foods that are
And
there
is
lots
of great,
love to eat, and what's in here
follow the principles of what diet, you'll eat
food that
the extra assurance of
is
not
I call
tastes
your body and your mind,
safe.
safe, delicious food. Believe
I
you
the low-toxin, high-energy
wonderful and
as well as for
knowing
me,
a deprivation diet. If
that's great for
our planet. You'll have
that you're not accumulating
more twentieth- and twenty-first-century poisons with every bite you take. And you'll know that by spending your food dollars on safe foods you're sending a message to industry in support of nontoxic farming and animal-raising methods. liberating feeling.
XXXIV
It's
a
very personal
way
It's
to save our planet.
a
ONE An End
to
Food Anxiety
It seems like we've heard nothing but bad news about foods for the past few years. pesticides
You know
—dangerous
the whole sad Htany
on apples and other produce,
industrial toxins in tap
water and bottled water, pesticides and sulfa drugs in milk and
some kinds of meat, ethylene dibromide
in grains, natural deadly
toxins and microorganisms in fish and shellfish.
seems that nothing
is
safe to eat,
and that we
Sometimes
live in a
it
constant
state of food anxiety.
But you must not cious food to eat. it.
That's
why
And
feel helpless.
for
There
is
plenty of safe, deH-
your own well-being, you need to find
I've written this
—to make
book
it
easy for you to
provide safe meals for yourself and for your family and friends.
Based on more than
fifteen years
of research on chemical and
natural toxins in foods, I've learned that significantly the
it's
possible to cut
amount of chemical poisons we
down
take in as well as
our exposure to potentially deadly biological microorganisms
and natural poisons, and by doing so to reduce our chances of serious illness that these natural and biological microorganisms can cause.
what
I call
human-made
toxins and
This can be done through
the low-toxin, high-energy diet. This
is
a
program
I
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
have designed to help you eHminate cals
from your
diet,
many dangerous chemi-
avoid the diseases these toxins can cause,
improve your health, and increase your energy
The
basic idea of the diet
is
very simple.
reduce your intake of dangerous chemicals
level.
The is
best
way
foods that have the highest levels of pesticides and other
and cut them right out of your
to
to identify the
Hfe, often replacing
toxifis
them with
and more nutritious organically grown alterna-
even
tastier
tives.
In the chapters ahead
you which ones
are free
which ones are so high
I
analyze hundred of foods and
from or low
in toxic chemicals,
in chemical toxins that
tell
and
you should
avoid eating them.
Animal
fats are a
industrial chemicals
primary route by which
and pesticides enter our bodies, so the
low-toxin, high-energy diet
is
high in plant foods and low in
fatty
meats and dairy foods. By eating
and
grains,
cutting
many man-made
lots
of fruits, vegetables,
down on meat and
dairy foods,
and
learning to pick the safest, lowest-in-chemical-toxin foods in all
food groups, you can cut
down the amount of pesticides and diet. People who are eating
other dangerous chemicals in your
a reduced-cholesterol, heart-healthy diet will find that they
have already started
some
tion, as
down
the road to toxic chemical reduc-
of the basic principles, such as reducing saturated
fat intake, are
The
the same.
low- toxin, high-energy diet will
even help most people lose weight! better,
Why
And
it
helps
you
feel
mentally and physically.
is
the low-toxin high-energy diet necessary? Are toxic
chemicals in foods really that dangerous? Food-industry lobbyists
and government
foods are
safe,
so
officials
constantly
you may be tempted
tell
us that
all
our
to believe that the
minuscule amounts of toxic chemicals in your food are too small to
harm you.
I
know
—that
is
the attitude
I
took for
David Steinman
years. I
my
assumed that government regulations would protect
Now
know better. Government regulations are much too lenient. They allow foods to be sold in the United States that the government's own scientists know are danhealth.
gerous. You
I
must take
responsibility for ensuring the safety of
your food.
Many
of the most dangerous toxic chemicals affecting us
are chemicals used
the
soil,
to
kill
by farmers. Chemicals are used to
plants that inhibit crop growth, to
fertilize
kill
insects
and other living things that attack the crops, and to protect the crop from mold, fungus, and insects after harvest. Farmers
have been using these chemicals for decades, and the chemicals
have built up in the
soil
from repeated doses year
after
They get inside the crops and onto their outer coverings. They get into water supplies and into the fish that live in them. And they build up in the bodies of animals whose feed has year.
been grown using these chemicals. These chemicals poisons are as adept at slowly
damaging our
cells
and organs
as
they are
at killing insects.
Modern
agriculture
isn't
pollution of air and water arette
smoke
take their
is
toll.
the
only culprit. Industrial
widespread. Auto exhaust and cig-
Toxic chemicals linger in tens of
thousands of waste dumps across the nation, seeping into
water suppHes.
From
all
these sources and more, our bodies
accumulate toxic chemicals in our
How
do we know these chemicals are dangerous? Study
after study
in
tissues.
shows that chemicals
in the actual
amounts found
our food and water cause thousands of deaths throughout
the population. Just eating the foods and drinking the water of late twentieth-
premature
and twenty-first-century America can cause
illness,
birth defects,
and even lead to impaired
cognitive and neurological function.
studies
below.
For
a
(I
discuss
more complete
some of
discussion
these
of the
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
relationship between pesticides and
cancer, see the
Our Food.)
Postscript: Pesticides in
More
human
than twenty-five years ago, author Rachel Carson
awakened America with her book
Silent Spring.
That
story of
America's growing dependence on pesticides depicted a nation
whose landscape had been ravaged by Ironically, the
volume of
more than was used
times
some
fifty
their use. In
its
wake,
were banned.
several dangerous pesticides
pesticides applied today
is
four
then. Farmers and ranchers have
thousand pesticide formulations and seven hundred
chemical ingredients fi'om which to choose. Indeed, today in 2006,
many
ticides
foods are
more contaminated than
ever with pes-
and other industrial poisons (including highly toxic
petrochemicals linked by some experts to global warming).
Our chemical dependency has had tremendous human health consequences. In 1971, when President Richard Nixon declared war on cancer, 337,000 people died annually from the disease. In 1986,
472,000 died from
it,
a
40 percent
increase.
Today, greater than one in three Americans will be stricken with cancer. Incidence rates of breast, lung, and prostate cancer, for example, continue to increase; not surprisingly, a
number of
published epidemiological studies have found a link between toxic chemical exposures
course, not icals.
We
all
and
a
higher risk of these cancers.
of this increase can be attributed to toxic chem-
must
also look at the increased
dying from lung cancer due to more as
Of
number of women
women
smoking,
as well
population increases and the aging of our population. But
our cumulative exposure to cancer-causing chemicals dumped in
our food, water, and
Our war It is
against cancer
air is also is
a
interesting to note that only one
cancer caused a Httle more than
and
playing a contributing role.
long way from being won.
less in
America.
3
hundred years ago,
percent of all deaths in Europe
And one hundred years earlier than that,
at
David Steinman
the beginning of the nineteenth century, cancer was responsible for less
than
1
percent of all deaths.
out of four American
men and one
Now cancer kills one
out of
five
women. Many
explanations can be advanced for this huge increase in cancer deaths, including changes in infectious diseases, changes in
diagnostic procedures in medicine, changes in exposure to
known
carcinogens such as tobacco smoke, and changes in
expectancy. But the increasing presence of
cinogens in our food supply
is
human-made
life
car-
surely a contributing factor.
More cases of cancer than ever are being linked with poisonous human-made chemicals. Cancers of all kinds have been linked with exposure to industrial pollutants and pesticides in
food and water.
My research and studies for a variety of organArizona Republic newspaper and the
izations, including the
National
Academy of Sciences, show
potentially will get cancer
from
that thousands of people
insecticides lodged in
meat
and poultry alone and that thousands more cancers could
from
result just
insecticides lodged in dairy foods
According to the National Cancer
and 1985
•
in the
United
Institute,
and
States:
Cancer incidence among children under
fifteen
(who pro-
vide an early warning system of problems that will the overall population as
Exposure to toxic chemicals
hood •
fish.
between 1950
it
ages)
in the
afflict
increased 32 percent.
womb
can
initiate child-
cancer.
Urinary bladder cancer incidence increased 5 1 percent. Scientists
have linked increased incidence to exposure to toxic
chemicals that taint tap water. •
Testicular cancer incidence increased 8 1 percent. Testicular
cancer occurs
in
significant
proportion
among farm
workers and manufacturers of pesticides such
bromide.
as
methyl
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
•
Kidney and renal
82 per-
pelvis cancer incidence increased
cent; mortality increased
by 23 percent. Kidney cancer
is
associated with toxins in drinking water. •
Reported incidents of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, linked with pesticide exposures, rose by 123 percent with 26,500
new •
cases in 1985.
Hodgkin's disease, also linked in a European study with agricultural chemicals, increased in incidence
24 percent.
Between 1973 and 1985 breast cancer incidence increased 14 percent. Although the jury
is still
out on the link between toxic
chemicals and this disease, a 1976 study reports that cancerous breast tissue has increased levels of industrial pollutants and pesticides
compared with normal breast
tissue.
And
since this
seminal study, more than half a dozen additional studies have
pointed to the same conclusion: pesticides
women
with higher levels of
and industrial chemicals in their breast, blood, and
other tissues tend to have a higher risk of breast cancer. (See
my book
The Breast Cancer Preventmi Program for
a thor-
ough examination of the environmental causes of
breast
also
cancer.)
There
is
also suggestive evidence that
commonly
found pollutants in tap water are associated with significantly increased risks for breast cancer.
We need pure water,
indeed.
The surgeon general's Report on Nutrition and Health in 1988 estimated as many as ten thousand cancer deaths annually could be caused by chemical additives in food. That's additives
—
chemicals intentionally added to food as preservatives, flavor enhancers, and for other reasons. That does not include
all
the
deaths from pesticides and other toxins that inadvertently enter the food supply.
Donald Kennedy, former U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner,
summed up
the only sensible approach to
cancer-causing chemicals in food in
1977 when banning
David Steinman
saccharin from
many
products:
"An expert committee [World
Health Organization, 1965] has concluded that of all cancer in
man is due
at least half
to environmental factors. It should
therefore be possible to prevent a great deal of human cancer
by finding and removing chemical carcinogens from the environment." It is
cent of
widely accepted by scientists today that at least 50 per-
human
cancers can be attributed to specific causes,
including tobacco smoke, ionizing radiation, occupational
exposures to toxic chemicals such as asbestos and benzene, and viral
and hereditary influences. The extent to which the
remaining 50 percent of cancer incidence
is
due to pesticides
and industrial chemicals in our food, water, and
air is a subject
of great debate. Naturally occurring carcinogens in food
The
cause some.
theory that the high cancer.
And
fat
content of the American diet promotes
chlorinated tap water
is
associated with higher
rates of breast cancer in virtually every study
agency where
it
may
National Cancer Institute supports the
has been specifically looked
conducted for the for,
according to
William Marcus of the Environmental Protection Agency. Michael A. Evans, Ph.D., associate professor versity of Illinois College of
70 to 90 percent of
human
Medicine
at
at the
Uni-
Chicago, states that
cancer incidence
is
the result of
exposure to environmental factors, including synthetic chemicals,
food additives, agricultural chemicals, and other factors
such as sunlight and dietary components. Dr. Evans further notes that "additionally, most of the environmental factors that
contribute to the overall cancer burden are not complete carcinogens in themselves but probably act together or in combination with other environmental and genetic factors to
produce their carcinogenic
For
all
effect."
the argumentation, scientists simply do not
know an
exact percentage of cancers caused by our exposure to toxic
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
chemicals in our food, water, and
air.
But no thoughtful health
expert will deny that toxic chemicals in our food, water, and air
contribute to the onset of cancer and noncancerous diseases like
heart disease, Parkinson's, and other subtler maladies
ranging from joint problems to decreased IQ.
Cancer
not the only disease we have to be concerned
is
with. Alzheimer's disease, a degenerative brain disease is
now one
quality of
of our nation's leading
life
may
in our later years,
in the environment, particularly
not widely used until the
late
killers
also be linked to toxins
aluminum. Aluminum was
nineteenth century.
began to see the proliferation of aluminum running table
salt,
which
and destroyers of
Then we
in cookware, free-
ground pepper, baking powder,
antacids,
buffered aspirin, tea, tap water, fabric softeners, antiperspirants,
and even processed cheese that continues to
1907, the
German
physician Alois Alzheimer
this day. In
first
identified
the disease.
High
levels
of aluminum are regularly found in the brains
of victims of this disease, and aluminum ions are
known
interfere with the body's transmission of nerve impulses
the brain to other nerve centers. Genetics, too, role.
But it is
this toxic
chemical that
may play the
may
to
from
play a
decisive role
in the onset of Alzheimer's disease.
Today, more than
3
Alzheimer's disease, and
death in the nation.
million Americans suffer from it
is
the fourth leading cause of
We may
be poisoning ourselves by
preparing and storing food (especially acidic foods tomatoes) in aluminum cookware and
foil,
like
by eating and
drinking from aluminum containers, and by ingesting huge
amounts of aluminum
in
convenience foods, antacids,
buffered painkillers, and even table
salt. I'll
contaminated foods throughout
this
steps to cut
down aluminum
buildup.
point out aluminum-
book
so
you can take
David Steinman
We now
know
that Parkinson's
an affliction
disease,
causing severe tremors, rigidity of the hmbs, slow movements,
and stooped posture,
is
possibly likely to be environmentally,
A Finnish study looked
rather than simply genetically, caused. at the
medical records of sixteen thousand sets of twins born in
Finland before 1958; of the forty-two cases of Parkinson's disease, in
only one instance did both twins develop the disease,
leading the researchers to conclude that environmental factors play an important role in
its
onset.
The
British medical journal
Lancet recently reported that widely used fungicides can form stable, fat-soluble
compounds with
etrate the blood-brain barrier.
compounds could be
that these
Parkinson's disease.
mercury, which
We
found
is
Parkinson's. Indeed, there
and then pen-
report's author speculates
linked with the onset of
know
also at
that viruses; methyl-
high levels in some
occurring substance
naturally
toxic metals
The
in
food
may
fish;
and
also
cause
a
may be multiple causes of Parkinson's why exposure reduc-
disease, including toxic chemicals; that's
tion
is
essential.
Even coronary heart to toxic chemicals.
disease
There
is
is,
in part, caused
by exposure
strong evidence from several
studies that an association exists
between elevated blood pres-
sure and heart disease and elevated concentrations of
and other toxic chemicals. Researchers reporting
PCBs
in
the
journal Environmental Contamination and Toxicology noted in a
study of pesticide-related jobs and
human
disease,
"There
were apparent associations between high serum pesticide [levels]
.
.
.
and the subsequent appearance of hypertension,
arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease,
This could imply
a casual role
and possibly diabetes.
of any of the pesticidal and
other environmental stresses to which these workers were exposed."
How could industrial pollutants and pesticides cause
coronary heart disease?
Some may
overstress the liver,
which
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
regulates cholesterol, such stress preventing the liver
keeping cholesterol Toxic chemicals
at its
from
proper level in the bloodstream.
may well play an even more significant role human body, which
in the formation of arterial plaque in the
leads to both stroke
have reported in it
has
become
and coronary heart
Scientific
American, "In the past fifteen years
clear that [arterial] plaque
accumulation of smooth muscle is:
Why
cells
of
muscle plaque if it is
do the
a
is
characterized by an
The important question Some of us now think the
cells.
accumulate?
plaque are the progeny of a single mutated smooth-
cell is
cells
disease. Researchers
from near the
comparable to
a
site
of the plaque. If that
is
so, the
And
benign tumor of the artery wall.
comparable then the search for
initiating factors should
be directed toward the genetic and environmental factors that cause mutation
—the same kinds of agents and conditions that
transform
and thus
cells
initiate cancers." It is
erosclerotic plaques can be
produced
known
that ath-
in the arteries of labora-
tory animals by the administration of toxic chemicals such as
dimethylbenz [a] anthracene. Other toxic chemicals, experts strongly suspect, play the same role.
Cancer, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and heart disease are late consequences of exposure. Researchers
on the
cutting edge of chemical toxicology have established that
among even earlier consequences of exposure to common toxic chemicals decreased loss is
is
neurotoxicity:
IQ and mental
reduced mental functioning,
acuity, inability to concentrate,
and
much of the attention, appear. Most people today
of feeling. Cancer, which has gotten
one of the
last
consequences to
have no conception of true mental
clarity.
We
have
exposed to low-level chemical residues for so long that ficult to
all
it is
conceive of hfe without their subtle neurotoxic
Other insidious conditions, including
been dif-
effects.
diabetes, Epstein-Barr
syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, weakened immunity, and
10
David Steinman
anxiety,
may
result
A
child
pesticides.
tional behavior
from
a buildup of industrial pollution
and
who has demonstrated antisocial and irramay find that part of his or her problem is the
result of food
and drink laced with additives and preservatives;
such children
may be
helped with a natural, wholesome diet of
foods free of these toxic chemicals.
More
recently, reproductive effects that begin at
tion or even prior to conception with the father's
been documented. Such reproductive
documented include undescended
effects that
testicles in
concep-
sperm have have been
newborn males,
genitourinary malformations, and alterations in male-female behavior.
we now know, also act like the female hormone estrogen in the human body, but because they are foreign to your tissues, these are known as xenoestrogens. They have been shown to have significant reproductive Furthermore,
effects
on
wildlife,
ational effects
come
and
chemicals,
scientific studies suggest similar
among our
The bottom that
many
line
is
gener-
offspring.
that industrial pollution
in drinking water
and pesticides
and with breakfast, lunch, and
dinner not only can accelerate cancer, increase chances of sec-
ondary
disease,
years from your
decrease mental life,
clarity,
and shave healthy
but they also deprive our children of their
healthy future in what zoologist and author
Ph.D.,
calls
Theo Colborn,
"our stolen future."
know little about the impact Most have no training at all in
Unfortunately, most doctors
of chemicals in food and water.
landmark 1988 publication Role of Primary Care Physician in Occupational Environmental Medi-
chemical toxicology. In the
cine^
its
an expert committee of the National Academy of Sciences
concluded that almost the entire medical illiterate
field is functionally
on the subject of the low-level toxicology of industrial
pollution and pesticides.
The committee
also
concluded that
11
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
toxic chemicals are playing an increasingly significant role in
No
wonder many persons
a toxic
chemical are never able
the onset of disease and death.
whose
illnesses are
hnked with
them; their doctors never think to check their
to alleviate
blood or other bodily tissues for toxic chemicals. Yet people are increasingly afflicted with chemical illnesses, and physi-
must learn
cians trial
I
to recognize the
symptoms
that reflect indus-
pollution and pesticide exposure through food and water.
beHeve that
just as in the
blood for cholesterol, in the
1980s
many
people checked their
new millennium many people will
learn to have the toxic chemical levels of their blood checked.
Fortunately, blood profiles are as easy to do as cholesterol tests.
Many
cure
may be
illnesses for
which doctors can presently find no
curable and manageable as
we
find their causes in
toxic chemical burdens in our bloodstream and other Little as they diseases, doctors
when
it
comes
know about and
tissues.
tracing environmentally caused
even more dumbfounded
scientists are
to determining the effects of cumulative low-
level exposures to
many
different toxic chemicals.
The
gov-
ernment's best scientists say they do not have the faintest idea
how
to test multiple chemicals in animal
Experts
know
very
chemicals together,
little
let
about
how
alone four,
model systems.
to test the effects of
five,
two
or ten.
When scientists have done studies on this chemical cocktail syndrome,
it
seems quite clear that they act
one small 1976 study reported scientific
synergistically. In
in xht Journal of Food Science, a
team used three chemicals on
a
group of
rats.
The
chemicals were tested one at a time on the rats without effect.
When
the scientists gave the rats two chemicals at a
time, a decline in health all
is
little bits
12
was noted.
three chemicals at once, they
This
ill
all
When
the rats were given
died within two weeks.
the kind of situation most of us face.
We get several
of pesticides with our salad, different ones in our
David Steinman
meat or
others in the vegetables
fish, still
on the
side,
and
separate dose of additives and preservatives with dessert.
wine has pesticides and for many of us our water, tion our drinking water a single
meal we could
may contain solvents easily
consume
a
Our
too. In addi-
as well as lead. In
residues of a dozen dif-
Every meal,
ferent neurotoxic or carcinogenic chemicals.
every drink of water, every day.
The EPA include
all
Office of Pesticide Programs does not even
our potential exposures to the same pesticide when
calculating permitted residue levels of a given single crop.
The agency
that people eat
residues of the
sets levels
recommended
We
a
more than one product that has permitted same compound. EPA scientists have found
that, at times, these residues, if totaled,
of the
compound on
with "blinders" to the fact
exceeded 500 percent
daily intake.
are told constantly that the level of a toxin in a certain
food
is
"absolutely safe." But
does
it
take before
Most of
it's
the foods discussed in this
government
guidelines set by the
They
doses
book
fall
within the
for toxins in our food.
maximum contaminant
But
much
too
are reached in conjunction with the food
and
the government's lenient.
how many "absolutely safe"
not safe anymore?
levels are
chemical industries, and the standards do not take into account the fact that people are ingesting or being otherwise exposed to toxic chemicals
When
the
from hundreds
EPA sets
in a particular food,
a
if
not thousands of sources.
maximum contaminant
it is
based on the assumption that people
will take in that toxin only from that food. scientific purposes, real world,
where we
Most chemicals
human
safety.
in
And
but patently all
level for a toxin
take in
false
This
when
many toxins
is
convenient for
dealing with the
fi-om
many sources.
our food have not been adequately tested for they have certainly not been tested with the
chemical cocktail syndrome in mind.
The EPA
does not have
13
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
a scientifically acceptable
method
for determining the risk for
multiple chemical exposures from residues or any other envi-
ronmental poisons.
No which
one knows whether regularly eating food hke salami, a careful
FDA study found
to have a very high
number
of pesticide residues, will give a particular person cancer. But
why add
salami's toxins to all the other unavoidable toxins
breathe and drink and eat every day
when
so
many
we
other, far
have turkey breast, which has very few residues?
why not Similarly, how
about choosing
of one grown
safer foods are available? Instead of a salami sandwich,
a pesticide-free apple instead
with dozens of different chemical pesticides,
on the today
fruit that is
you
ingest? After
about the same. That
is
all,
all
leaving traces
the price for either apple
the kind of choice
I
help you make. There are hundreds of safe foods. So unsafe ones
when you
want
to
why
eat
don't have to?
The low-toxin, high-energy diet outlined in these pages fits well within the guidelines put forward by the American Heart Association, the general; yet,
it
American Cancer
offers so
much more
Society,
since
it
and the surgeon takes into account
the very real threat to your health and our nation's health that
exposure to environmental pollutants and contaminants poses. It
has been reviewed by nutrition experts and doctors, and I'm
confident
it
presents a balanced, nourishing, and pleasing
approach to food.
14
TWO Plant Foods
You don't have
to
fall
pollution. Eating well
is
victim to chemical farming or industrial
one of your best defenses.
And eating plenty ofplant food is the key.
It is
the best
way to
gain
an edge over toxic chemical pollution. Plant foods are the cornerstone of the low-toxin, high-energy
nothing
else
diet. If this
book does
but persuade you to increase the amount of plant
down on animal
foods you eat and cut
foods,
I will
have accom-
plished a great deal.
This may seem surprising, since the chemicals applied to plant foods are that
I'll
among
come back
their worse,
to again
and again in
this
most chemical-laced plant foods
you than almost omega-3
the major petrochemical toxic molecules
all
rich wild
traces of dioxin,
book. But even at
are
much
better for
animal foods (perhaps with the exception of
salmon
which
is
a
—even
if
some
occasionally harbor
highly toxic contaminant produced by
the bleaching processes at pulp and paper mills so frequently located
on
food web.
rivers
and
bays).
They consume
When you eat plant foods,
This
is
because plants are low on the
nutrients
from
soil,
water, and
air.
the only chemical toxins you'll get are
the ones that were freshly sprayed
on the crop
(and, occasionally,
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
historic pesticide residues in die soil
from past chemical
cations), as well as those that plants pulled in
span of their
own
root networks,
appli-
from the hmited
or, increasingly,
from pack-
aging and some limited chemical exposures due to handling,
and transportation. Plus, plants are rich in antioxi-
storage,
These
dants.
But cows,
also help pigs,
your health.
and other animals raised for slaughter have
concentrations in their flesh of chemical residues and biolog-
from
ical toxins
all
the food they eat
—thousands of plants laced
with chemical pesticides or fungal contaminants and microor-
ganisms in their feed.
And
the pesticides that accumulate in
animal flesh are the same ones that can accumulate in flesh.
The
higher up on the food
web you
eat,
the greater con-
centration of toxins you are likely to consume. surprisingly, are It is
among the most poisoned
Humans, not
creatures
on
earth.
important to avoid cancer-causing chemicals and envi-
ronmental pollutants whenever you can. You can do will
human
mean a lot to your health once you
do.
I'll
and
it,
it
show you which
plant foods have the highest and lowest concentrations of such poisons, and this will help are big differences, and
you
to be a better shopper.
you need
dangerous produce items.
to be able to
Some food
if there's
nothing
may be else
pesticides
around
tell safe
from
crops usually receive
heavy doses of pesticides; others get very the fact that there
There
little.
But don't
let
on plant foods deter you
—always prefer plant foods to
animal foods. In other words, don't
let
chemical pollution per-
suade you to eat that quarter pounder instead of a salad or a
bowl of strawberries. Sure, both might have chemical pollution,
but the salad greens and strawberries also offer an array
of powerful cancer-fighting phytochemicals that can help to
some of these chemical time bombs. (The word phy tochemical means usually a beneficial chemical found naturally in plants and comes from the Greek word phyto for plant.) defiise
16
David Steinman
am
I
not
a vegetarian,
and
I
am
not sure that
swear off meat and poultry completely. But and, as
show you, the
I
and the dangers of
Fresh
fruits,
low
just
them seldom,
high in animal
flesh, I
hope you
will
do the same.
vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds aren't
They
in toxins.
actually help
also contain essential nutrients that
your body
resist the ravages
clearly
to
eat
benefits of a diet high in plant foods
a diet
make up your mind
I
ever
I will
resist disease,
prevent cancer, and
of chemical pollution. This was
and directly in
a
ican Dietetic Association:
summed up
1980 article in xht Journal of the Amer"A growing body of scientific evidence
supports a positive relationship between the consumption of a plant-based diet and the prevention of certain diseases." In the low-toxin, high-energy diet, plant foods should
up
at least two-thirds
call this
say
of all your meals, preferably even more.
the two-thirds rule.
you should
Remember
it
eat at least four several-ounce servings daily of
and vegetables and four servings daily of beans,
nuts;
two servings
I
go beyond
two servings this
or eggs) a day.
or eggs at
all.
a
and
day of meat, poultry,
conventional wisdom.
beheve you need more than one fish,
grains,
daily of dairy foods for adults, three to four
servings for children; and
or eggs.
I
daily! Nutritionists
fruits
fish,
make
If you
do the same,
For snacks and
loss
desserts,
do not
flesh serving (meat, poultry,
Many days I eat no meat,
more energy and weight
I
poultry, fish, dairy,
you'll find that
comes
all
that
you have even
much more
keep plenty of fresh
easily.
fruits
and
vegetables on hand instead of sweets and prepared foods.
Because they are sustaining, satiating foods,
fruits
and vegeta-
bles provide an excellent snack in place of fatty animal foods.
Fruits such as figs or oranges are a
much
better sweet snack for
children than contaminant-loaded candy bars, which are extraordinarily high in cancer-causing pesticides such as benzene
17
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
When
hexachloride and lindane.
socializing,
if
you must
decide between foods such as frankfurters, hamburgers, and
prepared foods, or fresh fruits
and vegetables. At
fruits
and vegetables, always choose
a cookout,
I'll
make my
meal
entire
from the erudite tray rather than load up on hot dogs or hamburgers.
The
vegetables will be hugely lower in pesticide sat-
uration than the meats, and you will also avoid exposure to the
highly carcinogenic growth-stimulating growth hormones
used for beef production. In addition, their high-fiber content will help
your body
rid itself
of contaminants. As for our chil-
dren, we've found that our kids have their favorite fruits and
we
vegetables, and
always try to have healthy organic foods
such as strawberries, broccoli (which
we
call
"dinosaur trees"),
watermelon, and blueberries around for them. If they need a further inducement to eat their veggies and fruits,
add
a little persuasion in the
them go down
a little
Do you need
more
we might
form of whipped cream to help
easily.
show that vegetarians are less likely to be overweight than meat eaters, and simply increasing the amount of plant foods you eat ^with a to lose a few pounds? Studies
—
corresponding decrease in
animal foods, of course —
you losing weight. People who love can eat as
much
as
water-heavy fresh
^will
to eat but
start
must lose weight
they desire of simple whole-grain foods and fruits
and vegetables such
as grapefruit,
strawberries, watermelon, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, and
endive without conscience pangs.
Have you discovered
that your cholesterol level
is
above
180 milligrams per deciliter? Are you the worried owner of an overstressed circulatory system hindered by high blood pressure? Perhaps
you should
eat a few extra spears of asparagus, a
few more spoonfuls of kidney beans, and plenty of fresh at
your meals instead of chowing down on pesticide-saturated
quarter-pound hamburgers, french
18
fruit
fries,
and milk shakes.
David Steinman
Diets high in plant foods cut
down mortaHty from coronary
heart disease (probably regardless of their degree of pesticide
contamination). Diets in which 60 to 70 percent of the calories
come from
low plasma cholesterol
for coronary heart disease. fiber
Such
and very low in saturated
The
consumed
starch, such as those
are associated with
in Asian countries,
and low
levels
diets tend to
be very high in
fat.
beef industry would have us believe there
able debate about the role that diet has lesterol levels.
The meat
risk
is
consider-
on lowering blood cho-
industry has pointed out that
people eat a lot of meat and have very low cholesterol
some levels.
Others eat very Httle meat, yet they have very high cholesterol. So, they say,
how
could animal flesh be implicated in plasma
cholesterol concentrations? But these are the exceptions, not
the rule. Overall, the
numbers shake out very
ians have far lower cholesterol levels.
clearly: vegetar-
One group
of strict veg-
etarians
from the Boston area who
products
—not even dairy products or eggs—had an average
ate absolutely
blood cholesterol of about 125 milHgrams per William
Castelli, director
in Massachusetts, said he has never seen
a cholesterol
level below
meat
eaters in
deciliter. Dr.
of the federal govemmenfs Framingham
Heart Study
Atlantic, a study of
no animal
150
anybody with
suffer a heart attack. Across the
more than
ten thousand vegetarians and
England reported similar
results.
For decades
medical evidence has shown quite clearly that vegetarians and
people
have
who
far
eat
meat and poultry only
lower blood cholesterol
a
few times
a
month
levels.
Many people fear that if they cut down on meat they will not get
enough
protein.
That is
a
myth. Animal protein
rior to plant protein. Virtually
all
is
not supe-
vitamins and minerals that
animal foods provide are found in abundance in plant foods and seafood.
The fact is that many of the healthiest, most long-lived
persons on the planet are largely vegetarian. (They also tend to
19
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
consume
naturally fermented foods such as miso, tofu, yogurt,
and kimchi, which provide beneficial bacteria to the human
body
that offer important protection against pathogenic
microorganisms and aid in nutrient
utilization.)
Lately our knowledge of our protein needs has undergone a
dramatic
We now know that a well-rounded diet com-
shift.
bining a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds will provide
more than enough
high-quality protein. As
the noted British medical journal, the Lancet, editorialized
more than
thirty years ago, "Formerly, vegetable proteins
classified as second-class,
and regarded
were
as inferior to first-class
proteins of animal origin, but this distinction has
now been
generally discarded."
We
now know
also
of energy.
Once we
activity
needed
viduals.
But
we
that protein
not our primary source
believed that persons involved in strenuous
a great deal
now we know
get in abundance from
satisfy
is
more protein than sedentary
that
indi-
complex carbohydrates, which
fruits,
vegetables, beans, and grains,
our energy needs.
Vegetable proteins are not always complete proteins alone. create complete proteins containing for
human
the
amino
acids necessary
growth, you need to mix different vegetables with
grains, beans,
and seeds. This
Protein complementing grains such as
legumes such beans,
all
To
whole wheat, as
is
is
called protein
complementing.
very simple. You can combine
pasta, breads, oats,
and rye with
soybeans and soy foods, kidney beans, navy
mung bean, bean sprouts, and peanuts. A sandwich made
with whole wheat bread, organic peanut butter, and organic fruit
Or
conserve
is
an excellent high-protein pesticide-free snack.
sprinkle walnuts, cashews, and other nuts
on your whole
grain cereal with dairy milk or soy milk to help create a high-
quahty protein. These are
The 20
rule of
thumb
all
complete protein meals.
is this:
grains
combined with legumes
David Steinman
equal a perfect protein. For example, a pasta main course with a side of kidney
beans and
rice.
read Frances
bean salad
offers a
complete protein. So does
For excellent information on protein combining,
Moore
Lappe's
classic.
Registered dietician Elaine
Diet for a Small Planet.
Grossman of the Nutrition
Network, Los Angeles, has developed several have reprinted here, that show
make complete
foods to
many ways
charts,
which
I
of combining plant
proteins.
In addition to protein, plant foods provide a vast array of nutritional riches, virtually
all
from complex carbohydrates and
fiber to
the essential vitamins and minerals, including
micronutrients, of which the
body needs
a
minuscule amount
for proper functioning. Together these nutrients protect the
body against many by
diseases
and cancer, including those caused
toxic chemicals.
Former surgeon general C. Everett Koop has noted that a large body of evidence suggests that foods high in vitamin A (especially tect the
its
body
plant-based precursor, beta-carotene) help to proagainst a variety of cancers.
Green vegetable and
orange-yellow vegetables are rich in beta-carotene, and the sur-
geon general has
stated that these vegetables
may contain many One
other protective components in addition to vitamin A.
study of an older population in Massachusetts has demonstrated that the risk for
all
cancers decreases with increasing intake of
vegetables containing liberal amounts of beta-carotene A.
Foods containing beta-carotene may help
women
against cancer of the breast and cervix.
to
protect
These foods
can also help prevent cancer of the bladder, colon, and
stomach; each of these cancers, by the way, has been linked with exposure to toxic chemicals in food and water. Bladder cancer and colon cancer can result, for example, from exposure to toxic chemicals in drinking water. result
from exposure to
nitrites in
Stomach cancer may
cured meats and other cured
21
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
(The chemicals
foods.
in drinking water
most frequently
linked to bladder and colon cancer include trihalomethanes
such as chloroform, which appear in your tap water as a result of chlorination; however, a relatively inexpensive physical
water
filtration
system such
as Brita
[which uses carbon
filters]
can reduce these levels significantly, and this will go a long way
toward reducing your
risk for
some very
serious cancers.)
PLANT FOOD COMBINATIONS THAT MAKE COMPLETE PROTEINS Whole Grains with
Such
Legumes, Greens, and Other Vegetables Such
as:
as:
Asparagus
Barley
Brown
rice
Beet greens
Brown
rice flour
Black-eyed peas
Buckwheat (buckwheat
Broccoli
pancakes and soba noodles)
Brussels sprouts
Bulgur wheat
Cauliflower
Corn on
CoUard greens
the cob
Cornmeal (cornbread
Garbanzo beans
and corn
Green peas
tortillas)
Millet
Kidney beans
Oats (oat bran, oatmeal)
Lima beans
Rye
(rye breads
Whole wheat
and rye
crisps)
(bagels, breads,
breadsticks, cereal, crackers,
graham
crackers, lupini pasta,
Navy beans Northern beans
Okra Snap green beans
matzoh, muffins, pasta, pita
Soybeans
bread, pretzels, tortillas,
Spinach
and
Tofu
triticale flour)
Tofu hot dogs
22
David Steinman
Vegi-burgers
(made with
tofu)
Peanuts
Peanut butter
Peanut oatmeal cookies
Potatoes with
Greens and Other Vegetables Such
as:
Broccoli
CoUard greens
Com Mustard greens
Okra Spinach
Legumes with
Greens and Other Vegetables
Such
Such
as:
as:
Black-eyed peas
Beet greens
Garbanzo beans
CoUard greens
Green peas
Kale
Kidney beans
Mustard greens
Lima beans
Okra
Navy beans
Spinach
Peanuts
Sweet potatoes
Peanut butter
Swiss chard
Snap green beans
Winter squash
Soybeans
Yams
Tofu hot dogs Vegi-burgers
(made with
tofu)
23
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Air pollutdon's toxic effects can also be mitigated with liberal
amounts of carotenoids (which are related to beta-carotene). Epidemiologic evidence correlates constimption of vegetables rich in beta-carotene and other related carotenoids with decreased lung cancer. In fact,
men
one study of nearly two thousand middle-aged
found that although animal foods and vegetables are both
rich in vitamin A, dark yellow, orange, offered the best protection tain that
it is
A (in the form of beta-carotene) in these
the vitamin
vegetables that offers cancer protection.
carotenoids, vitamin C, or other vegetables, or a combination of
message
is
It
could be due to other
unmeasured nutrients
in the
of these valuable nutrients
all
and phytochemicals. But whether nutrients, the
and green vegetables
from lung cancer. Experts are not cer-
it
was vitamin
A or
other
the same: consumption of vegetables
such as carrots, collards, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and kale offers
our bodies excellent protection against the formation of
cancerous
tissues, particularly in the
aHmentary
tract.
Carotenoid-rich vegetables also contain antioxidant chemicals that protect against the
Oxygen
free radicals are
formation of oxygen free radicals.
formed
in our bodies
from
a variety of
environmental sources, including industrial pollutants and pesticides, as well as
respiration.
from normal
They bounce up
daily stressors, metabolism,
and
against other molecules in the
them of stabilizing electrons, and form cancercausing compounds that attack not only cellular membranes but
body, robbing
also the very inner
such as
DNA,
workings of the
and our
cell
cell,
our genetic materials
energy factories that are known
as
mitochondria; this damaging process is called oxidation. Experts
compare
cellular oxidation
associated with
and
damage
RNA. This
to the
cell's
genetic material
instructions to your cells
vital genetic material,
is
is
DNA
responsible for providing
on how to repair or replace themselves.
Because they can make the
24
with rusting. Cellular oxidation
cell's
genetic material go haywire,
it
David Steinman
is
not surprising that these harmful oxidizing chemicals account
and lead to premature aging.
for an increased risk of cancer
Those
vitamins, minerals, and other plant chemicals (phyto-
chemicals) that prevent antioxidants.
damage from
cellular rusting are called
Many such antioxidants also enhance our immune
system response, offering us overall protection against disease.
Beware: vitamin A, as
it is
who consume
People
potentially toxic.
found in animal foods,
vitamin supplements (and,
less
large
commonly, animal
is
also
amounts of livers)
have
experienced toxic effects such as headaches, skin and bone disorders, renal failures,
amin
A
and birth defects in their offspring. Vit-
been caused by taking over
toxicity in children has
50,000 International Units (lU) a day. In adults, toxicity has
been caused by taking over 100,000
A
in the
lU
a day.
Getting vitamin
form of beta-carotene and other carotenoids from
plant foods
is
one way to avoid vitamin
A
toxicity.
intake of plant foods that are rich sources of a
A known as
beta carotene
These vegetables
are
is
Excessive
form of vitamin
not known to cause toxic
richest
in
effects.
beta-carotene and other
carotenoids: Carrots
Pumpkin
Chinese cabbage
Red peppers
Collard greens
Spinach
Dandelion greens
Sweet potatoes
Mustard greens
Turnip greens
These vegetables
are
al so
good
sources:
Asparagus
Lettuce
Beet greens
Peas
Broccoli
Tomatoes
Brussels sprouts
Winter squash
Endive
25
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
These
are
fruits
the richest in beta-carotene and other
carotenoids: Apricots
Mangoes
Cantaloupes
Peaches
These
fruits are also
good
sources:
Avocados
Plantains
Cherries
Tangerines
Nectarines
Watermelons
A rule
of
thumb
etables
is
to look for the
for selecting carotenoid-rich fruits
Many carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables vitamins.
The B
and veg-
most deeply colored produce. are also rich in
B
vitamins are absolutely necessary for the body
to function properly; they are invaluable during high-stress
periods.
The
nutrients in the B-vitamin complex help the brain
function at top performance levels; these nutrients also fight
depression and help to stave off age-related dementia.
Vitamin B^
—
also
stress nutrient that the
into energy.
known
thiamine
as
body needs
—
Without thiamine, we would
lecithin are
two nutrients
order to produce acetylcholine,
a
an excellent anti-
blood sugar
suffer severe brain dis-
orders similar in effect to senile dementia.
mins choline and
is
in order to convert
The B-complex that the
body needs
is
the one nutrient that people
animal foods have to be extra careful to get enough B12
is
in
neurotransmitting chemical that
allows us to transmit messages from the brain to other nerve
Vitamin B12
vita-
who of.
cells.
eat no
Vitamin
an essential nutrient in our fight against pernicious
anemia,
stress,
and
fatigue.
The
richest sources of vitamin B12
are animal foods, including cheese, fish, liver, kidney, meat,
milk, shellfish,
whole eggs, and tgg
foods are saturated with pesticides.
yolks, but
One
many
of these
three-ounce serving
of lean beef provides 79 percent of our daily vitamin B12 needs.
26
David Steinman
Vegans
—
^vegetarians
who
to be especially careful:
eat
no dairy products or eggs
—have
A British study of vegans reported that
35 percent had very low levels of 6^2 in their blood serum.
However, there are other
less
abundant nonflesh sources of
vitamin B^j such as soybeans, wheat germ, and brewer's yeast,
and there are plenty of good seafood sources for vitamin
B12,
plus skim (nonfat) milk and nonfat yogurt.
Good etables,
plant sources of other
raw
nuts, legumes,
B
whole
vitamins include leafy veggrains, brewer's yeast,
and
wheat germ. Vegetables rich in Black-eyed peas
B
vitamins include: Jerusalem artichokes
Brewer's yeast
Lettuce
Green peas
Tomatoes
Fruits rich in
B
vitamins include:
Avocados
Raisins
Oranges
Watermelons
Pineapples
Vitamin and
C (also known as ascorbic acid) is another antioxidant
a vital antipollution vitamin. It is
found in greatest con-
centrations in fresh fruits and vegetables.
Many
studies have
demonstrated vitamin C's cancer-deterring strengths. Biochemical studies suggest that vitamin
C
blocks the formation
of carcinogenic nitrosamines that form in the human gut when we consume cured meats such as bacon, ham, and smoked fish. Vitamin C has been shown to reduce bladder tumors induced by chemical carcinogens. Human studies have shown that foods containing vitamin
C
protect against cancers of the
esophagus, stomach, and cervix. Supplements of vitamins
and
E
C
have been shown to reduce the formation of mutagenic
27
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
chemicals in the gastrointestinal
which may be an
tract,
important means of protection against cancers of the colon
and
intestines.
Vitamin
C
protects lung tissue
genic effects of tobacco smoke. that vitamin
C
People living in heavily polluted
need plenty of vitamin C.
I
always
tell
on those occasions when they do indulge as
from the muta-
biochemical studies show
also prevents oxidation of certain chemicals to
active carcinogenic forms.
areas
And
bacon that they should drink
our children that
in cured
a glass
meats such
of orange juice or
vitamin C-enriched apple juice, which will help to block the
formation of these cancer-causing nitrosamines. By the way, this is
even better advice for us adults.
Fresh tial
fruits
and vegetables are the main source of this essen-
vitamin. Animal foods have virtually none. It
your vitamin
C
from fresh
fruits
is
best to get
and vegetables rather than
from vitamin supplements, which are only imperfect imitations of their natural coimterparts, although a good-quality vitamin
C
or multivitamin supplement can certainly do a great job of aug-
menting our normal dietary intake of
this
all-important
C and multivitamin supplements include Garden of Life and New
nutrient.
(Some of the companies producing excellent vitamin
Chapter; see Resources for more information.)
Fruits richest in vitamin
C include:
Cantaloupes
Oranges
Grapefruit
Papayas
Lemons
Strawberries
Vegetables rich in vitamin
C include:
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Brussels sprouts
Red peppers
Another antioxidant, vitamin E, appears to protect the body
28
David Steinman
from cancer. Vitamin E,
like
vitamin C, blocks the formation of
cancer-causing chemicals from the nitrites in cured meats. also help the
smoke, in
body
It
can
fight toxic chemicals, including cigarette
air pollution. (Indeed, a
highly pubhcized Finnish
study provided what some researchers consider to be ironclad
proof that vitamin
E
protects against lung cancer.) Athletes
should note that vitamin E is essential to the transport of oxygen into the bloodstream. Because aerobic exercise puts an extreme
oxygen demand on the body, intense exercise puts great vitamin
E demands on the body, which could require supplementation. Especially rich vitamin E sources include unfiltered coldpressed vegetable
oils,
almonds, and peanuts. Be sure to buy
grown peanuts, because there
organically
cide contamination of chemically
By the
way,
significant pesti-
grown peanuts.
many nutritionists recommend
of us supplement vitamin cult to get
is
E
that virtually
in our diets because
it is
so
all
diffi-
enough from our commonest foods, and the foods
richest in this important nutrient tend to be very high in calories
and people avoid them for
many
different
this reason. Actually, there are
members of the vitamin E family, so if you are this nutrient, I recommend that you
going to supplement
E
use a quality all-inclusive vitamin
supplement that supplies
both tocopherols and tocotrienols (such as Complete E from Metabohc Response Modifiers; see Personal Action Guide). Did you know that every single cell in your body contains calcium? Did you know calcium regulates your heartbeat and that diets rich in
calcium can help prevent coronary heart disease and
hypertension? Calcium
may even
help prevent cancer by con-
tributing to the orderly reproduction of your cells. often used to help the
Calcium
body excrete heavy metals such
as lead.
is
A
calcium-rich diet will prevent significant lead absorption in people
who
have an adequate iron intake. Since today
with lead in our food, water, and
air,
we
are
bombarded
this is especially vital.
29
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
have noted that calcium-rich diets actually
Scientists
symptoms of anxiety, and they speculate
viate the
may
deficient diet
alle-
that a calcium-
result in anxiety disorders with
symptoms
such as heart palpitation, tremors, nausea, choking sensations,
and blurred
vision.
beta-carotene
may
The
beneficial effects of vitamin
also be
enhanced by
A
and
a diet rich in calcium.
Plant foods rich in calcium include:
Almonds
Collards
Soybeans
Beans
Dandelion greens
Tahini
Beet greens
Figs
Turnip
Broccoli
Kale
Chinese cabbage
Oranges
Copper
greens
another one of the trace minerals our bodies must
is
know very but they do know
about
contribution to our
have. Experts
littie
health,
that copper plays a role in the pro-
its
duction of blood hemoglobin. Indeed, some anemia can be
cured only helps the
when
iron
is
supplemented with copper. Copper
body use vitamin C. Copper
weakening of the walls of blood
is
vessels,
aorta, thus helping in the prevention of tures.
Copper
aneurysms and rup-
radiation damage, which
may be
the pancreas, spleen, and white blood cells
are naturally
low
in
to radiation damage.
copper
—
are the organs
Most Americans do
their diets.
Fruits rich in copper include: Apricots
Figs
Avocados
Prunes
Currents
30
most notably the
also helps in the prevention of heart disease.
Copper helps prevent
why
also able to prevent
get
—
all
in part
of which
most susceptible
enough copper in
David Steinman
Nuts
rich in copper include:
Almonds
Peanuts
Brazil nuts
Pecans
Hazelnuts
Walnuts
Vegetables and legumes rich in copper include: Broccoli
Mushrooms
Kidney beans
Navy beans
Lima beans
Peas
Selenium
is
another absolutely essential micronutrient.
Working together with vitamin E, selenium enhances immune functions. It has
been show^n to prevent cancer, slow the aging
process, and prevent heart and circulatory diseases. According to
now known
Michael Weiner, Ph.D.,
Michael Savage, host of the nationwide Nation, in his excellent
book Reducing
selenium together with vitamin
E
as the uber-patriot
talk radio
show Savage
the Risk of Alzheimer^
can play an instrumental
role in the prevention of Alzheimer's disease. Vegetables such as asparagus
Seafood
Once
is
and garHc and many grains are rich in selenium.
also a rich source.
again, selenium in excess can be toxic.
your food sources;
this will
Be sure
to vary
help eliminate any chance of
ingesting toxic amounts of selenium from any one source. don't advise unsupervised selenium supplementation dietary supplement exceeds
if
I
your
200 micrograms (meg) because of
the narrow range of safe levels.
Trying to remember which plant foods have which nutrients pretty tough.
You can make copies of these
ning your meals. But there for plant foods, try fruits
is
lists
an easier way.
mixing colors. By eating
is
to use in plan-
When lots
shopping
of different
and vegetables with many shades of green, red, yellow.
31
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
and orange, you know you are getting the
range of the
full
nutrients these plant foods have to offer.
One that
it
of the best things about
a diet
high in plant foods
is
can actually help you undo the damage that pesticides
and other dietary toxins have done to your body. Fiber
is
one
of the keys. Fiber binds toxic chemicals that are circulating in
your body and moves them rapidly through your body. In addition, the spongelike nature of fiber helps scrub clean the
thousands of nooks and crannies of your large intestine where carcinogens can pass through into the bloodstream. Fiber reduces the amoimt of time that chemical carcinogens spend in
your body so they have
less
chance to damage
cells. Fruits,
vegetables, and especially grains are high in fiber.
foods have no
Of
Animal
fiber.
moves them
course, fiber also absorbs nutrients and
through the body, limiting absorption. But with
a healthy diet
that includes a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and legumes
and limited amounts of animal foods, you nutrients your
Even can
if you
body
have been
start to eat
will
have
all
the
needs.
much
a
heavy-duty carnivore for years, you
larger quantities of grains, fresh fruits,
vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds. This will start your detoxification process and get
32
you on your low-toxin way.
THREE Vegetables and Fruits
In this
world
Some
of chemically grown crops, there are big differ-
way our
ences in the
crops are sprayed with far
some absorb more parts.
favorite fruits
Some favorites such
as apples, peaches, raisins,
and
Other
fruits
such
and spinach
as the edible
por-
and bananas and vegetables, including asparagus
and cauliflower, are usually I
pesticides than others,
pesticides than others into their edible
are drenched in pesticides. tions of orange
more
and vegetables are grown.
far less tainted
with chemicals.
When
am in a market and have to choose between different chemically
grown
and vegetables, I'm careful to choose nontoxic
fruits
produce.
I
pretty
pesticide-free,
and
watermelons have
much know which I
remember,
far
plant foods are relatively
for example, that pineapples
and
fewer pesticide residues than cantaloupes;
oranges and tangerines have fewer residues than apples; beans are nontoxic;
In
many
and bananas and corn are
very significant. ciated with
fine.
cases, these differences in pesticide saturation are
The bottom
line for predicting health risks asso-
any particular toxic chemical exposure
more frequently one
is
exposed and the higher the
is
level
that the
of expo-
sure, the greater the risk. Conversely, the less frequently
one
is
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
exposed and the lower the concentration, the lower the is
risk. It
that simple.
Vegetable and Fruit Survival Guide
In order to determine which vegetables and fhiits are safest,
I
examined detailed government food inspectors' reports and private studies of chemical residues in
more than 150
fruits,
vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds (including both editions). In this
chapter and
useful was a
much
of the book, the study
huge research
I
effort called the Total
found most Diet Study,
an ongoing study conducted by the Food and Drug Administration. It
is
the most accurate assessment ever
made of pesti-
cide contamination of our food supply.
In the Total Diet Study, hundreds of
analyzed each year for trial
common
foods are
more than one hundred different indusnumber of different
chemicals and pesticides. Indeed, the
foods sampled in the Total Diet Study has increased from 82
food items
when
the study was initiated in the early 1960s to
about 320 foods in the current program. pesticides
down
to
minute
levels;
The
tests
the laboratory detection
limits used in this study are five to ten times
more
than the methods used in laboratories that simply for regulatory enforcement.
from four
look for
Food samples
sensitive
test
items
are taken annually
different geographic regions in the
United
States.
These samples include the major name brands of food everyone buys,
as well as local varieties,
supermarkets, and
from grocery
fast- food restaurants. All
pared as they would be in the
home
that
stores,
the foods are pre-
or at a fast-food restaurant
before they are analyzed, so the residues detected are the ones that
commodities fresh from the
focus
on raw
when
pesticide levels are highest.
this
34
normal food preparation cannot eHminate. Often, studies agricultural
study analyzes
all
To be
fields,
as accurate as possible,
foods exactly as they would be eaten.
David Steinman
after
preparation and cooking. If anything, this
method
sHghtly understates the pesticide saturation of foods.
The
prepared foods are tested for more than one hundred
different chemicals, including pesticides, industrial chemicals,
and heavy metals such for have long since
are
still
as lead.
Some
of the chemicals tested
been banned, but they
persist in the soil or
applied to crops in foreign countries and are then
imported and sold in American markets. cides have never
Some
of these pesti-
been used in the United States but are used
abroad and show up on imported foods. But most of the pesticides tested for
and found are pesticides that are applied to
crops by farmers across America.
For Study
this
new edition of the book, I have used
the Total Diet
most recent years
through June
results for the
available
2003. (The results used for the original edition oi Diet for a Poisoned Planet were for the
Study
most recent published Total Diet
and where used for historic record
at that time, 1990,
are indicated with asterisk
[*]).
This most recent study gives
a real insight into the
chemical
exposures people face from everyday foods across the country
and brings home the ignore;
it
results in a
manner
that
none of us can
also suggests that overall industrial pollution in the
food supply has worsened significantly with what nificant incursion of industrial chemicals cally expect in their foods
styrene, a carcinogen;
— toluene,
and benzene,
a
a
I
see as a sig-
one would not
typi-
reproductive toxin;
low-dose carcinogen. All
of these are prime petrochemicals involved in manufacturing processes alleged to be linked to global warming. Samples were
taken from geographic regions as diverse and unique as
Camden, New Jersey; Philadephia, Pennsylvania;
Buffalo,
New
York; Riverside, San Bernardino, Ontario, and Santa Clara, California; Salem,
Oregon; Mobile, Alabama; Shreveport,
Louisiana; Charleston,
West
Virginia;
Chicago,
Illinois;
35
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Cincinnati, Ohio; and Kalamazoo/Portage, Michigan, to
but
few of the
a
Study does
a
cities
included in the study.
The
name
Total Diet
wonderful job of visiting every geographic region
in the country.
So
it
doesn't really matter where
don't shop smart, you're going to be
you
consuming
a
live. If you
wide range
of potentially toxic pesticides and industrial chemicals.
The most number of
recent Total Diet Study measured the total
residues found in
some
thirty-six
market basket
samples. Potato chips, for instance, had 207 residues in thirty-six samples,
consume on
will
which
it,
I
meaning each chip you or your children
have nearly don't think
six different toxic is
chemical residues
too appetizing (unless, of course,
you've wisely purchased organic potato chips).
The
also listed the different kinds of pesticides, industrial cals,
study
chemi-
and other contaminants found. In potato chips there
were some thirty-one different chemicals. In addition,
tiie
study measured the concentration of each pesticide in the food, in parts per million or parts per billion.
Fresh and canned
Most canned produce fresh
fruits
and vegetables were analyzed.
has far fewer pesticide residues than
—although that should never dissuade you from eating
fresh fruits and vegetables. cide saturation
is
One
reason for this lower pesti-
the additional processing that canned pro-
duce undergoes, including extra washing and peeling, which help to remove pesticide residues, particularly those on the surface of the fruit or vegetable. tional postharvest pesticides
Another may be that addi-
and fungicides are added to fresh
produce throughout the distribution process. Unfortunately,
canned produce may have significantly more
we do not want added
salt
to be exposed,
or sugar, and
it
lead, to
which
and canned produce often has
probably has traces of bisphenol-A
and other chemicals that act leach into the food from the plastic linings
36
used in cans (see below).
It also
undergoes
slight
David Steinman
nutrient losses, especially of vitamins; and canned produce has less antioxidant benefits. In addition,
from the
plastic inner linings of
known
leaches a substance
as
canned
we now know
fruits
bodies, bisphenol-A belongs to the
gens.
known
as
and vegetables
bisphenol-A into the produce.
Unfortunately for our exquisitely sensitive chemical toxins
human
newly recognized
sexual class
of
endocrine disruptors or xenoestro-
These chemicals mimic the hormone estrogen,
larly toxic
that
particu-
forms of this hormone, and they have the potential
to interfere with the body's
on numerous published
normal hormonal processes. Based
studies, experts
have concluded that
these chemicals could contribute to genetic mutations in estrogen-sensitive tissues such as those of the breast, ovaries,
and uterus in
women
and
testicles
and prostate in men. (The
word xenoestrogen comes from the Greek xeno
for foreign,
and
denotes an unnatural or foreign estrogen.) Your best bet for
good health
is
produce you
to purchase the least-toxic fresh
good choice as well;
it
often has higher nutrient value than canned produce, and
it
can find. Fresh frozen produce
is a
can equal the nutrient value of fresh produce. Plus, there are
some wonderful brands of fresh frozen organic produce now widely available in supermarkets. (One such brand to look for is
Cascadian Farm.)
Organic fruits
fruits
and vegetables are the
and vegetables
available,
you seek out organic produce,
and
I
recommend
country
as
consumers demand
safe,
many
booming in
in
people their higher cost
is
many a
places,
burden.
My
to
show people which foods
which foods are so high
in toxins that organic or
goal in writing this are safe and
is
purer foods.
Organic foods are not readily available though, and for
that
especially as a substitute for the
most pesticide-saturated foods. Organic farming this
lowest-toxin
safest,
strongly
book has been
other substitutes are advisable.
37
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Throughout
book, I've divided foods into "green Hght,"
this
"yellow light," and "red light" categories.
means
is
obvious.
Green
of
my
If you
And
like.
that
what
this
safest choices;
Yellow light foods are
Cut down on them; when
saturated.
organic.
your
light foods are
you should eat them as often you
more
I trust
buy
possible,
red light foods are dangerous. I've cut them out
diet completely, or
found organic substitutes for them.
do eat them,
do so seldom.
try to
This division of foods into green light groupings
light,
a simplification of a
is
goal in dividing food this
yellow hght, and red
huge amount of data.
way has been
to
make
it
My
clear that
there are significant differences in the toxicity of different foods.
I
have used two findings from the Total Diet Study as
guidelines in dividing foods into these groups: which toxins
were found in each food and the
total
number of residues found.
In the section that follows, and throughout the book, the are
names of the
toxins found in each food.
probably familiar
example
—
because
I feel
—DDT,
dieldrin,
and some are pretty arcane. that
it's
important that we
are the poisons in our food
Some
and heptachlor, for I've
hsted
them
affect
A short Ust of some
of the most dangerous pesticides and other chemicals .
all,
know our enemy. These
your health or the health of your offspring!
3 1
Ust
of the names
—and they could profoundly
found in food appears in Table
I
commonly
In the back of the book I've
.
provided a glossary where you can find out more about most of these toxins, I've told
and
how dangerous they are.
number of
residues found in each
what they are used
you the
total
for,
food because that number will give you ative safety of different foods. In
a
most
good idea of the
rel-
instances, the foods
with the largest number of pesticide residues also have the highest concentrations and present the highest risk of cancer,
and the foods with the fewest residues have the lowest concentrations and are the safest.
38
David Steinman
TABLE 3.1. COMMONLY FOUND CANCER-CAUSING PESTICIDES AND THEIR CANCER POTENCY Acephate
0.0069
Azinphos-methyl
0.00000015
Benomyl
0.002065
Benzene hexachloride (BHC)*
6.3
Captafol
0.025
Captan
0.0023
Chlordane*
1.3
DDT*
0.34
Dicofol
0.44
Dieldrin*
16.0
Folpet
0.0035
Heptachlor*
4.5
Hexachlorobenzene (HCB)*
1.7
Lindane*
1.3
Linuron
0.328
Parathion
0.0018
Permethrin
0.03
Some
of die most dangerous cancer-causing pesticides are ranked here
according to their carcinogenic potency, a scale of relative carcinogenicity determined
by the Environmental Protection Agency based on
animal experiments.
The
potent the chemical.
Not
larger the all
number, the more carcinogenically
pesticides suspected to cause cancer have
had a cancer potency number assigned, so many pesticides that may cause
human
cancer are not included in this
an asterisk have been banned for use but are
list.
still
Pesticides followed
present in the
soil
by
or are
used on foreign crops, which are then imported into the United States.
I
have not supplied information on the concentrations of each
toxin because this information
would have made the
text
much 39
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
more complex without telling much more about how dangerous the foods are. With very few exceptions, the more total residues that are present in a food, the higher their concentrations. versely, those foods
Con-
with the lowest number of residues usually
have the lowest concentrations. In those few cases where rule does not apply
concentrations,
I
and
a
food with few residues has very high
have pointed
this
under the appropriate yellow or red
For example, a
whopping 332
let's
this
out and placed such foods light category.
compare apples and oranges. Apples had
pesticide residues in the thirty-six samples,
oranges had 115. That is a nearly threefold difference. Whereas apples had residues of several cancer-causing pesticides and industrial petrochemicals, including azinphos-methyl, ben-
zene, captan,
DDT),
DDE
(a
metabolite of the parent
dicofol, parathion,
compound
phosmet, and trichloroethylene,
oranges had either no residues of these pesticides, or the residues had significantly lower concentrations and occurred far less frequently.
Knowing that apples had significantly more we also know that apples had
pesticide residues than oranges,
larger doses of the pesticides that were present. This logic applies in almost
grown apples
all
cases.
The good news
is
that organically
are so reasonably priced and available at so
many
supermarkets, besides health food stores, that you really don't
have to
settle for
chemically laced apples anymore, like
we
did
when we first initiated this war. For shoppers on a budget (and who isn't on a budget these days?), if you have to choose, you should buy organic apples for sure and,
if
possible, organic
oranges. But organic apples would certainly be a higher priority than organic oranges (although organic oranges citrus fruits are also
and other
widely available and competitively priced
with their chemically grown counterparts). In vegetables, contrast collard greens with lettuce. Collard
greens contained 270 pesticide residues, iceberg lettuce only
40
David Steinman
more carcinogenic
Collard greens had far
122.
residues, including residues of dieldrin,
DDE,
pesticide
DDT. Of
and
course, nutritionally speaking, deeply colored collard greens are a rich
source of carotenoids and otiier antioxidants, and they are
probably superior to pale iceberg lettuce, so
wouldn't
I
to prefer iceberg lettuce over collard greens, but I
that
you make purchasing organically grown
high
priority.
Once
again, the
good news
greens,
most
such as
Whole Foods and Wild
likely to
be found
priced with their conventionally
you
tell
would advise
collard greens a
is
that organic collard
at natural
food supermarkets
Oats, are quite competitively
grown
counterparts.
For about one-third of the foods evaluated
in this book, I
was
able to perform relative cancer risk assessments using a standard
Thus
the place-
into green, yellow, and red Hght groups
was based
government formula (during the
ment of foods
first edition).
not only upon the number of total residues and their concentration in food but also
ments. These are
all
on the outcome of these cancer objective benchmarks.
risk assess-
Fve retained these
assessments for this edition, although their accuracy
is
historic.
Cancer-risk assessments are performed using cancer
potency figures assigned by federal agencies to some chemicals.
Not
all
cancer-causing chemicals have been assigned a
cancer potency factor.
I
was able to perform these assessments
only for those foods that contained chemicals for which cancer potencies have been calculated. Cancer potency figures are
based on animal experiments, and the higher the potency factor
number, the more carcinogenic the substance.
I
have
used cancer potency factors that were developed by the EPA. Cancer-risk assessments take into account the potency factor, the
amount of food
ingested, the concentration of
the chemical in the food, and the weight of the consumer.
number
finally derived tells the
chemical alone can cause in
1
number of
The
cancers that one
million persons eating the food
41
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
The
containing that chemical.
formula does not take into
account the cancer burden created by the combination of
many
carcinogens, or by other dietary sources of the same
chemical.
Still,
cancer potency factors are useful as bench-
marks for comparing
relative risks.
In performing these analyses,
I
amounts of all foods would be eaten eat
two ounces of everything
assumed that the same Obviously we don't
daily.
But
daily.
com-
this allows us to
pare the foods objectively. Generally, foods that in a million persons
that
would cause
Foods with Almost
risks all
would cause up
were placed
to five excess cancers
in the green group.
five to ten cancers
Foods
were placed under yellow.
beyond ten were placed under
red.
of the food discussed in this book, including
green light foods, have some pesticide residues. By calling foods with pesticide residues green hght foods, to give the impression that
I
do not mean
absolutely and completely safe
it is
would
to eat foods with toxic residues in them. If I could, I
eat
nothing but foods grown with no toxic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or other substances dangerous to
and the environment. But that the best
I
can by limiting
light foods
my
is
light
light foods I can.
heading are the
become
a
At the end of this chapter (and
list
you can
do
as I've
The foods
safest foods in
mentioned, will also
more savvy shopper. all
food chapters), I've sum-
marized the information in the survival guide into ping
I
consumption of yellow and red
any supermarket. Such groupings, help you to budget and
health
simply not possible. So
and eating all the green
grouped under the green
human
a safe
refer to easily or have copied to take
shop-
shopping
with you.
You may
notice, if
you compare the
survival guide in this
chapter with survival guides in other chapters, that there
is
no
hard line dividing green light foods, yellow light foods, and
42
David Steinman
red light foods.
A vegetable with fifty pesticide residues may be
in the green light group, while a cut of meat with fifty residues is
in the red light group.
This
is
because different kinds of
foods often concentrate different toxins,
more harmful than
some of which
are
others. I have taken these differences into
account in dividing foods into different categories. Green Light
Green
light
means
go!
The
finits
and vegetables
listed
below are
the safest nonorganic foods available. Eat them as often as you
like.
Alfalfa sprouts. Alfalfa sprouts had no detectable pesticide residues, although be sure to
wash your sprouts
avoid food-borne pathogens such as E.
colt.
Asparagus. Residues of chlorpyrifos, thrin six
were found. In
total,
carefully to
DDE,
some twenty-two
and perme-
residues in thirty-
samples were found.
Adzuki
no detectable
pesticide
Bean sprouts had no detectable
pesticide
beans, Adzuki beans had
residues.
Bean
sprouts.
residues.
Black-eyed peas (cowpeas). Black-eyed peas had eighteen pesticide residues in thirty-six samples representing five dif-
ferent pesticide formulations: lindane,
methamidophos, and
pentachloroaniline most frequently; acephate and parathion less often.
Cabbage,
Some
twenty-eight chemical residues were
detected in boiled cabbage representing pesticides
or
demeton-S
sulfone, dicloran,
metabolites,
some twelve
including acephate,
different
carbaryl,
and methamidophos.
Carrots, Carrots are relatively low in pesticide saturation; sixty-three
pesticide
residues were
detected in thirty-six
samples representing thirteen different pesticide formulations or their environmental metaboHtes.
The
pesticides
DDE, 43
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
iprodione, and linuron were frequently detected. Organic carrots
are widely available at progressive supermarkets and
health food sores. better,
They
are reasonably priced, they taste
and they are better for everybody. Be wary when Mex-
ican carrots arrive in the United States
from October through
December. Cauliflower
(flresh/flrozeriy boiled).
minimal residues (only twelve
Cauliflower contained
in thirty-six samples) with per-
methrin being most prevalent. Chives, Chives might have occasional fungicide residues
the surface; be sure to
Com
(canned).
wash
on
carefully.
Canned corn had only one
pesticide
residue (diazinon) in thirty-six samples.
Com
(cream-style, canned). Cream-style canned corn had
only fourteen residues in thirty-six samples with chloroform
and toluene most frequently found.
Com
(fresh/frozeny boiled).
Two
residues of the pesticide
diazinon and one of chloroform were detected in thirty-six samples of fresh corn, an extremely safe food,
from the
pesticide
standpoint, although society's overreliance
upon com
for corn
oil ^
and other processed products has led to an overabundance of
proinflammatory omega-6
fatty acids in
our
diet.
These
fatty
acids are linked with heart disease and arthritis. So do beware.
The
thick corn husk keeps sprays
from edible portions.
Cranberry juice. Cranberry juice had no detectable
residues.
Dates. Dates had no detectable pesticide residues.
Eggplant few residues
(fresh, boiled).
(thirty-six)
Figs. Figs
Eggplant had only
a
comparatively
of acephate, methamidophos, and others.
had few detectable pesticide
residues, mainly
malathion.
Fruit cocktail (canned in heavy syrup). Canned tail
had
fifty-five pesticide residues
different
44
pesticide
formulations
representing
or
related
fruit
some
cock-
thirteen
metabolites.
David Steinman
Carbaiyl was detected most frequently with dicofol and ipro-
dione also occurring relatively frequently. Beware of
artificial
colorants used in such products.
Grapefruit (raw).
residues were
Fifty-three pesticide
found representing seven chemicals or their metabolites with thiabendazole in thirty-five of thirty-six samples.
Green peas
(fresh /frozen, boiled).
Green peas had only
twenty-two chemicals with the nerve toxin dimethoate most frequently detected.
Guavas. Guavas had few detectable pesticide residues, mainly dimethoate. Hazelnuts. Hazelnuts had no detectable pesticide residues.
Lemonade
(frozen
concentrate).
Ten residues were
detected in thirty-six samples of lemonade representing six different pesticides or industrial chemicals with chloropyrifos
and methidation appearing most frequently.
Lemons. Lemons had residues of chlorpyrifos,
imazalil,
and thiabendazole. Lentils. Lentils
Lima beans
had no detectable pesticide residues.
(mature). Mature lima beans had nineteen pes-
ticide residues representing nine formulations.
Most frequently
detected pesticides were lindane and methamidophos. Less fre-
quently detected pesticides included
DCPA,
BHC,
chlorpyrifos,
dimethoate, penta, tecnazene, and toxaphene.*
Limes. Limes had only infrequent detectable pesticide residues, particularly ethion.*
Mixed
vegetables (frozen, boiled).
sixty-five residues
Mixed vegetables had
with acephate and methamidophos making
their usual troubling appearance.
Navy
beans.
Navy beans had two
pesticide residues,
BHC
and diazinon.*
Okra
(fresh /frozen,
boiled).
dimethoate and endosulfan,
Okra had residues of
among its twenty-nine
residues, in
45
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
thirty-six
market basket samples. Okra improved,
moving from yellow light to green. Onions. Onions had few residues, only two
actually,
in thirty-six
market baskets. Papayas. Papayas had no detectable pesticide residues.*
Peaches (canned in light/mediutn syrup). fresh peaches
when
it
comes
Much
safer than
to pesticide residues, canned
peaches had only forty-two chemical residues in thirty-six samples, including carbaryl and iprodione. If eat peaches, I
I
would choose the canned product
were going to (in a lead-free
can) without hesitation; processing and peeling can markedly
reduce pesticide contamination. Fresh peaches are
far
more
pesticide saturated.
Peaches (canned in light/medium syrup). Carbaryl, found in two-thirds, of samples,
was most frequently detected among
forty-two pesticide or industrial chemical residues.
Pears (canned in light syrup). Canned pears in light syrup
had
six pesticide residues,
Peas (mature, dry, light rating
including endosulfan.
boiled).
Green peas kept
their green
with fifteen residues in thirty-six samples.
thorough cleaning
as well as the processing
accounts for their lower pesticide
The
of canned peas
levels.
Pecans. Pecans had fourteen residues representing four different formulations. Diazinon and pentachlorobenzene were
detected in at least one-fourth of the samples, malathion and
tecnazene
less
frequently*
Pineapple juice (canned). Pineapple juice also retained
green light ranking with only
six pesticide residues
a
detected in
thirty-six samples.
Pineapples. Pineapples from Hawaii had ticide residues;
however, pineapples imported from Mexico
contained residues of tachlor.
46
no detectable pes-
BHC,
carbaryl, chlorpyrifos,
Buy domestically grown pineapples when
and hep-
possible.*
David Steinman
Pinto
one of
hearts,
Pinto beans had one chemical, iprodione, in
thirty-six samples.
You can
eat plenty of pinto beans, a
staple of Mexican cuisine.
(mashed from flakes). Eighty-nine chemicals were found with chlorpropham in all thirty-six samples and Potatoes
endosulfan in nineteen. Radishes.
There were thirty-two pesticide residues in radishes
representing eleven pesticides. Detected in at least one-fourth of the samples were
DCPA, DDT,
endosulfan, and toxaphene. Less
frequendy detected pesticides included chlorpropham, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, dieldrin, heptachlor,
omethoate, and parathion.
Rapini, Rapini had occasional residues of
Red
BHC, line,
Red beans had seven
beans.
thirty-six
DCPA.
pesticide residues in
samples representing seven pesticide formulations:
diazinon, dieldrin, endosulfan, lindane, pentachloroani-
and penta.*
Sauerkraut (canned). Thank
God
for sauerkraut,
which
had only eighteen residues. Dieldrin and endosulfan were found most often.
Sesame
seeds.
Sesame seeds occasionally had residues of
endosulfan. Shallots. Shallots
Snap green
beans.
residues representing
or metabolites. acephate,
had no detectable pesticide residues. Snap beans had thirty-four
some twelve
The most frequendy
DDT,
pesticide
different pesticide formulations
detected pesticides included
dicloran, endosulfan,
and methamidophos. Less
frequendy detected pesticides included
BHC,
dicofol, parathion,
pentachloroaniline, penta, quintozene, and vinclozolin.
Canned
snap beans had twelve pesticide residues in thirty-six samples representing four different pesticide formulations.
Methamidophos
was detected most frequently; acephate, dimethoate, and parathion less often. Again, the processing of canned produce
probably
is
the reason for the presence of fewer pesticides.
47
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Sunflower
Sunflower seeds had no detectable pesti-
seeds.
cide residues.
Sweet potatoes their
baked). Sweet potatoes baked in
(fresh,
skins were another moderately pesticide-saturated veg-
etable,
with
thirty-six
fifty industrial
samples representing a dozen different formulations
The most
and metabolites. dicloran.
or pesticide residues detected in
fi-equently detected residue
Sweet potatoes achieved
a
green ranking
this
was year
over their earlier yellow Hght classification. Tangerines, Tangerines had slight residues of chlorpyrifos, ethion, imazafil, methidathion, and thiabendazole.
Watercress, Watercress had
Watermelon
no detectable pesticide residues.
(raw). Thirty- three industrial chemical and
pesticide residues
were detected
melon representing some
in thirty-six samples of water-
pesticides or metabolites.
The most
frequently detected pesticide was endosulfan with hexa-
chlorobenzene and methamidophos next. Less frequently detected chemicals included dicloran and heptachlor.
Watermelon
Watermelon seeds had no detectable which is good news since children often
seeds.
pesticide residues,
devour them. YeWow
Light
The finits and vegetables in this yellow light section have higher pesticide saturation than those in the green light section.
should
still
eat foods from
organic, but, frankly,
this
many of these food
available in their purer organic tively priced, so
group even
form
if
you
items are
as well as
You
can't get
now readily
being competi-
why wouldn't anybody choose them? I want to
emphasize once again that
all
cide saturated, are better for
plant foods, even the
you
to eat
most
more of than
pesti-
the worst
animal foods. But, on the other hand, the extent of pesticide
contamination in these yellow lights foods
48
is
appalling.
David Steinman
Apple juice
(bottled),
Apple
juice
had seventy-one
pesti-
cide residues in thirty-six samples with, as usual over the last
and omethoate making
fifteen years, carbaryl, dimethoate,
their ugly appearance
guest, the fungicide juice
is
available in
and bringing their frequent obnoxious
and carcinogen benomyl. Organic apple
many grocery stores.
Fortunately,
it
would
many of the made our Red Light
appear that processing of apple juice removes residues from fresh apples; (fresh apples
because of their complete chemical saturation). Apple
list
juice
from Europe
also bears
minute traces of radiation from
the Chernobyl nuclear accident (more
on
this later in the
chapter).
Applesauce
(bottled).
Applesauce had ninety-seven residues
in thirty-six samples representing approximately twenty dif-
ferent chemicals.
The most
were dimethoate and third or
more of
frequently detected pesticides
carbaryl,
which were present
in at one-
samples. Less frequently detected industrial
chemicals and pesticides included endosulfan, omethoate, and thiabendazole.
Artichokes. Artichokes had residues of endosulfan.
Avocados. seven in
A wide range of industrial petrochemicals (sixty-
total)
were found
in avocados, including benzene,
chloroform, tetrachloroethylene, toluene, and xylene, drop-
ping nonorganic avocados into
a
lower yellow light ranking.
Bananas. Thirty-six samples of bananas had frequent residues of benzene, thiabendazole, and toluene, in total
seventy-one residues,
many making
their first
ances in the Total Diet Study results
second banana
—instead of
first
known appear-
— and making
banana and
a
this fruit
green Hght
fruit,
as in the earlier results.
Beets (fresh /frozen, boiled). Thirty-six samples of beets
had
fifty-six residues
sulfan
with
DCPA, DDE,
dieldrin,
and endo-
most frequently appearing. 49
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Blackberries. Blackberries had residues of captan, rovral,
Buy frozen organic
dichlofluanid, and vinclozolin. ries
from Cascadian Farm for
a treat
without pesticides.
Blueberries. Blueberries tend to be contaminated
with captan, then chemicals such
blackber-
as botran, rovral,
most often and
DDT.
Buy organic berries. For a nontoxic taste treat, try Cascadian Farm fresh frozen organic blueberries on nonfat yogurt. Broccoli (fresh /frozen^ boiled). Broccoli had ninety-one residues in thirty-six samples representing fifteen different pesticides or their metabolites. ticides, in at least
pyrifos,
Most
frequently detected pes-
one-fourth of the samples, included chlor-
DCPA, DDE,
endosulfan, and permethrin. Certified
organic broccoli would be a health bargain compared with
chemical cousins even
good news
is
if it
its
were much more expensive, but the
that organic broccoh runs about the market price
as the chemically
grown
type.
Brussels sprouts. Brussels sprouts had
some 121
pesticide
residues in thirty-six samples, including traces of chlorpyrifos,
DDE,
and permethrin.
Cantaloupe (raw). Because so many people love them, wish
I
nately,
had better news to report on cantaloupes. Unfortuhowever, cantaloupes had
130 pesticide residues
detected in thirty-six samples representing
two
I
different pesticides or their metabolites.
some twentyThe pesticides
detected most frequently were dimethoate,
endosulfan,
methamidophos, and toxaphene. Less frequently detected were
dieldrin, endrin,
and heptachlor, which
sional appearances in food despite being
still
make occa-
banned or Hmited
in
use in the United States and other coimtries in the seventies. In
my
study of Mexican cantaloupes,
residues were quite prevalent.
I
found that dieldrin
Mexican cantaloupes
arrive
from October through June, and our consumption of them
is
heaviest through the winter. Eating an average of slightly less
50
David Steinman
than two ounces of cantaloupe result in a risk of as
many
as
day over
a
That is simply too
million persons.
would
a lifetime
seventeen excess cancers^ in one high. Substitute pineapple,
watermelon, or grapefruit for chemically grown cantaloupe, or
buy organically grown cantaloupe whenever
possible.
Carrots (fresh, boiled). Carrots are relatively low in pesticide saturation; sixty-three pesticide residues
were detected
in
samples representing thirteen different pesticide for-
thirty-six
mulations or their environmental metabolites.
DDE,
ipro-
dione, and linuron were frequently detected. Organic carrots are widely available at progressive supermarkets
food sores.
They
they are better for everybody. Be wary arrive in the
Cherry
when Mexican
Cherry
tomatoes.
Chili peppers.
Chili
bisdithiocarbamates
tomatoes
carrots
had
excess cancers
in a
of
peppers had residues of ethylene
(EBDCs) and
means
residues
and methamidophos.*
parathion.
dangerous cancer-causing fungicides known
^The term
and
United States from October through December.
chlorothalonil, chlorpyrifos, endosulfan,
would expect
and health
are reasonably priced, they taste better,
that
The group of EBDCs may
as
beyond the number of cancer incidences we
normal unexposed population of one million persons, there
could be additional cancers as a result of the pesticides that contaminate a certain food, the
air,
or our water. Cancer risks are determined by using the best available
laboratory animal data and translating these data to humans.
reasonably accurate. a million to
risks
I
They
are probably
consider any cancer risk below four or five excess cancers in
when compared with the cancer Mind you, I do not condone even become so profoundly common. But
be relatively insignificant, especially
posed by some of our more toxic foods.
one excess cancer
in
an age where cancer has
in a comparative sense, that
number
is
relatively insignificant.
Excess cancer assessments take into account the total concentration of car-
cinogens in
a food,
not just the
that foods with relatively
number of residues. You may
notice occasionally
low numbers of residues have high excess cancer
ments, and vice versa. This
is
assess-
because a food with a few residues could have traces
of particularly carcinogenic substances, while one with
low concentrations of relatively mild
many
residues could have
pesticides.
51
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
cause
lung, and thyroid tumors, according to studies, as
liver,
They
well as birth defects and mutations.
widely used fungicides in the world, yet
among the most our own government are
has very poor laboratory methods for their detection.*
Choysum. Choysum, which
bok choy heart and
is
actually Chinese chard or
sometimes had extremely high
levels
in
homemade
coleslaw with
ferent chemicals represented.
benzene,
BHC, DDT,
Cranberries,
Most
California,
of malathion.*
Coleslaw (with dressing, homemade).
were found
from
available year-round
Some
121 residues
some twenty-six
dif-
frequently detected with
endosulfan, hndane, and toluene.
Cranberries
had
of
residues
captafol,
chlorothalonil, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, malathion, and parathion.*
Crenshaw melons. Crenshaw melons had sulfan and
residues of endo-
methamidophos.*
Escarole.
had residues of dimethoate and
Escarole
omethoate.*
Grape juice (frozen concentrate). Grape
juice
had forty-
nine pesticide residues in thirty-six samples representing eight pesticide formulations or their metabolites with carbaryl and
dimethoate the most frequent contaminants. Grape juice is safer than grapes as processing and pressing remove but,
still, if
you can buy organic grape
Grapefruit juice.
juice,
many
you
residues,
should.
Forty-two pesticide residues were
detected in thirty-six samples of grapefruit juice representing
nine pesticide formulations or their metabolites. Ethion was
found most frequently.
Green beans
(fresh /frozen,
One hundred fiftybeans. More than half the
boiled).
three residues were found in green
samples contained the cancer-causing pesticide acephate and the
acute
neurotoxin methamidophos.
detected included
DDE,
dicloran, dieldrin, endosulfan, neb-
uron, permethrin, and vincolozolin.
52
Other pesticides
David Steinman
Honeydew melon, Honeydew had chlorpyrifos,
thalonil,
dieldrin,
of chloro-
residues
dimethoate,
endosulfan,
methamidophos, and omethoate.* Iceberg lettuce (raw). Lettuce had
1.32
detected in thirty-six samples representing ticide formulations.
The most
pesticide residues
some eighteen
pes-
frequently detected pesticides
were acephate, endosulfan, and methamidophos. Less frequently detected pesticides were acephate, dimethoate, disulfoton sul-
methamidophos, and omethoate
fone, endosulfan,
permethrin thrown in
—with some
as special toxic seasoning.
discard the outer leaves of chemically
grown
Be sure
to
lettuce; those
leaves have the greatest pesticide saturation, I used to say.
However, the progress, comrades, we have made since in detoxifying this world
priced lettuce
is
evident in the leaves of competitively
grown without petrochemical
pesticides.
Jalapeno peppers. Jalapeiio peppers had residues of acephate,
BHC,
ethion,
sulfan,
carbaryl, chlorpyrifos,
fenvalerate,
DDT,
diazinon, endo-
Hndane, malathion, monocro-
tophos, methamidophos, and omethoate.* Kale. Kale had residues of sulfan,
DCPA, DDT,
diazinon, endo-
and permethrin.*
Kiwi fruit. Kiwi had residues of diazinon, phosmet, and vinclozolin.*
Leeks. Leeks had residues of
DCPA and
Lima beans (immature). Immature eighty-seven residues of formulations. dicofol, ticides
Most
some
quintozene.*
lima beans had
thirteen different chemical
frequently detected were
acephate,
and methamidophos. Less frequently detected pesincluded
DCPA, DDE,
dimethoate, hndane, and
omethoate.
Mung
beans.
Mung
beans had residues of lindane,
malathion, pirimiphosmethyl, and quintozene.*
Mushrooms
(raw).
Mushrooms had eighty-one
residues in
53
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
thirty-six
samples representing with thiabedazole, benomyl,
diazinon, and permethrin appearing
most
frequently.
Nectarines. Nectarines had residues of chlorpyrifos, diazinon, dicloran, endosulfan, and phosmet.*
Orange juice (from frozen
concentrate).
Orange
juice
had
seventy-seven pesticide residues in thirty-six samples representing fifteen different pesticide formulations, petrochemicals,
or metabohtes.
The most
frequently detected pesticide
was ethion; however, both benzene and toluene, two petrochemicals, dicofol.
were
This
is
ical
orange juice
ally
and
many
at
also
a real is
frequently found, along with
fairly
problem
for
most consumers since chem-
half the price of organic orange juice usu-
two to three
dollars a carton already expensive.
shoppers, purchasing organic orange juice
question. I'm one of them, so
I
admit
share of dietary poisons. But
I
do have
is
usually drink
I
For
out of the
up
my fair
a great idea.
Oranges (raw). Oranges had 116 residues
in thirty-six
samples. Troubling were chlorpyrifos, dicofol, and endosulfan.
Organic oranges are so widely
priced, tastier,
and so much
available, competitively
safer to eat,
it
just
makes sense
to
prefer them. Parsley. Parsley had residues of chlorpyrifos,
DCPA, DDT,
diazinon, and disulfoton sulfone.*
Parsnips. Parsnips had residues of drin, heptachlor,
DDT,
diazinon, diel-
and tecnazene.*
Persimmons. Persimmons had residues of dicloran.
Poblano peppers.
Poblano peppers had residues of
acephate, chlorpyrifos, endosulfan, ethion, malathion, and
methamidophos.* Pomegranates. Pomegranates had residues of dicloran.
Pomegranate
juice
is
being clinically studied for
benefits in vascular disease. full
54
with antioxidants.*
its
promising
When processed fresh, it is packed
David Steinman
Potatoes (scalloped). Eighty-eight residues were found with
DDE
seventeen formulations represented. Chlorpropham,
and endosulfan were detected most frequently. Potatoes (white, boiled without skin). Boiled peeled potatoes
had
skins.
less pesticide saturation
than potatoes baked in their
Ninety-three residues were detected in thirty-six sam-
ples of boiled potatoes representing approximately fifteen dif-
ferent formulations
The most
or metabolites.
frequently
detected residues were chlorpropham, endosulfan, and ethyl-
DDE,
enethiourea. Less frequently detected were chlordane,
demeton-S
sulfone, nonachlor,
and tecnazene. Peeling did not
eliminate aldicarb, which indicates that
it
permeates potatoes,
in earHer studies.
In the most recent study, no aldicarb was found on potatoes,
but aldicarb
is
still
used on the crop. Aldicarb
at
extremely low exposure levels has been shown to promote
changes in the
common
human immune
potato-growing regions of
New
York,
consin, and other states. Aldicarb fornia's
system.
It
has
become
a
and dangerous drinking-water contaminant in
is
Rhode
Island,
Wis-
so dangerous that Cali-
Department of Health Services has proposed
to
ban
the use of this chemical, but the federal government unwisely
continues to allow
much
its
use throughout the rest of America on
of the potato crop.
The
effects
ticularly acute for children; indeed,
of aldicarb
some
may be
par-
children probably
are going through bouts of flulike illnesses, the real cause of
which could be low-level pesticide poisoning. This
just
does
not need to happen. Organically grown potatoes are the best solution. In the
Prunes
new millennium,
(dried).
the price
is
right.
Prunes were saturated. They had 126
industrial-pollutant and pesticide residues detected in thirty-six
samples representing eighteen different industrial-pollutant and pesticide formulations
and their metabolites. Most frequently
55
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
detected pesticides included
DDE,
dicofol, endosulfan, ipro-
dione, and propargite. Less frequently detected were carbaiyl, chlorpyrifos, malathion, permethrin,
and toluene.
Radishes (raw). Radishes had 101 residues of twenty-five different industrial pollutants in
twenty-two of the
and
pesticides, including
DDE
thirty-six samples, dieldrin in fourteen,
endosulfan in eleven, and more than coincidental appearances
of chlordane, endrin, heptachlor, and toxaphene. If you want to attend a reunion of
all
the bad-boy banned chemicals from
the seventies, just eat a raw radish.
Raspberries most often were coated with
Raspberries,
residues of captan (sometimes at concentrations above one part per million, which tion), carbaryl,
is
a significantly elevated concentra-
procymidone, and dichlofluanid.*
Rutabagas. Rutabagas had residues of chlorpyrifos.*
Serrano
chilies.
The
hottest of
all chili
peppers, Serrano
peppers had residues of azinphos-methyl, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, fenvalerate, methamidophos, and omethoate.*
Spinach (canned). Canned spinach undergoes processing that significantly cuts
down
pesticide saturation.*
thirty-five pesticide residues in thirty-six
There were
samples of canned
spinach representing twelve pesticide formulations and envi-
ronmental metabolites. least
DDT and permethrin were found in at BHC, chlordane, chlorheptachlor, HCB, methamidophos,
one-fourth of the samples.
propham,
DCR\ dicloran,
parathion, and pentachloroaniline were found less frequently.
This
is
an improvement over fresh spinach, but
bad. Stay cally
it's still
pretty
away from chemically grown spinach. Buy organi-
grown spinach
for
its
purity.
String beans. String beans had residues of acephate, chlorpyrifos, dimethoate, ethion,
Swiss chard. permethrin.*
56
methamidophos, and omethoate.*
Swiss chard had residues of
DCPA
and
David Steinman
DDT,
Tomato juice
lindane, and
(bottled).
residues representing nine
detected were carbaryl,
BHC, DDT,
had
Tomatillos
Tomatillos. chlorothalonil,
Tomato
had
thirty-five
Most
frequently
juice
formulations.
and methamidophos.
endosulfan,
dicofol, parathion,
BHC,
of
residues
methamidophos.*
and pentachlorobenzene were
frequently detected.
less
Tomato sauce
(plain,
With
bottled).
eighty pesticide
residues in thirty-six samples of canned tomatoes, representing
the pesticides
DDE,
endosulfan, and methamidophos, tomato
sauce was given a yellow light ranking this time around.
Tomato
(stewed, canned). Forty-nine chemicals
with methamidophos and endosulfan
among
were found
the
most
fi*e-
quent contaminants.
Turnips (fresh /frozen, boiled). Turnips had eighty- three with frequent residues of chlorpyrifos,
DCPA, DDE, and
dieldrin.
Turnip greens. Turnip greens had residues of
DDT, EBDCs,
DCPA,
mevinphos, and permethrin.*
Winter squash
(fresh/frozen, baked,
mashed). Winter squash
had 118 residues representing some twenty-five different formulations
or their environmental metabolites.
Most
fi-equendy
detected pesticides, in at least one-fourth of the samples, included
chlordane and tachlor. Less
its
metabolites, dieldrin, endosulfan, and hep-
frequendy detected were
DDE, hexachlorobenzene,
lindane, nonachlor, octachlor, toluene,
average of slighdy
less
and toxaphene. Eating an
than two ounces of winter squash a day
over a lifetime would result in a whopping risk of as sixty-two excess cancers in a milHon persons.
K^d
Buy
many
as
organic.
Light
These red
light foods are far
more
pesticide saturated than other
plant foods. Substitute organic varieties for taste and safety.
57
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Apples.
(NRDC)
When
the Natural Resources Defense Council
undertook the task of informing consumers about
the dangers of cancer-causing Alar to children and adults, their
message created one of the major food-safety controversies of the decade. As
many
as six
tract cancer as a result
thousand young children
NRDC
in
study. Alar
its
growth regulator that enables apples to stay on the use of Alar so tragic was that
and added so much
risk.
cally perfect apples could
But
I
con-
of the presence of Alar in apples and
apple products, asserted the
What made
may
The
it
is
a
trees longer.
was not needed
industry claimed that cosmeti-
not be grown without
this chemical.
haven't noticed any shortage of apples or price increases
this year,
have you? In
industry because
it
fact, its
spurred
to the creation of the fast
removal was good for the apple
much needed
innovations and led
growing organic apple industry.
Organic apples are everywhere available and usually about the
same
price as their chemically maligned conventional cousins.
Alar
may not
be used any longer on domestic apples, but
plenty of other cancer-causing and neurotoxic chemicals are.
Red raw
apples had 342 pesticide residues representing
some
thirty-nine different chemicals in thirty-six samples, in turn
representing twenty different pesticide formulations. That's a lot of pesticides!
Most
frequently detected pesticides included
azinphos-methyl, chlorpyrifos, sulfan,
DDE,
dicloran, dicofol, endo-
methoxychlor, phosalone, phosmet, toluene, and
xylene. If
you do buy nonorganic
apples, I
recommend
them or use a produce wash designed which is often laced with cancer-causing peel
many
pesticides
from the
fruit's surface.
to
that
you
remove wax,
fungicides, and
Simply spray a
little
produce wash on the apple, wipe with your hands, and rinse in pure water. Produce washes are usually available near the produce section of your supermarket and in health and natural
58
David Steinman
food stores. But not off;
some
all
the pesticides in apples can be washed
are systemic and permeate the entire
recommend
that
firuit. I
you buy organic apples and apple
highly
juice.
Apricots (raw). Apricots had 157 residues of azinphos-
methyl, benomyl,
captan,
valerate, parathion-methyl,
yellow to red
carbaryl,
DDE,
diazinon,
fen-
and phosmet. Apricots drop from
light.
Whew. Celery had 240
Celery (raw).
residues repre-
senting thirty-one pesticide formulations or their metabolites.
Making chemically grown
egregious choice
is
celery
a
particularly
the farmer's use of acephate, which
cancer-causing chemical, and that
is
a
DDE was in twenty-six of
the thirty-six market basket samples. Another nasty chemical is
2,4-dichloro-6-nitrobenzenaniine. Acephate,
dicloran, endosulfan,
DDT,
diazinon,
methamidophos, permethrin, and 2,4-
dichloro-6-nitrobenzenamine were detected in
at least
one-
fourth of the samples. Less frequently detected pesticides included chlorothalonil, chlorpropham, disulfoton sulfone,
methomyl, and parathion. Buy organic celery a
wonderful daylong snack food.
you need not be concerned about
It's
instead;
it
makes
reasonably priced, and
pesticide residues.
Cherries (sweet, raw). Cherries had 215 pesticide residues in thirty-six samples representing
pesticide
some twenty-five
different
formulations or environmental metabolites. Fre-
quently detected pesticides included azinphos-methyl, a carcinogen,
carbaryl,
malathion, represent cals. It's
endosulfan,
permethrin,
fenvalerate,
iprodione,
and
and phosmet. These chemicals
some potent cancer-causing and neurotoxic chemi-
too bad, too. Cherries are
filled
potential, but being a soft fruit are
without chemicals
at a
with great antioxidant
most
difficult to
grow
competitive price. Be sure to buy lots of
organic cherries in season and switch to other fruits during
other parts of the year, or go ahead and eat chemical cherries.
59
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Cherries are
filled
with ellagic
acid, a
potent anticancer agent,
and melatonin, the pineal gland hormone that helps put us to
which makes cherries
sleep at night,
a great
nighttime snack.
Collard greens (fresh /Jrozen, boiled). Collards are rich in
B vitamins, but unfortunately they are pestiThey had 260 residues in thirty-six samples
carotenoids and cide saturated.
representing approximately forty-two different pesticide for-
mulations or their metabolites. Chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin,
DCPA, DDE, thrin
dieldrin, endosulfan, fenvalerate,
and perme-
were detected most frequently. Chlordane, demeton-s
sulfone, diazinon, dimethoate,
methamidophos, mevinphos,
nonachlor, omethoate, and pentachloroaniline were found often. Collard greens are a high-toxin food.
Your solution
organic substitution, which, nowadays, for this food,
compared with the chemically laden
nicely priced
Cucumbers
(raw).
less
is
is
quite
crops.
Even pared cucumbers contain plenty of
pesticide contamination.
Some 189
pesticide residues
were
detected in thirty-six samples representing approximately
twenty-four different pesticide formulations or environmental metabolites. bers.
cukes.
Toxaphene frequently
taints
nonorganic cucum-
Dieldrin and endosulfan also frequently contaminate
Other
pesticides detected included chlordane, endrin,
and methamidophos, methamidophos, methomyl, nonachlor, and octachlor. All these pesticides are either carcinogens or neurotoxins. Eating an average of slightly less than two ounces
of cucumbers a day over a lifetime would result in a risk of as
many
as
thirty- four
excess
Organic cucumbers are
a
cancers in a million persons.
much
better choice for reducing pes-
ticide exposure.
Grapes (red/green,
seedless, raw).
The 1989
cyanide-in-
Chilean-grapes scare was ironic. Because cyanide-tainted grapes posed an immediate threat, the decision to stop ship-
ments from Chile probably was wise 60
—provided that the scare
David Steinman
was
real
and not manufactured by
many more consumers and even death
a
beleaguered agenq^ trying
from the pesticide problem. But
to divert public attention
are likely to suffer premature cancers
as a result
of the pesticide contamination of
grown and imported grapes than from a few cyanide-tainted grapes. Unfortunately, grapes from Mexico domestically
and Chile, the two largest exporters, often contain the fungicide captan.
Among
its
breakdown products, one
closely
resembles the severe birth defect-causing chemical thalidomide. Captan
among
is
suspected of being a cause of birth defects
the babies of
potent carcinogen. sible
women
It is
farm workers. Captan
is
also a
not the kind of chemical to which sen-
people want their children exposed. Furthermore,
Mex-
ican grapes are sprayed with omethoate, a pesticide that U.S.
farmers are not even allowed to use on food crops. Omethoate is
an acute neurotoxic pesticide to which neither consumers
nor Mexican farm workers should be exposed. The
done
little
to stop omethoate-tainted grapes
FDA
has
from entering the
market from Mexico.
No matter where your grapes are from, unless they've been grown
organically,
tamination. In the residues of
you should expect low-level
FDA
some twenty-nine
or environmental metabolites. cides, in a least
different pesticide formulations
Most
frequently detected pesti-
one-fourth of the samples, included captan,
chlorpyrifos, dimethoate, iprodione,
and omethoate. Less
quently detected pesticides included carbaryl, dicofol, dieldrin, folpet, zolin.
pesticide con-
Total Diet Study, grapes had 172
DDE,
fre-
diazinon,
methomyl, propargite, and vinclo-
Fortunately for consumers,
California
table-grape
growers are moving quickly toward totally organic agriculture. Already, organic grapes are widely available at mainstream
supermarkets, as well as health food stores. They're worth
not only to you, but to the
men and women who work
it,
in the
61
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
grape
fields
of Kern and Tulare County with the
wood
crosses
bearing up the vines of the burden of grapes.
Green peppers (raw). Green peppers had 256 residues thirty-six tions.
in
samples representing some thirty different formula-
Most
frequently detected pesticides were the cancer-
causing acephate (in thirty of thirty-six samples), chlorpropham, chlorpyrifos,
DDE,
dicofol, dimethoate, endosulfan,
methami-
dophos, nethomyl, omethoate, and permethrin. Less frequently detected chemicals included carbaryl, cyfluthrin, fenvarlerate.
pepper
is
The
sheer
number of
pesticides
amazing. In one study of the
DCPA, and
on each
FDA crop records,
bell
out
of 233 samples that were tested, 419 pesticide residues were detected,
meaning most samples had two or more
Today, the situation
is
residues.
even worse with each sample bearing
an average of around seven different chemicals or their metabolites.
Nuts (mixed, no peanuts, dry six
chemicals were found with
roasted).
BHC,
Two hundred forty-
styrene,
and xylene
fre-
quently detected.
Peaches (raw). Peaches are dangerous in more ways than one.
They're right up there with apples. Tests detected 266 industrial chemical and pesticide residues in thirty-six samples of peaches
some twenty-seven pesticide formulations, petroor their metaboHtes. Most fi*equently detected pesti-
representing chemicals,
cides included cancer-causing azinphos-methyl (twenty-nine of thirty-six samples), captan, carbaryl, diazinon, dicloran, dicofol,
endosulfan, parathion, phosmet, and thiabendazole. Less fre-
quendy detected chemicals included all
in the food after
cooking and preparation.
that captan,
banned
—but
with it's
and
of these heavy-duty toxic substances remain
xylene. Virtually
That peaches have captan
62
chlorpyrifos, phosmet,
its
residues
is
troubling. I predicted
thalidomidelike metabolite, will be
not been, and
it
ought to
be, because of the
David Steinman
danger of birth defects. American
field
workers should not be
forced to tolerate a highly risky chemical like captan just so
can have peaches;
bird
and parathion use
kills
The
also quite disturbing.
is
is
not healthy living
any way you cut that Georgia peach.
for the nation
parathion
too high a cost. That
it's
is
One
is
use of
where parathion
farmer told
to see the dying birds, but parathion
The
connection between
quite clear:
used, bird populations decline.
me
it.
icity
whenever
a piece
she has to retrieve
she hates
cheap, so her family
it.
of equipment
The
farmers
I
buy organic peaches when
their best
—they
offer
maximum
in the orchard
know
say they wish they
protection for the folks in the a taste treat.
Peanuts (dry roasted). Peanuts take
among
the
a top
ranking for
most pesticide-saturated crops and foods
diet,
my
they're in season and priced
and their children, and they are
American
and
is left
did not have to use parathion. For your family, here's
fields
is
She said she herself experiences parathion-induced tox-
uses
advice:
we
in the
based on results from the Total Diet Study.
Peanuts had 282 residues in thirty-six samples representing
some twenty-nine metabolites. chlorpyrifos,
Most
different chemicals or their environmental fi*equently detected pesticides
DDE,
were
BHC,
dieldrin, endosulfan, pentachloroaniline,
pentachlorobenzene, pentaclorophenyl, quintozene, and toxa-
phene. Less fi*equently detected were chloroform, lindane,
permethrin, styrene, and toluene. Eating an average of slightly less
than two ounces of dry-roasted peanuts a day over a
time would result in in
a risk
one million persons.
of as
A
many
as
life-
twenty excess cancers
naturally occurring carcinogenic
mold, aflatoxin, grows on peanuts, adding to the potential risk of this food. field to
Look
for organic brands that are sun-dried in the
prevent aflatoxin growth. Arrowhead Mills organic
peanut butter
is
made with peanuts
dried this way.
pro-peanut grower newspapers in the South trashed
The
Diet. I
63
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
know why. Truth
hurts sometimes. Taking a positive spin,
many more varieties
there certainly are ters available,
from
and
it is
of organic peanut but-
crowded marketplace where your gaze
a
label to label to find
your
favorite.
the organic peanut butters; one of
them
just
can
drift
replace Skippy in your child's
Try some of
might be able to
PB and J.
Pears (raw). There were 176 pesticide or industrial chemical
residues in thirty-six samples of pears representing
twenty-seven different pesticide formulations. Most frequently detected pesticides, in a least one-fourth of the samples,
included azinphos-methyl, endosulfan, phosmet, and
thiabendazole. Carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, dicofol, and
parathion were detected
less frequently.
Buy organic pears. My
favorites are Asian pears, the oldest cultivated pear
They
they're sweet and crunchy. their applelike shape
known.
grow without chemicals, and
are a fairly easy fruit to
You can recognize
these pears by
and green, yellow, or russet
skin.
Asian
pears are available from July to late October. Asian pears are
known as apple pear, Japanese pear, chalea, and shali. Plums (raw). Plums had 171 pesticide and industrial chemical residues representing some twenty-one different formulaalso
tions or their metaboHtes.
and parathion were most often detected.
dicofol, iprodione,
Chemicals
less
Benomyl, chlorpyrifos, dicloran,
frequently detected included 2,4-dichloro-6-
nitrobenzenamine, azinphos-methyl, diazinon, dicofol, omethoate,
and phosmet. Fortunately, organic plums are reasonably
priced. I always wait
plums flood the
till
the middle of summer
shelves, shining
and
when the
organic
enticing.
Potatoes (white, baked with skin). Potatoes baked in their skins
had 205 residues of some
mulations,
their
metabolites,
thirty different pesticide for-
and industrial chemicals.
Residues detected in at least one-fourth of the samples were 2,3,5,6-tetrachloroaniline, chlorpropham,
64
which
is
used as a
David Steinman
postharvest pesticide to prevent potatoes from sprouting a possible
mutagen),
enethiourea,
DDE, DDT,
isopropyl
(3
(it is
dieldrin, endosulfan, ethyl-
-chloro-4-methoxyphenyl) carba-
mate, and thiabendazole. Less frequently detected pesticides
and
petrochemicals
included
chlordane,
chloroform,
demeton-s sulfone, dicloran, heptachlor, isopropyl (3-chloro4-methoxy-phenyl) carbamate, nonachlor, pentachloroaniline,
phorate sulfone, and tecnazene. These are chemically
hot potatoes. Eating an average of slightly
ounces of baked potatoes a conservative risk of as
a
day over
many
a lifetime
less
than two
would
result in
as eleven excess cancers in
one
million persons, according to the earlier work. Ifyou must eat chemically
grown
Forget about
potatoes, it
is
best to peel them. Potato skins?
it.
Raisins (dried). Raisins had 200 industrial chemical and pesticide residues in thirty-six samples representing twenty-
seven different formulations or metaboHtes.
Isn't that tragic?
In 1990, raisins had "only" 110 residues in sixteen samples.
Chemical contamination of
raisins
has at best improved
maringally from 6.9 chemicals per sample versus 5.5 in the
more recent results. Some of the same troubling chemicals the industry sprayed on raisins in 1990 were for the most part sprayed in 2006, but some new petrochemicals and solvents also reared their ugly heads. The most frequently detected residues included benzene, carbaryl, sulfan, ethion, propargite, toluene,
detected were chloroform,
DDE,
dicofol,
endo-
and xylene. Less frequently
diazinon,
fenarinol,
parathion,
phosmet, and tirchloroethylene. Eating an average of slightly less
than two ounces of raisins
result in a risk of as
many
as
a
day over
a lifetime
twenty-one excess cancers in
million persons, according to earlier data; because so
the risk
stemmed from
DDE
would
and dicofol,
this risk
a
much
of
today
is
also real. In fact, thirty-one of thirty-six samples contained
65
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
and thirty-two contained
dicofol,
of dicofol. That
a
is
DDE and DDT, metabolites
heavy cancer price to pay for eating
raisins.
There
are solutions.
sell raisins
The
first
would be
for
Sun-Maid
to
without dicofol, which the company does not do. In
Freedom Press reporter asked Sun-Maid why there were residues of dicofol on their raisins and whether the company considered it a risk. The company told our reporter: 2006, a
In response to your inquiry, dicofol has been for
Do Not
on the Sun-Maid
Use
List.
As a
result
many
years
Sun-Maid
growers have not used dicofol for approximately ten years. Part of our rationale
is
founded on the opinion of scientific
leaders as well as information presented in the Reregistration Eligibility
Decision hearings of the U.S. EPA.
—Joe Kretsch,
technical services representative,
Sun-Maid Growers of California
Unfortunately, our raisins,
own
laboratory testing of Sun-Maid
which were purchased
at
supermarkets in Southern
Cahfornia, indicated that their raisins indeed contained low levels
of dicofol.
The
solution
is
so simple and inexpensive since certified
organic raisins can match the raisins from Sun-Maid in terms
of taste and variety.
They
grown without any
pesticides, reducing the risk that
children, is
who
are better, though, because they are
our
little
eat raisins daily as a lunchtime snack because
it
natural, will have cancer develop as their exposure to dicofol
and
DDE and DDT continues.
—one of the major suppliers of produce nation —has bought an organic raisin-packing house, Dole
in
the
and
helped to make organic raisins mainstream. Buying organic is
66
the
way
to
go for
raisins.
Organically grown raisins have
David Steestman
significantly fewer, if any, residues,
and their price
is
similar to
that of their chemical cousins. Despite the cute raisin singers
who used to
appear on television, raisins are a highly pesticide-
saturated food, and consumers
would be better
off finding
organic varieties.
Spinach (fresh /frozen,
boiled), Popeye's
had 279 pesticide and greenhouse-linked
meal of strength
industrial pollutant
residues in thirty-six samples representing
some
thirty-three
different pesticide formulations, their metabolites, or industrial
chemicals.
chlorpyrifos,
Most
DCPA,
dieldrin, endosulfan,
fi*equently detected residues included
DDE
tachlor, lindane, nonachlor,
of slightly
would
less
(in all thirty-six samples),
and toxaphene. Eating an average
than two ounces of spinach a day over a lifetime
many as
result in a risk of as
twenty-eight excess cancers
in a million persons, according to
simply
is
DDT,
and permethrin. Also found were hep-
my
earlier
work. That
too high. If you're going to eat spinach, take Popeye's
advice and have yours canned.
Strawberries (raw).
I
love strawberries, but I won't eat chem-
grown ones anymore. Strawberries had 237 pesticide residues in thirty-six samples representing some forty different
ically
pesticide formulations, their metabolites, or industrial green-
house pollutants. Most frequently detected pesticides, in
at least
one-fourth of the samples, included captan, carbaryl, dicofol, endosulfan, iprodione, malathion, styrene, and vinclozoHn. Less
frequently detected but disturbingly present pesticides and
petrochemicals included
BHC, DDE,
diazinon, dicofol, diel-
drin, folpet, parathion-methyl, toluene, toxaphene, xylene, malathion,
and toxaphene.
and
methamidophos, methoxychlor, parathion,
The
captan and carbaryl residues are especially
troubUng because of their neurotoxic and teratogenic properties.^ ^Teratogens are chemicals that cause birth defects. ical
birth defects or apparent defects such as
They may
be subtle neurolog-
deformed limbs.
67
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Taste treats children love should not pose the threat of
cancer or neurotoxicity. In 2005
when
farm workers and researching Safe Trip
I
Teresa
DeAnda
was reaching out to
to
of Earlimart, California,
some missing
children were in school,
Eden,
who
I
spoke with
me
told
that
digits or other limbs,
due to their parents' exposure to captan. Strawberries from
Canada and Mexico
are equally pesticide saturated, frequently
showing residues of captan. The only
buy organic
realistic solution is to
Too many pesticides and fungicides chemically grown samples to make them even
strawberries.
are found in
closely approximate a safe food
—and
to think
what they're
doing to the children of Earlimart and other American towns is
sickening.
Summer
squash
(fresh /frozen,
boiled).
The
pesticide
summer squash are dangerous to your health. I highly recommend organic squash. In the T)tal Diet Study, summer
residues in
squash had 185 pesticide residues representing twenty-six pesticide formulations, their metabolites, or industrial chemicals.
most frequendy detected
pesticides
were dieldrin
(in
The
twenty-
eight of thirty-six samples), endosulfan (thirty-one), heptachlor,
and pentachloroaniline. Less frequently detected residues included benzene, chlordane,
DCPA, DDE, DDT,
endrin,
methamidophos, octachlor, parathion, quintozene, and toxahene. Eating an average of slighdy less than two ounces of
summer squash a day over a lifetime would result in a risk of as many as eighty-nine excess cancers in a milHon persons. I have had organic squashes lab tested Hmits, and the organically
at
extremely minute detection
grown produce has been completely
free of detectable residues.
Tomatoes
(red, raw).
Tomatoes are quite
toes in the Total Diet Study had
214
saturated.
Toma-
industrial pollutant
pesticide residues in thirty-six samples representing thirty industrial
68
pollutants
and
some
and pesticide formulations or
David Steinman
metabolites. Chlorpyrifos, endosulfan, methamidophos, and
permethrin were found in
at least
one-fourth of the samples.
Less frequently detected were acephate, dicloran, dicofol, ethyl benzene, styrene, toluene, and xylene.
On
the other
hand, vine-ripened organic tomatoes quiet the pesticide concern,
and they are
a taste treat.
Shopping Tips
Buy locally grown produce whenever
possible.
farmers' market and go there regularly. find a wide variety of organically
your supermarket you can buy in season.
Although
this
pesticide contamination,
locally
produce it is
You will more than Hkely
grown fruits and vegetables. At grown produce by buying
will
have varying degrees of
more Hkely to have
and we need the nutrients in
nutritional value,
fight off the ravaging effects of pollution
Another reason reduce fuel
more
costs.
costly
for
Find the nearest
retained
fi-esh
its fall
produce to
and toxic chemicals.
buying locally grown produce
is
to
Transportation costs not only translate into
produce but also are alleged to contribute to
global warming.
Out-of-season produce
Imported produce have lost
much
is
of
often its
likely to
is
more
pesticide saturated,
nutrient value.
season brussels sprouts and cabbages ally
good sources of vitamin
have been imported.
One
and
it
may
study of out-of-
—both of which are usu-
C— found
absolutely
no vitamin
C. Mishandling of produce during long trips from foreign nations or from the farm fields to the market can also result in loss
of the B-vitamin complex and other vitamins.
Out-of-season produce
is
likely to
have been imported
from Mexico, where many dangerous chemicals that are not used in the United States are routinely used. Roughly 40 to 60 percent of the fresh produce sold in the United States in
winter
is
imported,
much
of it from south of the border.
69
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
When you want to
eat out-of-season produce, frozen fruits
and vegetables are preferable to imported. Frozen produce
is
more likely to retain its nutrient contents. To make sure your body gets all the pollution-fighting nutrients it needs, when you buy frozen frriits or vegetables shake the boxes and make sure you hear them loosely clatter. If they've been thawed and refrozen, they will stick in a clump and will be silent when you shake the box. Frozen produce should never be thawed and
then refrozen. High freezer temperatures also result in
And
nutrient loss.
means we're not getting the
that
nutrients
we need to survive and flourish in a toxic world. Canned fruits and vegetables tend to have low pesticide levels but may have slightly elevated lead concentrations as a result of their containers.
Consider these higher lead
levels
when choosing between fresh or canned fruits and vegetables. The lead concentration of fresh produce may be one-thirtieth of that in the canned product. The nutrition benefits of canned
and vegetables, however, are nearly equal to
fruits
those of fresh produce, except for ously, eating
canned
not hurt, and
fruits
many
some vitamin
and vegetables once in
fruits
while will
if
you
eat a great
many
and vegetables when organically grown fresh
produce and frozen produce are lessly
a
Obvi-
people do. Take comfort; you have
reduced your pesticide exposure. But
canned
loss.
available,
you may be need-
adding to your lead exposure.
In addition, cans with plastic linings leach the endocrinedisrupting, feminizing, estrogenic chemical bisphenol-A. Scientists discovered the estrogenic effects
they found that
human
of this chemical
breast cancer cell lines
when
would propa-
some test tubes even without the addition of a stimulating known estrogen. Many breast cancers are said to be estrogen positive, which means they respond to estrogen gate themselves in
by reproducing. This 70
is
not good. But in the case of the
David Steinman
nonstimulated breast cancer
cell lines that
reproduced anyway,
the reason was that minute amounts of bisphenol-A were
leaching from the polycarbonate into the cultures. Scientists
have since discovered that the plastic Hnings used in canned foods also leach this feminizing chemical. (Some plastic sealants
used in dentistry and methacrylates used in cosmetics also do.)
Be wary of precut
and vegetables. Oxidation
fresh frnits
occurs after cutting and will result in significant loss of nutrients, including the
B
Buy your watermelons optimum nutrient content.
vitamins and vitamin C.
whole, in other words,
if you
value
Once vitamin C-rich foods are cut or sUced, they undergo oxidation,
which destroys
not to cut or sHce
significant
amounts of vitamin C. So
try
you
eat
and vegetables
fruits
until just before
them. If you must slice them ahead of time, squeeze a juice will
on the cut or
sliced surfaces; the acidity
reduce oxidation and prevent vitamin
tion in mind, add
litde
lemon
of the lemon juice
C loss. With antioxida-
lemon wedges or tomatoes
to sHced zucchini
and other summer squashes to preserve vitamins. Add lemon juice dressing to
Look, at least, it
and even
homemade coleslaw to prevent vitamin C loss.
buy precut watermelon and
I is
eat loads of
better than not eating any at
if it is
precut,
it is still
cious and hydrates and does so
all,
great and
and
it
good and
many good
it
because,
tastes
good,
tastes deli-
things.
Waxing
Wax is
applied to
and enhance
many
color. If
fruits
and vegetables to preserve them
you were covered with carnauba wax,
you might look pretty well preserved,
met some people who
I
think I've
are.
Consumers should be aware are coated with a layer of fringicides
too. In fact,
that
wax or
many fresh produce items which may contain
shellac,
and pesticides, including suspected carcinogens and
neurotoxins.
71
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Federal law requires supermarkets to disclose the presence
of wax on fresh produce at the point of sale. But last
the
Most supermarkets
time you saw a notice to that effect?
are in violation of federal law in failing to
when was
customers which
tell
produce items are waxed.
Among the •
Benomyl is
is
known
fungicides used with waxes:
believed to be a possible
and
to increase skull
human
carcinogen and
central nervous system
anomalies in the offspring of rats. •
Dicloran has not been sufficiently tested for carcino-
and mutagenic
genicity, birth defects, •
Imazalil has not been sufficiently tested for carcinogenicity, birth defects,
•
and mutagenic
effects.
Ortho-phenylphenol has been shown to suppress the
immune •
effects.
system.
Sodium ortho-phenyl phenate has been International
human
Agency
for Research
classified
on Cancer
by the
as a possible
carcinogen and has been demonstrated to produce
urinary bladder cancer in rats and liver cancer in mice.
Unfortunately, you cannot always
produce items have been waxed.
waxed food
game
to be labeled
unnecessary.
The
tell just
The
by looking which
federal law that requires
was intended to make
this
guessing
law does not require disclosure of the
fungicides and pesticides in the waxes, but
if
consumers were
aware that certain produce items were coated with wax, they
would
also be alerted to the likely presence of chemicals such
as fungicides.
Waxes cannot be removed with
just water.
You
will
need
a
mild detergent. Special nontoxic produce washes have been
developed that remove most of the waxes and even nonsystemic pesticides.
72
These products
are often sold near the produce
David Steinman
section in supermarkets.
Removing waxes
is
worthwhile
because they so frequently are laced with carcinogens and neurotoxins.
By
the way, the criminal penalty for not complying with
this labeling law can be
up
to a year in prison and/or
up
to a
thousand-dollar fine. Tell the produce manager at your market
know which fruits and vegetables have been waxed. Let your grocers know that they are breaking the law that
you want
to
by not labeling waxed produce. You can report Sonia
I.
violators to:
Delgado
Assistant to the Director
Division of Regulatory Guidance
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Department of Health and
Human
Services
Food and Drug Administration
C
200
Street
SW
Washington, D.C. 20204
Send
a
copy of your
letter to the president
of your super-
market company.
These
fruits are likely to
be waxed:
Lemons
Passion fruit
Avocados
Limes
Peaches
Cantaloupes
Melons
Pineapples
Grapefruits
Oranges
Apples
These vegetables are
likely to
be waxed:
Cucumbers
Pumpkins
Eggplants
Rutabagas
Parsnips
Squashes
Peppers
Sweet potatoes
73
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
wax is not applied, ftingicides are. The little white paper pads on the bottom of citrus boxes often have Often, even
if
been impregnated with
the California citrus crop
appHed
cides are
One
fumigated after the harvest! Pesti-
is
and limes to prevent green and blue mold
postharvest pesticide, benomyl,
cinogen, and another, depress the
immune
control beetles,
which may be
nuts and dried prunes,
an animal caris
known
to
system; sodium ortho-phenylphenol
is
fruits,
fruits
is
and nuts are ftimigated to
moths, and worms. Methyl bromide,
flies,
a carcinogen
the protective ozone,
is
ortho-phenylphenol,
probably a carcinogen. Dried
raisins,
than 90 percent of
to oranges, tangerines, mandarins, tangelos,
grapeftnits, lemons,
decay.
More
pesticides.
and
thought to be destructive to
is
applied to almost
all
chemically grown
including walnuts, almonds, chestnuts,
figs, dates,
and
apricots. It should have
been
banned years ago but keeps getting loopholed. More good
rea-
sons to buy organic! Radiation
Some
wild European
result of the
mushrooms have
1986 Chernobyl nuclear site:
nobyl, Switzerland
affected
still
is
cancer a direct result.
The
up
disaster.
According to
"Twenty years
Swiss online information
rates of radioactivity, with
excess radiation as a
to
after
a
Cher-
by higher than normal
two hundred deaths from
southern canton of Ticino
still
bears the brunt of the worst accident in nuclear history, the
High radioactivity wild mushrooms and meat." You
Federal Health Office said on Tuesday.
was
still
being registered in
should be especially careful of boletes and chanterelles.
They
will
remain hot for years from absorbing radioactive
cesium 137, which the
present in decaying leaves, and which
mushrooms cannot
nant and nursing
74
is
distinguish
women
from potassium. Preg-
especially should
avoid these
David Steinman
mushrooms. These mushrooms
are usually found in
gourmet
food sections.
Apple centrate.
low
juice
is
often
made from imported
apple juice con-
These concentrates may well be contaminated with of radiation from the Chernobyl accident. Using
levels
FDA radiation labo-
sophisticated sampling techniques at the
ratory in Winchester, Massachusetts, scientists have identified isotopes of cesium 137 in imported apple juice concentrate
and have confirmed that they stem from the accident.
About one-third of the apple
juice concentrate
Hungary, West Germany, and Yugoslavia that
tria,
being sold here and used in American products
Much apple juice
sold in the United States
is
is
from Aus-
is
presently
radioactive.
made with Euro-
pean concentrate. Austrian apples are the most radioactive, but the
FDA has
not prevented any Austrian apple juice concen-
trate
from entering the United
total
cesium
levels
is
10,000 picocuries per
have come to nearly half
New
States.
The
liter
action level for
(pCi/L). Detected
that.
research into the health effects of radiation has
how little scientists actually know about responses. Most experts say there is no threshold revealed
low-level
of safety
for radiation and that even a single exposure can initiate or
promote cancer. Others believe repeated exposures are required to initiate or promote cancer and other diseases.
technology
is
beginning to shed Hght on
New
this issue. Scientists
studying radiation effects are beginning to see chromosomal aberrations at doses five to ten times lower than before.
Unfortunately, Chernobyl's legacy of radiation will persist for
many years, thanks Some consumers in
to the extended half-life of cesium 137.
Finland, Hungary, Romania, Poland, and
Switzerland are getting regularly dosed. It is
not wise for anybody to regularly drink apple juice
laced with
up
to 4,600
pCi/L of radiation when the solution
to
75
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
the problem
grown U.S.
near: drink apple juice
is
made from
organically
apples.
Cooking Tips
To
peel or not to peel?
The
peels of frnits and vegetables are
sometimes waxed, and often have high
But the peel fiber. I
of pesticides.
often a good source of essential nutrients and
is
avoid this problem by buying organic and eating the
skin. If you
that
levels
must
eat chemically
you wash green
grown produce,
light foods
for yellow light foods, I
I
recommend
thoroughly and eat the
recommend
skin;
you peel them
that
if
possible.
Remove and
discard the outer leaves of leafy vegetables
such as lettuce; they have higher pesticide residues than the inner leaves. Also, the leaves at the top of
such as celery, actually act cide residues.
like a
By removing
some
vegetables,
sponge and soak up the
pesti-
the leaves, you will lower your
exposure.
Use minimal amounts of water when Vitamin
boiling vegetables.
C and other nutrients dissolve in the water. Better yet,
steam vegetables in
a stainless-steel steamer.
One-third of the
potassium in carrots will be lost during boiling, but virtually
none
will
the water
be lost in steaming. If you boil vegetables,
come
to a rolling boil, then put in vegetables.
Leaving vegetables in the water higher nutrient
One key or boiling
is
for
first let
as
it
comes
to a boil results in
loss.
maximum
to use as
little
nutrient retention
when steaming
water as possible and to cook in as
short a time as possible. If you
own
a
microwave and wonder whether to use
it
for
cooking vegetables, you should know that microwave cooking results in excellent nutrient retention. Researchers report
microwaving can
76
result in 100 percent retention of a food's
David Steinman
C
vitamin
content and 70 percent of
B
its
vitamins. Flavor
and color also tend to be well preserved with microwave cooking.
Leafy vegetables
like
spinach or cabbage tend to lose the
most nutrients when cooked. Short cooking times are preferred.
Cook
them up
vegetables whole to preserve nutrients and cut
after cooking.
Safe Shopping
List: Vegetables
For your convenience into Hsts
showing how
I've
and
Fruits
summarized
safe or
all
this
information
dangerous different foods
are.
You can have these copied and take them shopping with you until you remember which foods are safe.
Some
foods appear in these hsts that
I
have not discussed in
room
the preceding pages simply because there isn't
book I
to spell out
what chemicals are
in
all
in this
foods.
have Hsted the foods in order of the number of residues
found in the Total Diet Study, starting with the this is
safest. (Again,
because foods with the fewest total number of residues
usually have the lowest average concentrations and are your safest choices in the supermarket.)
yellow
light,
and red
Within each green
light section, I also
light,
sometimes hst foods
without giving an exact number of residues. These foods have
been analyzed
in
ways that
tell
me how
safe they are,
were not covered by the Total Diet Study, so exact
number of residues
I
but they
don't have an
to report.
77
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
FRUITS Number of Residues
Green Light Fruit cocktail (canned in heavy syrup)
55
Grapefruit (raw)
53
Watermelon
33
(raw)
OTHER GREEN LIGHT FRUITS Bitter
melon
Limes
Coconut
Papayas
Dates
Passion fruit
Figs
Pineapples
Guavas
Plantains
Lemons
Tangerines
Number of Residues
Yellow Light Applesauce
97
Bananas
71
Cantaloupe
131
Oranges
116
Prunes
126
OTHER YELLOW LIGHT FRUITS Feiojas
Honeydew
Blackberries
Kiwi
Blueberries
Kumquats
Casaba
Nectarines
Cranberries
Persimmons
Crenshaw melons
Pomegranates
Currants
78
fruit
David Steinman
Number
Red Light
of Residues
Apples
342
Apricots
157
Cherries (sweet, raw)
215
Grapes
172
Peaches
266
Pears
176
Plums
171
Raisins (dried)
200
VEGETABLES Number
Green Light Asparagus
of Residues
22
Black-eyed peas (cowpeas)
18
Cabbage
28
Cauliflower (fresh/frozen, boiled)
12
Corn (canned)
Corn
1
(cream-style, canned)
Com (fresh/frozen, Eggplant
boiled)
(fresh, boiled)
Green peas
(fresh/frozen, boiled).
14 3
36 22
Lima beans (mature)
19
Mixed vegetables
65
Okra
(frozen, boiled)
(fresh/frozen, boiled)
Onions Peaches (canned in light/medium syrup) Pears (canned in light/medium syrup)
Peas (mature, dry, boiled) Pinto beans
Radishes
29 2
42 6 15 1
32
79
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Red beans
7 18'
Sauerkraut (canned)
Snap green beans Sweet potatoes
(fresh,
34 baked)
50
OTHER GREEN LIGHT VEGETABLES Alfalfa sprouts
Kidney beans
Adzuki beans
Leeks
Bamboo
shoots (canned)
Lentils
Bean sprouts
Mushrooms
Beets (fresh)
Navy beans
Brussels sprouts
Radicchio
Cassava
Rapini
Chives
Red chard
Cilantro
Rhubarb
Daikon
Shallots
Fava beans
Snow
Fennel root
Watercress
Garlic
Yams
(fresh)
peas
Jicama
Yellow Light Avocados
67
Beets (fresh/frozen, boiled)
56
Broccoli (fresh/frozen, boiled)
91
Brussels sprouts
Carrots (fresh, boiled)
127 63
Coleslaw (with dressing, homemade)
121
Green beans
153
(fresh/frozen, boiled)
Iceberg lettuce (raw)
80
Number of Residues
132
Lima beans (immature)
87
Potatoes (scalloped)
81
David Steinman
93
Potatoes (white, boiled without skin)
101
Radishes (raw)
Spinach (canned)
35
Tomato
sauce (plain, bottled)
80
Tomato
(stewed, canned)
49 83
Turnips (fresh/frozen, boiled)
Winter squash
(fresh/frozen, baked,
mashed)
118
OTHER YELLOW LIGHT VEGETABLES Artichokes
Okra
Bok choy
Parsley
Cherry tomatoes
Parsnips
Chili peppers
Poblano peppers
Choysum
Pumpkin
DandeHon greens
Puslane
Dill
Radishes
Eggplant
Red peppers
Endive
Rutabagas
Escarole
Serrano chilies
Green peppers
Soybeans
Jalapeno peppers
String beans
Kale
Swiss chard
Kohlrabi
Tomatillos
Mung beans
Turnip greens
Mustard greens
Turnips
Number
Red Light
of Residues
Celery
240
Collard green (fresh/frozen, boiled)
260
Cucumbers
189
(raw)
Green peppers (raw)
256
81
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Potatoes (white, baked with skin)
205
Summer
185
squash (fresh/frozen, boiled)
Tomatoes
(red,
214
raw)
NUTS AND SEEDS Number
Green Light Pecans
of Residues 14
OTHER GREEN LIGHT NUTS AND SEEDS Almonds
Sesame seeds
Chinese pine nuts
Sunflower seeds
Flax
Walnuts
Hazelnuts
Water chestnuts
Pistachios
Watermelon seeds
Pumpkin
seeds
Number of Residues
Yellow Light Lychee nuts Radish seed
Number of Residues
Red Light Nuts (mixed, no peanuts, dry roasted)
246
Peanuts (dry roasted)
282
JUICES Green Light Lemonade Pineapple (canned)
82
Number of Residues 10
6
David Steinman
OTHER GREEN LIGHT JUICES Apricot nectar
Lime
Carrot
Mixed vegetable
Cranberry
Prune
Number of Residues
Yellow Light Apple (bottled)
71
Grape
49
(bottled)
Grapefruit
42
Tomato
35
Orange
77
OTHER YELLOW LIGHT JUICES Boysenberry
JAMS, JELLIES,
AND SPREADS
Yellow Light Blackberry spread
Strawberry jam
Raspberry spread
Boysenberry spread
MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCE ITEMS Green Light Aloe vera
Langon
Arrowroot
Lotus root
Burdock root
Pai
Cactus
Rombuton
Cardoni
Seaweed seasoning
Cole
Shredded bamboo
Durian
Taro
kon
83
FOUR Grains
Grains are extremely important diet. I
want you
to learn to love
in the low-toxin, high-energy
whole
grains.
Together with
fruits
and vegetables, grains should form the mainstay of your
diet.
Remember
the two-thirds rule:
plant foods, including
make up two-thirds of your
grains, should
Plant foods,
diet.
especially grains, will play a very important role as
your body of a learn
as often as
ice
lifetime's
what grains can do
accumulation of toxic chemicals. As you for
your body, you
you once wanted
Or maybe
not.
will
want
to eat
them
to eat pesticide-laced food such as
cream, milk shakes, french
pizza.
you cleanse
fries,
Or maybe
hot dogs, hamburgers, and
sometimes.
Or maybe
not
at
all.
Who knows if you will break this rule a thousand times. You can always start the
game
over.
The good news is that even chemically grown grains have among the lowest levels of pesticides and industrial chemicals. The bad news is that they cause a lot of farm worker cancers. Overall you can feel relatively safe with grains,
if
you do not
think about anybody else.
And we great.
all
need to eat
grains.
They
are essential for feeling
They're an important source of vitamins and trace minerals.
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
and the
fiber in
whole grains can
weight
aid in
Many
loss.
people should give up counting calories and instead just replace
meat and dairy foods with whole
vegetables. Animal
the calories per
fats
grains, fruits,
and
contain nine calories per gram, twice
gram of high-fiber
foods.
You
get
more
clout
per calorie with plant foods such as whole grains. That's because whole grains provide dietary satiety: they
help you feel
full
with fewer calories.
A breakfast of fiber-rich
oat bran or another whole grain cereal with skim milk or soy milk, fresh fruit, and lent fuel source of
whole grain
complex carbohydrates to keep you going
strong until lunch as well as meal.
Whole
aroni, raisins,
fabulous complete-protein
a
grain pasta; whole wheat tortillas, bagels, mac-
and muffins;
and
toast will provide an excel-
dates;
oatmeal with organic peanuts,
rice;
whole wheat graham crackers; amaranth
cookies; and puffed corn, wheat, and millet
all
make
tasty,
relatively low-calorie dishes for breakfast, lunch, dinner,
and
snacks.
Eating grains
is
good
grains,
you maximize our
Lappe
tells
much more
for the planet, too. planet's resources.
When
you
eat
As Frances Moore
us in Diet for a Small Planet, grain crops are used efficiently
when
they're fed to livestock. If
they're fed to people than
all
when
the grain and soybeans fed to
U.S. livestock were used to feed humans instead, they could feed at least 1.3 billion citizens of the planet
—
far, far
more
than could be fed by the livestock raised with that grain.
Whole trol their
grains are also wonderful for people
blood sugar.
Whole
who must con-
grain, high-fiber
complex
car-
bohydrate foods such as grains, vegetables, and pasta smooth out blood sugar fluctuations. "If
I
were to give
my
mother
a
white [enriched flour] bagel in the morning, her blood sugar
would be about 385 miUigrams per decihter by noontime," says nutrition expert Elaine
86
Grossman, of Nutrition Network
David Steinman
in
Los Angeles. "However,
give her a
if I
whole grain or
pumpernickel bagel in the morning, her blood sugar be about 185 milligrams per deciliter ence
is
at
noontime.
will
The
only
differ-
simply that the body had to work to separate the sugar
molecules from the stabilizing
fiber,
and that slow process
blood sugar, feeling
longer, and obtaining the
fall
most nutrients from your food. This wheat pasta and whole grain brown
who
patients with diabetes
their blood sugar level
the key to
is
also applies to
rice.
In
fact, all
eat white rice find that
it
up over 450 milligrams per
whole of
my
jumps
deciliter
while brown rice keeps their blood sugar at a nice, even pace.
For those of us who have problems with glycemia, or just too
whole grains
The most
many
sugar, such as
hypo-
sugar highs and lows, the use of
will help to solve this
problem."
important benefits of grains from our point of
view are their extraordinary cancer-preventing and detoxifying
A
qualities.
grain-rich diet
is
your surest way of minimizing
the effects of toxins in your food and water.
way of undoing
And
it's
your best
the toxic exposures of a lifetime.
Toxic chemicals will penetrate the body despite the strictest
low-toxin
diet. It is
what happens
to these toxic chemicals
once they get into the body that counts, and that
whole grains are so valuable.
whole
All plant foods,
is
where
and especially
grains, contain fiber, nature's miracle pollution fighter.
Yes, the
same
fiber that helps us
combat cholesterol
is
valuable
your body, the
fiber in
in neutralizing the effects of toxic chemicals.
Once
toxic invaders have entered
whole grains can prevent them from
infiltrating very far.
They
can actually route toxic molecules from the body before they
can pass through the thin, porous wall of the gastrointestinal tract.
They accomplish
this
by absorbing toxic chemicals.
reason fiber seems to attract are
many
composed of carbon, and on
a
toxic chemicals
chemical
is
One
that both
level, like attracts
87
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
like.
After absorbing and binding them, fiber transports these
villains fi-om
your body before they can leave
a trace behind.
Fiber protects us against damage fi*om industrial pollutants
and pesticides by helping to break the circular route of the entero-hepatic pathway. In this particular bodily pathway,
many
toxic chemicals pass
from the
bloodstream and move on to the stances
called
detoxify
many
bile
salts.
liver
which produces sub-
liver,
Unfortunately, the liver cannot
of these complex chemically engineered toxic
chemicals, and so these toxic
The
digestive tract into the
compounds go
then sends these bile salts
into the bile
salts.
—now contaminated with
impurities such as carcinogens and neurotoxins, which
cannot detoxify secretes
—on
to the
them back into remain for
a
The
gallbladder
the digestive tract, where the bile salts
who
can be ehminated. In people bile salts
bladder.
gall
it
eat a low-fiber diet, these
very long time in the colon, where they
have a great chance to pass through the gastrointestinal walPs thin
membrane, become reabsorbed by the body, and reenter
Thus
the bloodstream.
these contaminated substances can
cause carcinogenic and mutagenic
and other nearby organs. longer these bile
time there
is
trointestinal
salts
harm
The key
to cells in the colon
concept here
remain in the digestive
is
tract,
that the
the
more
for carcinogenic impurities to permeate the gas-
membrane and
And
pass into the bloodstream.
once these noxious substances pass into the bloodstream, they are circulated throughout the cellular
body and can cause widespread
damage.
Many pesticides are engineered to be
fat soluble
or they are
dissolved in inert ingredients or mixed with detergents that are fat soluble, so that
they will permeate the tough exoskeletons
of insects; this allows them to
slip
through your body's
membranes, which are made up of basic lipids.
88
Once
cell
fatty materials called
the pesticide has penetrated a
cell,
its
toxic
David Steinman
may
chemicals
the cell
kill
outcome, for then the
—which would be
the preferable
—
legacy would be at an end
cell's
or,
harm the cell by causing a genetic mutation. This could create a damaged and potentially can-
worse, the chemical could
cerous
cell that
But when
would be vulnerable
fiber
is
present in large amounts in the colon,
and traps carbon-based toxic compounds
attracts
activated granular carbon water
filter.
bile salts that contain carcinogenic
can be
to further toxic exposure.
moved out of
the
body
just like
With adequate
fiber,
quickly, because fiber, unlike It is
pre-
makes pesticide-contaminated
such as hamburger and salami so dangerous.
body absorbs
an
and mutagenic impurities
animal foods, passes very quickly through the body. cisely their lack of fiber that
flesh foods
it
The
toxic chemicals in animal foods very efficiently,
because those poisons are bound up not in fiber but in
lipids,
much more membrane. And
easily
which take longer
to
excrete and are
absorbed through the gastrointestinal shall see
when we
discuss
meat and
we may
as
poultry, saturated fats
in themselves potentiate the effects of toxic chemicals. If you
know ahead
of time that you are going to eat a meal
—dairy products, meat, or which have absolutely no —you should eat fresh highthat
is
rich in animal foods
poultry,
fiber
fiber
meal.
produce and grains
Make
it
a
all
day and during the animal-food
point to eat whole grain bread and a salad of
fresh vegetables or fruits every day.
These high-fiber foods
will
help your body transport and eliminate potent carcinogens that find their
Many
way
into your diet.
studies have
our cancer
risk.
shown
Wheat bran,
that eating grains helps reduce
for example, appears consistently
to reduce the frequency of colon
decade, a
number of other
which laboratory
rats
tumors in animals. In the past
studies have
were fed
been conducted
fiber-rich diets
exposed to certain known colonic carcinogens.
and were
When
in
also
wheat
89
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
bran was used as a source of dietary
was seen
Wheat
in the majority of rats.
nitely beheve,
protective effect
fiber, a
bran, scientists defi-
protective. Studies of corn bran, rice bran, oat
is
bran, pectin, and guar have
shown
may have
that these also
a
protective effect.
Several epidemiologic studies
show
that
whole grains are
important in our fight against disease. Comparison of rural
and urban Finns shows that the intake of calories and
more
similar in both groups, but the rural Finns eat
fat is
fiber.
Not
surprisingly, rural Finns have lower rates of colon cancer. In
Denmark,
consumption from 1927
a decrease in dietary fiber
to 1977 has
been closely correlated with
a rise in prevalence of
colon cancer. In seven other countries, changes in flourmilling practices during
sumption of
total
World War
fiber,
II led to
increased con-
which correlated with
a
reduced
mortality from colon cancer in those countries fifteen years later.
All grains contain different kinds of fiber,
ferent kinds of fiber help your
body
and these
in different
dif-
ways to fight
toxic chemicals. Since grains differ in their ability to adsorb
and expel carcinogens fi-om your digestive tasty choice
is
the smart,
tract,
and
to enjoy a wide variety of cereals
grains,
including recently rediscovered exotics such as amaranth and
quinoa from Central and South America, and North American crops such as barley, buckwheat, millet, and rye. Eat them
and help reduce the pollution
Remember
that
it's
level in
known
as the
your body.
whole grains that you want to
grains are processed in such a
portion,
way
endosperm,
is
all
eat.
Many
that only the innermost
used. This
is
how
white
bread and most pastas and other white-flour products are
made. This part of the grain has nutrients. That's
they're
90
why
the labels
made with enriched
little
fiber
and
virtually
no
on these products always say
flour
—
federal regulations require
David Steevtman
the manufacturers to add nutrients to give the flour nutritional value.
products have
Whole
Even with
nutrients added, however, these
little fiber.
grain foods contain the
rounds the endosperm,
endosperm and
germ and
outer layers, called the
the fibrous portion.
is
It is
The germ
is
the
high in protein,
such as the B-vitamin complex, and
nutrients
micronutrients,
two
also the
the bran. Bran, which sur-
outer nutrient-dense cover of the kernel. essential
some
including chromium,
copper,
magnesium,
manganese, molybdenum, phosphorus, selenium, and
zinc.
The
bran and germ are
So
if
you've been eating white bread and enriched-flour pasta
all
your
life,
out of refined, enriched grains.
sifted
you should make the switch now
breads and pastas.
It
to
whole grain
doesn't have to be just whole wheat,
Many people cannot tolerate wheat. If you're among those who cannot, choose from many other whole grains. The either.
point all
to eat a variety of deHcious
is
whole
grains.
You can
eat
the white bread, enriched-flour pasta, and processed rice in
the world, but cussing.
The rice,
And
you won't get any of the
believe me,
been
dis-
you need them!
bran and the germ are also removed from white
and with them go the protein,
iron, vitamin E,
which
benefits I've
fiber,
calcium, phosphorus,
and B vitamins. What's worse, converted
lacks the bran
preservatives such as
rice,
and germ, often has behavior-altering
BHT
(a
chemical that has been shown
conclusively to alter the behavior of experimental animals and
has been associated with similar changes in children and
Seasoned
adults).
rices
may have
additional
additives,
including irradiated herbs and spices. Fortunately, most progressive supermarkets
brown
rice.
Brown
and organic and natural food stores
rice
and
all
the
many
varieties of
sell
whole
grains are easy to find in the bulk bin of any health food
market.
91
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
So reduce your exposure to chemical carcinogens, and your love
with grains flourish
affair
all
let
day every day. Instead
of sneaking into the kitchen late at night to eat ice cream, take
out the whole grain graham crackers. By choosing low-calorie
whole grain graham crackers over
ice
cream, you can cut your
exposure to industrial chemicals and pesticides by as
—not to mention the
60 percent I
know you
cream into
ice
But
try
body.
a desire for
It will tell
after a
you
graham crackers
night. Listen the following
you
all
midnight snack.
you need
to
as
will save!
are thinking that transforming
some
it
calories
much
your craving for
is
quite a switch.
morning
know about
to your
feeling
good
On another night air-pop some organic
popcorn (but leave off salt and
butter). That's
another midnight
snack that will be kind and gentle with your body! Popcorn
is
a
great whole grain food, high in nutrients and virtually fat free.
This
I
promise:
make
the switch to whole grains and other
plant foods for snacking, and feels great
you
will
soon find your body
and very pure.
Breads, cereals, crackers, muffins, and mixes organically
grown
grains should
become new
made with
treats in
your
low-toxin, high-energy diet. Puffed corn, puffed millet, rice cakes,
and buckwheat cakes provide excellent low-calorie
snacks.
Arrowhead Mills apple
spice muffin
mix
is
simply deli-
cious. Nature's
Path makes
a
superb organic raisin bran cereal.
Amy's Kitchen
offers frozen
macaroni and soy cheese dinners
made
fi*om virtually
all
organic ingredients.
supermarkets and virtually stores carry organic
all
whole grain
often in special sections.
The
Many
major
health food and natural food pastas, cookies,
and crackers,
Personal Action Guide at the
end of this book has information on ordering breads and other organic grain foods by mail. I
encourage you to seek out organic grains and organic grain
products.
92
Good
as grains are for you, there
have been
many
David Steinman
disturbing findings about chemically
grown
grains.
They have
been found to contain very dangerous residues of cancercausing chemicals such as carbon tetrachloride, ethylene
dibromide, and methyl bromide.
Compared with many other
foods, grains are relatively safe, but they're not perfectly safe.
Based on
my
analyses of
FDA
Total Diet Study results,
all
chemically grown grains had some pesticide traces. In the 1980s as piled grain
is
70 percent of the nation's stock-
as
was found to contain traces of ethylene dibromide
(EDB). Now,
EDB
much
if
you knew what an all-around nasty chemical
you would be plenty concerned. This chemical (now
banned) was used
sperm counts and
as a postharvest fumigant. It causes
low
suspected of causing cancer, birth defects,
is
and central nervous system disorders and has caused cancer and other diseases
in virtually every laboratory animal studied.
In the Los Angeles area a
man
stored
EDB
near his rabbit
hutch. His doe gave birth to three bunnies: one had three legs,
another had three ears, and the third had only one
ear.
Residues of this extremely toxic chemical saturated the American grain supply throughout the early 1980s until
were found
in grain products
achusetts, Florida,
its
on supermarket shelves
and elsewhere in the country.
residues in
Mass-
The EDB
contamination hit even the big cereal and bread companies.
One major producer in
its
of children's cereals found
sold to innocent famiUes. all
EDB
residues
products after they were put on supermarket shelves and
And
EDB
was detected
in virtually
bread sampled for use in school lunch programs.
There
is
a
moral to
this story to
which we should pay
careful attention. Savvy
consumers who bought organically
grown
from
grains were safe
EDB
throughout the heaviest
contamination period in the early 1980s. Organically grown grains are your best protection against exposure to chemicals in the grain supply.
No
doubt there
will
be future lapses in
93
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
government and
safety
industry's
grains. Organically
grown
tion, since absolutely
no
programs for chemical
grains provide
maximum
protec-
toxic chemicals are used in their
postharvest treatment.
The
chemical threat to the consumer
threat faced ticides,
by workers who are
is
smaller than the
directly exposed to toxic pes-
mean we should ignore the effects of By buying organic foods you can help of others. I say that if we have any sense of
but that does not
chemically grown foods. lessen the suffering
decency we cannot turn our back on the dangerous exposures faced by workers
who grow and
fumigate grains, especially
since the key to lessening the burden of our fellow Americans is
as simple as
being an informed shopper. Buy organic grains
and grain foods when you can. don't let that stop able.
If you can't find organic grains,
you from eating those
grains that are avail-
Grains are low in pesticide saturation relative to
foods, and
it is
vital that
you
eat a generous
all
other
amount of whole
grain daily to maintain the pollution-fighting, low-toxin, high-
energy
diet.
Grains Survival Guide
Some fruits and vegetables, such as apples, peaches, and summer squash, contained 185 or more pesticide residues. And peanuts had some 282 residues in thirty-six samples. As you will learn when we discuss flesh foods, a fast- food quarterpound hamburger has more than 280 residues, whereas the grain with the greatest pesticide saturation, wheat contained
fewer than 125 pesticide residues.
This
survival guide takes a close look at chemically
grown
grains and grain-based products available in any supermarket
anywhere in the United
FDA
States. It is
Total Diet Study and considers grains and grain-based
foods from throughout the nation.
94
based on results from the
The number
of residues
David Steinman
cited
is
the
number found in thirty-six samples of that food. will show you the least toxic of the chem-
This survival guide ical grains
so
you can
ticide saturation
tell
which foods have
relatively
high pes-
and which foods have the fewest residues. By
purchasing low-residue foods, you encourage farmers to plant crops that need fewer pesticide applications. That will help save our nation's land, the purity of our precious freshwater resources,
and
many
Unfortunately,
wildlife.
residues of diazinon and malathion, both of toxic to wildhfe
have
grains
which are highly
and responsible for decimation of our migra-
tory bird populations. Although
you would be better
off
buying organic grains and grain-based products, by buying low-pesticide chemically a cleaner
Use
grown
grains
still
cast a vote for
America.
this survival list
when shopping
in supermarkets that
When
only chemically grown food.
sell
you
you cannot
find
organic foods, green light grains and grain-based foods are the safest
and most healthful foods American chemical agriculture
has to offer. Yellow light grains are a
little less
safe
eaten fairly often. There are no red light grains. light grains
your
first
but can be
Make
green
choice for day-to-day eating. Supple-
ment moderately with yellow light foods. Do and let your body tell you the good news.
this consistently
Green Light Biscuit (from refrigerated dough, baked). biscuits? Fortunately, they are cuits
made with enriched
Who
doesn't love
not too badly contaminated. Bis-
flour
and found in the refrigerator
section of your supermarket had seventy-three pesticide and industrial chemical residues in thirty-six samples representing
ten different pesticide formulations.
most frequently was chlorpyrifos six
The
pesticide detected
(in thirty-three
of thirty-
samples) with malathion next (twenty-five of thirty-six).
95
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Pesticides or industrial chemicals detected less frequently
PCBs, and
1,1,1,2-tetrachloroethane, diazinon, methoxychlor, toluene. cides.
These
were
are heavy-duty industrial chemicals and pesti-
Your best choice
is
to use an organic biscuit mix,
can be found at health food markets.
grams of saturated
fat
and
One
which
biscuit contains 0.8
traces of cholesterol.
CoTn bread (hontemade),
I
love cornbread.
What
red-
blooded American doesn't? Southern-style corn bread was not so bad
when
it
came
to our chemical diets, but, again,
frequent industrial chemicals, along with pesticides.
I
found
The FDA
Total Diet Study found eighty-two pesticide residues in thirty-
samples representing sixteen different industrial chemical
six
and pesticide formulations.
The
pesticides detected
most
fre-
quentiy were chlorpyrifos and malathion. Pesticides detected less
frequently were
DDE, DDT,
with industrial chemicals
dieldrin,
and heptachlor
like 1,1,1,2-tetrachloroethane, 1,1,1-
benzene, bromodichloromethane, PCBs,
trichloroethane,
toluene, and xylene.
One
slice
contains 0.2 grams of saturated
of southern-style corn bread
fat,
no
cholesterol.
But you want
to know something? It's the not saturated fat I am thinking about when I bite into homemade com bread anymore. Cornflakes. The great American cereal, cornflakes with
skim milk, even
if
from nonorganic crops, makes
a great
breakfast choice in this chemical age, and, finally, here's a
pretty darn safe product even
if it is
not certified organic.
Cornflakes had five pesticide and industrial chemical residues representing five formulations in thirty-six samples. Benzene,
methoxychlor, primiphos-methyl, tributyl phosphate (possibly
from packaging), and xylene were detected most frequendy.
Some
of these are heavy-duty chemicals
denied. But
—
that cannot be
compared with other more pesticide-saturated
foods such as beef, cheese, butter, and bacon, cornflakes stack
up 96
well.
A bowl
of cornflakes with low-fat or nonfat milk
is
a
David Steinman
whole
lot better
omelet with
than a sausage-and-eggs breakfast or
fried potatoes. Cornflakes,
and
toast,
can make a powerfully good low-toxin breakfast
and other grain foods such
or on the road. Hey, into a diner and
I
I
have something to eat
am on
Crisped rice cereaL
cheese
whole wheat
fruits
juices
a
with fresh low-residue as
at
home
now when
I pull
the road in Nonorganic-ville.
An American
cereals such as Rice Krispies are
crisped rice
favorite,
one of the
least
contaminated
of any grain products in the Total Diet Study. So enjoy! You
can find crisped rice cereals on any supermarket shelf from
San Diego, California, to
Woods
Hole, Massachusetts.
Crisped rice cereal had only eleven low-level pesticide and industrial chemical residues in thirty-six samples representing
three formulations.
The
and industrial chemicals
pesticides
detected were malathion, quinclorac, and toluene.
Weight
watchers should note that one cup of crisped rice cereal contains just traces of saturated fat
milk, and
you
skim milk choice eler's
is
when
still
and no cholesterol. Add skim
get great pesticide exposure reduction, since
virtually free
from
So
pesticides.
you're at the breakfast
nook
this is a
good
at a business trav-
motel and you're trying to eat with some semblance of
health
as
you brace yourself
that
for
coffee-frieled
sales
meeting.
Egg
noodles (boiled). Enriched tgg noodles
made with
enriched white flour had sixty-eight pesticide residues representing eight different pesticides: chlorpyrifos, chlorpyrifosmethyl, diazinon, diphenyl 2-ethylhexyl phosphate, endosulfan,
malathion, toluene, and xylene.
One cup
of enriched noodles
contains 0.5 grams of saturated fat and 50 milligrams of cholesterol, as if that's
the
what you're really concerned about after hearing
news about chemical tgg noodles. Farina (wheat cereal, quick, one
Farina
is
a relatively safe
choice
to three
minutes, cooked).
when made from chemically 97
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
grown corn, and it's a great choice when made from organic com. That is because corn is well protected from residue contamination by
its
husk; the pesticides
most often biodegrade
before they reach the kernels, so they do not
show up
in
your
diet at high levels.
Farina had only sixteen residues of five pesticides or their
metabohtes.
Among
the most frequently appearing pesticides
and industrial chemical formulations: malathion, tributyl
EDB.
phosphate, diazinon, and
I
am
concerned about the
fre-
quent appearance of malathion, benzene, and polychlorinated biphenyls, as well as pirimiphos-methyl in grains. Buying
organic farina would help you be certain to avoid neurotoxic
chemicals altogether.
By
federal regulation, farina has
tains its fiber,
had
its
bran, which con-
removed. Be sure to purchase farina that
has the nutrient-dense
germ portion of
the grain kernel.
Unless the label specifically states that the germ
assume that
it
And
is
included,
has been removed.
Grits (regular, cooked). favorite.
still
Corn (hominy)
grits are a
southern
they also do well from the pesticide saturation
standpoint. In the
FDA Total Diet Study, eleven residues were
detected representing five pesticide and industrial chemical formulations. Malathion was detected most frequently and benzene, dicloran, pirimiphos-methyl, and
Oatmeal
(quick,
one
to
PCBs
less frequently.
three fninutes,
winter favorite had twenty-seven
pesticide
cooked).
This
and industrial
chemical residues in thirty-six samples representing ten formulations, metabolites, and industrial chemicals. Pesticides detected most frequendy were chlorpyrifos and malathion with 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene,
tris
(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate, and
tris
(beta-chloroethyl) phosphate found "less" frequently.
The Quaker Oats Company, which
produces Quaker Oats
oatmeal, ought to produce organic oatmeal, which would
98
David Steinman
come
consumers without dangerous pesticides such
to
diazinon and malathion. But do not
you away from oatmeal.
picture keep
you can choose
cereals
let this
if
you want
It is
among
the best
to fashion a low-toxin diet
out of the mainstream chemically grown food supply.
pared with
many
as
gloomy
sHghtly
Com-
other breakfast choices, oatmeal with a
banana, whole grain toast, and pineapple juice will keep your toxic exposure relatively low.
Oat rings
(cereal).
These very popular breakfast
cereals,
which include Cheerios, are easy to find anywhere in the United
States, at markets, coffee shops, hotel restaurants,
workplace
Only forty-seven
cafeterias.
and pesticides were found in oat
rings.
and
industrial chemicals
Dicamba makes an
appearance in twemty-four of the thirty-six samples. Clopyralid
was in nine. Chlorpyrifos, malathion, and toluene
An ounce
appeared, too. tains 0.3
of unsweetened oat ring cereal con-
grams of saturated
fat
and no cholesterol. So
good all-around cereal that provides you with
it is
a
a relatively
nontoxic breakfast even in coffee shops and restaurants.
Pancakes (from mix). Pancakes are not bad, chemically speaking.
I
ate
some
where everybody
else
recently at a restaurant in Louisiana
was eating omelets and sausages. The
best breakfast food I could find
which have
far
sausages.
cut
diners
I
on the menu was the pancakes,
fewer pesticide residues than either omelets or
my
exposure to
who chowed on
at least one-fifth that
eggs, cheese,
of the
and sausages. (Of course,
who wouldn't love omelets and Louisiana pork link sausages?) The Total Diet Study found that pancakes made from commercial mix (enriched eighty-six
pesticide
flour, ^gg, milk,
residues in
and
thirty-six
oil)
contained
samples,
repre-
senting eleven different pesticide formulations. Pesticides
detected in numbers 33 and 34 of thirty-six samples included chlorpyrifos,
and malathion, respectively. Pesticides and 99
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
greenhouse-linked pollutants detected benzene, xylene.
DDE,
diazinon, methoxychlor,
One pancake
frequently were
less
PCBs, toluene, and
has 0.5 grams of saturated fat and 16
milligrams of cholesterol. Pasta,
Love
pasta.
gourmet chefs pitch
But watch out
at you.
can make any trip to the plate
loaded with pesticides. Prefer tomato-
a toxic strikeout. Butter is
based sauces. Spaghetti
They
for the butter sauces the
made with enriched
flour
and served
with tomato sauce has been carefully analyzed for toxic chemicals
and found to be
a fairly low-toxin food, with
in thirty-six samples. Spaghetti with
three residues.
The
about ten residues
meat sauce had only most frequently
pesticides detected
alone, without sauce, are malathion, diazinon,
Remember
to
buy the whole grain
Enriched-flour pastas lack
fiber.
and chlorpyrifos.
pastas for use at
Whole
thirty-
in pasta
home.
grain pastas are widely
available.
One cup
of pasta contains 0.1 gram of saturated
cholesterol, so
it is
a
fat
and no
wonderful diet food, too, especially when
served with a light tomato sauce instead of a butter-based
sauce or a meat sauce.*
Rice (white, cooked). pesticide saturation.
food,
you can dine
Any
As long
freely
on
exposure to toxic chemicals
kind of rice as
is
likely to
you have no
rice.
be low in
allergies to this
Rice will help you keep your
down
to very
minimal amounts
when you dine out because you can always order low-toxin rice instead of highly toxic baked potatoes and sour cream. Prefer
brown
rice,
which
is
made with
the whole grain, for
its
addi-
tional fiber content.
Rice examined in the
two residues
FDA Total
Diet Study had twenty-
in thirty-six samples representing eight different
pesticide chemical formulations.
The
pesticide detected
most
frequently was quinclorac. Pesticides and industrial chemicals
detected less frequently included 2,4,5-T, diphenyl 2-ethyl-
100
David Steinman
hexyl phosphate, iprodione, malathion, methoxychlor, and tributyl phosphate.
White
rice
is
sometimes coated with
tain asbestos impurities.
and Asian food
stores.
Such white
There
is
talc,
rice
no
which may con-
sold in
is
many
Latin
safe level of exposure to
asbestos. Stay away.
Saltine crackers, Saltines had ninety-seven pesticide and industrial residues representing nine pesticide formulations,
their metabohtes,
and industrial chemicals. Pesticides detected
most frequently included
chlorpyrifos, malathion,
and methoxy-
chlor. Detected less frequently were 1,2,-4-trimethylbenzene,
diazinon, saltines
pirimiphos-methyl, toluene, and xylene. Four
have 0.5 grams of saturated
That may not sound
cholesterol.
just four saltines? It
time.
They
is
not
fat
and 4 milligrams of
like a lot
of fat. But
who
eats
a great idea to eat saltines all the
contain quite a load of
salt,
but fortunately,
unsalted crackers are widely available now.
Shredded wheat
cereal.
Shredded wheat had eighty-five
residues representing eleven pesticide and industrial chemical
formulations. Detected most frequently were chlorpyrifos and
malathion. Appearing less fi*equently were 1,2,-4-trimethyl-
benzene, 2,4-D, clopyralid, diazinon, methoxychlor, toluene, tributle phosphate,
and xylene.
contains 0.1 grams of saturated
wheat with nonfat milk
is
chemically grown foods. result, the
One ounce fat,
no
of shredded wheat
cholesterol.
Shredded
one of your better choices among
It is a fairly
shredded wheat
itself,
rich fiber source; as a
despite
its
contamination,
helps prevent significant exposure to the same pesticides that
contaminate the product. Ye//ow Ught
Even the
grains with the heaviest pesticide saturation have
only about half the pesticide saturation of the worst dairy.
101
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
meat,
and vegetable foods. Eat yellow
fruit,
often than the green light group, but prefer
light grains less
them always over
meats and high-fat dairy foods. Seek organic varieties of these yellow light grains whenever possible.
Bagel
(plain).
my yesterdays? I
Whatever happened
to the benign bagel of
Today, having dwelved into the study's
results,
have learned that bagels had ninety-two residues in thirty-six
market basket samples. Most frequently appearing were chlorpyrifos (thirty-four of thirty-six samples), malathion (thirtythree),
and pirmiphos-methyl
Dinner
(nine).
rolls (white rolls). Soft
white enriched dinner
rolls
had 112 pesticide residues, their metabolites and industrial chemicals representing seventeen pesticide formulations. Chlorpyrifos and malathion were detected most frequently. Pesticides, metabolites
and industrial chemicals detected
less
frequently were 1,2-trichloroethane, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene,
BHC,
chlorpropham,
DDT,
diazinon, dicloran, diphenyl 2-
ethylhexyl phosphate, fenitrothion, methoxychlor, parathion,
primiphos-methyl, toluene, triphenyl phosphate, and tri(betachloroethyl) phosphate.
One
soft
contains 0.5 grams of saturated find organic
fat,
whole grain dinner
cally saturated dinner rolls
white enriched dinner
no
rolls.
cholesterol. It
is
roll
easy to
Try to replace chemi-
with their organic cousins.
English muffin (plain, toasted). Neither, alternatively to the bagel, ical
is
an English muffin
safe.
Some
seventy-nine chem-
contaminants were found in thirty-six samples of English
muffins.
Most commonly found were
chlorpyrifos
and
malathion. *
Graham
crackers.
One hundred
ninety-four chemicals
were found with chlorpyrifos, malathion, and toluene most prevalent.
Granola
(cereal).
Plain granola
is
a
tricky food.
The
supermarket brands often contain loads of sugar and hydro-
102
David Steinman
genated or tropical
oils,
both of which are rich in saturated
and may be tainted with ened granola with fruit. It is also
pesticides.
Look
for plain, unsweet-
just natural grains, nuts,
pesticide packed,
which
is
fat
and perhaps
of
bits
disappointing since
it
formerly held a green grain ranking. In the latest study, granola contained eighty-one chemical residues with fifteen different formulas, metabolites, or industrial pollutants.
up the
toxicity
was chlorpyrifos-methyl,
Heading
a particularly well-
absorbed form of the pesticide. Malathion was found in seventeen of thirty-six samples.
More
of the starring cast included
1,1,1,-trichloroethane, dicofol, toluene, Tortillas (flour). Tortillas
were found to contain quite tillas its
would have fewer
thick husk. It
with which corn
is
made with enriched white a
few
pesticides.
pesticides, because
sprayed
is
and xylene.
less
corn
Pure corn is
tor-
protected by
than wheat, and the pesticides
sprayed tend to degrade rather quickly in
the environment. Tortillas
made with
organically
grown grain
are widely available at reasonable prices at health food kets, so
flour
you can always have organic corn or
mar-
flour tortillas
on
hand. For a quick nontoxic snack or meal, pile shredded organic lettuce and peppers, vegetarian refried beans, and soy
cheese on a crisp
tortilla.
What
an excellent, satiating meal!
Tortillas are indeed a versatile snack food; heat
oven and dip them
in organic salsa for a
them
in the
wonderful spicy snack.
Unfortunately, tortillas from supermarkets did contain pesticides;
101 industrial pollutant and pesticide residues were
detected in thirty-six samples representing eight different formulations, metabolites, and industrial chemicals. Pesticides
detected most frequently included chlorpyrifos and malathion. Pesticides, their metabolites, less
frequently included
and industrial pollutants detected
diphenyl 2-ethylhexyl phosphate,
methoxychlor, pirimiphos-methyl, toluene, and xylene. tortilla
has about 0.1
gram of saturated
fat
One
and no cholesterol.
103
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Since chemical-free tortillas are so competitively priced, tiiey are definitely the solution.
Red
Light
One hundred
Butter-type crackers.
were
sixty-four chemicals
found in butter crackers with chlorpyrifos and malathion in every sample.
Fruit-flavored sweetened cereal. Here's an interesting case.
As
far as pesticides are
cereals such as Froot
concerned, fruit-flavored sweetened
Loops
by no means
are
driven snow, but they are not nearly as bad as foods.
They had 120
pure
as the
many
other
as
metaboHte, and industrial
pesticide,
chemical residues representing twenty-four formulations. Pesticide
and industrial chemicals detected most frequently
least
one-fourth of the samples
—were
—
in at
ethylene dichloride,
malathion, and toluene. Pesticides and industrial chemicals detected almost as frequendy were benzene, chlorpyrifos, and xylene. Several of these chemical pollutants accumulate in the
body and cause
cancer.
more dangerous
for children,
quently, because
pound
centrated dose.
However, these
for
One ounce
who
eat these cereals
pound children get
such
a
much
most
fre-
more con-
of fruit-flavored sweetened cereal
contains 0.2 grams of saturated fat and tion,
pesticides are
no
cholesterol. In addi-
such cereals often contain behavior- altering preservatives as
toluene.
butylated hydroxyanisole and butylatedhydroxy-
As we
shall see
when we
discuss food additives
from what we know about the greater
on children
—these
fruit cereals a
—and
effects pesticides
have
chemical concoctions make sweetened
poor breakfast food choice. To be giving
dren these chemicals plus the chemical dyes
is
chil-
really quite
obscene, but they do like those colors.
Muffins (blueberry, comntercial). Muffins with blueberry fruit filling
104
had 206 residues in
thirty-six
samples representing
David Steinman
some
twenty-five different pesticides, their metabolites, and
industrial chemical formulations.
one-fourth of the samples
at least
Most
fi*equendy detected
Among
the
in
—were 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene,
chlorpyrifos, ethyl benzene, malathion, styrene, toluene,
xylene.
—
and
and industrial chemicals
pesticides
detected less frequently are 1,1,1-trichloroethane, asinphos-
DDE,
methyl, benzene, chloroform, chlorthanolinil,
dichloro-
One
benzene, methoxychlor, phosmet, and trichloroethylene.
muffin contains
1.5
grams of saturated
of cholesterol. Muffin mixes
and 19 milli-grams
fat
made from chemically grown
grains without fruit will have fewer pesticides.
Popcorn (popped in
oil).
fairly pure.
The
oil in
popped
in oil
is
fairly
high
blame the corn, which was probably
in pesticides, but don't
was loaded with
Com
which the corn was popped probably
pesticides, too.
That is why popcorn had some
160 residues representing thirty-three chemical formulations. Pesticides detected
most
fi*equently
chlor, pirimiphos-methyl, toluene,
corn contains
.5
were malathion, methoxy-
and xylene.
grams of saturated
mention 1,1,1,2-tetrachloroethane,
fat, 1
,
1
,
1
no
One cup
of pop-
cholesterol, not to
-trichlorethane, 1,2-4-
trimethylbenzene, benzene, bromodichloromethane, butylbenzene,
DDE,
chlordane,
dichlorobenzene, lindane, PCBs,
styrene, toxpahene, trichloroethylene,
You can buy popcorn.
And
and widely as
you
calorie
a hot-air
organically
available.
please. It
Eat
makes
a
and xylene. This
popcorn maker and have
grown popcorn
as
much
is
salt,
nasty.
oil-free
reasonably priced
air-popped organic popcorn
wonderfully satisfying nontoxic, low-
midnight snack. Hold the butter (or
organic dairy) and
is
at least
make
it
please.
Raisin bran cereal. Raisin bran had 141 pesticides, their metabolites and industrial chemical residues representing
some
twenty formulations. Pesticides detected most frequently were 2,4-D, chlorpyrifos, dicofol, endosulfan, malathion, and
105
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
propargite. Less frequently detected toxic chemicals were
1,2,4-trimethylbenzene,
captan,
DDE,
dicamba, dicloran,
dimethoate, iprodione, and pirimiphos-methyl.
Many
of the
pesticides in this cereal, such as dicofol, are present because of
the pesticides sprayed
on the
fruit.
Fortunately, several excel-
lent brands of raisin bran with organic bran flakes raisins are sold nationwide.
One ounce
contains 0.1 grams of saturated
fat,
no
and organic
of raisin bran cereal
cholesterol.
Rye bread. Rye bread had 115 residues representing twenty pesticide and industrial chemical formulations. Pesti-
were
cides detected in at least one-fourth of the samples
chlorpyrifos,
malathion, and pirimiphos-methyl.
pyrifos and malathion
Some
thirty-six samples.
chemicals detected
mophos-ethyl,
were each found
less
DDT,
Chlor-
in thirty-five of
of the pesticides and industrial
frequently were benzene,
BHC,
bro-
diszinon, hexachorobenzene, lindane,
methoxychlor, parathion, permethrin, pirimiphos-methyl,
One
toluene, and xylene.
grams of saturated
fat,
bread contains very organic rye bread kets and
wide,
is
by mail. baked
no
little
of rye bread contains 0.2
cholesterol.
Most
so-called rye
rye flour. However, 100 percent
now widely available at health food marOne excellent organic rye, available nationis
at Mill
percent organic
slice
—an
City Bakery in Minneapolis and
excellent, tasty
is
100
sandwich bread.
White bread. White bread had 183 chemical residues thirty-six
in
samples representing some twenty-five pesticides,
their metabolites,
and industrial pollutants. Leading appear-
ance makers included 2,4-D, benzene, chloropyrifos-methyl, diphenyl 2-ethylhexyl phosphate, malathion, and toluene. Also
showing up were 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene,
BHC,
chloroform, diazinon, dicamba, dichlorobenzene,
ethyl benzene, ethylenethiourea, irpodione, pirimiphos-methyl,
styrene, trichloroethylene,
106
and xylene.
David Steinman
Whole wheat bread. Wheat and
heavily sprayed both before
Although many of the most dangerous
after harvest.
postharvest chemicals that
not detected in the
we have
FDA Total
were detected
cides
is
in
previously discussed were
Diet Study, an array of pesti-
whole wheat sandwich bread. This
bread had 122 residues in thirty-six samples representing twelve different formulations or chemicals. Pesticides, their metabolites, and industrial chemicals detected in at least one-
fourth of the samples included 2,4-D, chlorpyrifos, dicamba,
diphneyl 2-ethylhexyl phosphate, malathion, and pirimiphosmethyl. Chlorpyrifos and malathion were found in each and
every sample. Pesticides and industrial chemicals detected frequently were
1,1,1-trichloroethane,
1,2,4-trimethylben-
zene, diazinon, lindane, parathion, toluene, and xylene. slice
no
One
of whole wheat bread contains 0.4 grams of saturated
cholesterol.
So many
less
fat,
excellent, reasonably priced organic
breads are available by mail order and at health food markets that
you should
These breads
really try to bring
them
home.
into your
really offer satiety because their ingredients are
pure and wholesome.
And
toxic exposure. I have seen
of course they allow you to avoid
many laboratory reports
that attest
to the purity of organic grains. See the Personal Action in this
book
for the
names of bakeries
Guide
that produce whole-
some, pure organic breads.* Shopping Tips If
your market does not
mend
that
you seek
most markets do. find
one
in
sell
a health
It just
organic whole grains,
makes business
your community because
it is
sense. If
on the
Internet.
recom-
Organic grains,
keep well enough so that delivery
is
you cannot
that retrograde, there
are plenty of distributors that sell organic
ucts
I
food store that carries them. But
whole grain prod-
cereals,
and even breads
absolutely
no problem. 107
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Baldwin Hill Bakery in Massachusetts, for example, produces wonderful whole grain raisin bread, which can be
shipped to your home. Mill City Bakery of Minneapolis produces pure and tasty sandwich breads, which are sold by mail
many major Minnesota
order and in
Oregon was
dough Bakery
in
learned their
skills at
markets. Sunrise Sour-
recently founded
by bakers who
Baldwin Hill Bakery. Breads from
all
these bakeries can be ordered by mail. Organic breads are
crunchy, filling foods
of pure ingredients with wonderful
fall
See the Personal Action Guide to find out where you can
taste.
find organic breads and other grains and grain products.
Fortunately for
all
of us and our land and rivers and
the market for organically ucts
is
expanding! This
is
grown
seas,
grains and grain-based prod-
go almost anywhere
great! I can
and find organic whole grain foods.
I
now
recently visited super-
markets in Washington, D.C.; Takoma Park, Maryland; Seattle,
Washington;
New
York City; Phoenix, Arizona; Los
Angeles and San Francisco, California; and Thibodaux, Louisiana, and found that organic whole grain products, from
cookies and crackers to pasta, were widely available.
whole nation
ward
is
this great
catching on. But
message that
is
we need good
so
The
to keep bringing for-
for America.
Organically grown raw whole grains are sold packaged and in bulk at health food markets.
wheat
You can
find organically
grown
berry, millet, rye, rice, wild rice, amaranth, triticale,
barley, oats, quinoa,
and many other grains for
sale in health
food stores. Be sure to keep plenty of organic whole wheat pasta
on hand
at
home from your
favorite
Be aware of some grain products' and other grain foods such partially
good-foods market.
ingredients.
as cereals contain
hydrogenated vegetable
oils.
These
Some
breads
hydrogenated or oils
make
grains
and cereals tender. They most often include hydrogenated corn, cottonseed, and soybean
108
oils.
The
hydrogenation process adds
— David Steinman
hydrogen atoms to the
liquid vegetable oils
which provides longer shelf vegetable
turns
oils
them
under high pressure,
But the hydrogenation of
Hfe.
to semisolid saturated fats.
Some
researchers believe trans-fatty acids, created in the hydrogenation process, can interact with your body's cells and alter cell
membranes, which are made up of layers of fat, so that they will allow carcinogens, which are
more
easily.
arteries
fat soluble, to pass
through even
Besides well-documented links to hardening of the
and heart
disease,
hydrogenated
fats are also
suspected
of playing a role in the increased incidence of bladder and breast cancers; certainly, the increased trend of using hydrogenated oils parallels
sible that
the rising incidences of these cancers, and
pos-
they might play a contributing cumulative role. You
should drop foods with these course, experts call
more
it is
oils
from your
them "highly inflammatory
diet.
Today, of
foods," but, put
simply, they are simply "bad" for you.
Potassium bromate
is
an oxidizer (other oxidizers include
potassium iodate, calcium bromate, and calcium iodate) added
make bakery foods Potassium bromate has been shown to be a
in relatively large fluffy
and
mutagen.
soft.
Many
usually listed
amounts
to flour to help
breads contain potassium bromate, which
on the
label.
is
Avoid them.
Some muffin mixes could be dangerous to your health. Most mixes are made with nutritionally deficient enriched flour lacking in fiber, and they introduce aluminum baking powder also known as SAS or sodium aluminum phosphate
—
to your body.
may
phate
aluminum is
a
a lot
Baked goods containing sodium aluminum phos-
introduce as
into your
as
5
toxic
metal!
Aluminum
to
15
milligrams of
serving. That,
of aluminum to be eating. After
beheved to play ders.
much
body with each
all,
we
my
fiiend,
are talking about
has no nutritional value and
a role in Alzheimer's disease
We're not sure of the exact
role but
is
and related disor-
nobody can say
it
109
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
no
plays
and there
role,
good evidence
is
pounds
is
why take
a
aluminum
is
an
one to which we are chronically
especially dangerous metal,
exposed. So
that
chance when the use of aluminum com-
such an absolutely needless additive and
risk?
Baked goods with sodium aluminum siHcate or sodium siHco aluminate also introduce aluminum into your body. Sodium tar-
powders that have no aluminum are better choices. Labels
trate
are not required to specify
when aluminum baking powder
is
So you should assume an aluminum baking powder is used
used.
unless the label specifically states that
Have you
ever noticed
none
is
in the mix.
how many "country" breads are sold
today? Well, "country" breads are often baked with inferior
enriched flour, hydrogenated
oils, additives,
Don't be fooled! Being country
and preservatives.
ain't necessarily as
pure as the
driven snow.
Sweeteners such as sugar, corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, honey, and molasses are used to feed the yeast in bread, and
may add some
they
made without
flavor.
If
better, tastier breads
the worst sweeteners. Better choides are
complex sweeteners. Stevia cates.
But there are
Seek these
is
safer choices.
any of these ingredients or processing practices are
on the
label of a grain product,
And any one
more
favored by natural health advo-
you can consider
it
listed
suspect.
of these suspect chemicals should sound a clear
and strong warning that you are looking at a product made with inferior ingredients or
one that has undergone
less
than top-
quahty processing. Regard any inferior ingredient or processing
method
as a red flag,
Follow these
and keep that product out of your
tips for storing
whole
cart.
grains, flour, cereals,
and other grain-based foods:
•
Grains, All grains contain enzymes that produce rancidity
under improper storage conditions. Store
110
in a cool place
1
David Steinman
or in a refrigerator or freezer, out of direct sunlight, to
keep them fresher for a longer time. Remember, organic grains have
no
preservatives.
And
So use them!
proper
storage, in a cool dark place, will help preserve their fresh-
ness longer. •
Brown
rice. Store
brown
rice in
an
airtight container, as
can produce an odor. In hot weather, store brown
Use
refrigerator. •
in three to six
it
rice in the
months.
Flour. Store flour in the freezer in an airtight, moisture-free container.
Always
store soy flour, with
its
high
fat
content,
in the refrigerator.
Safe Shopping List: Grains
Number
Green Light Biscuit (from refrigerated dough, baked)
73
Corn bread (homemade)
82
of Residues
Cornflakes
5
Crisped rice cereal
1
Egg noodles
68
Farina (wheat cereal, quick,
one to three minutes, cooked)
16
Grits (regular, cooked)
1
Oatmeal
(quick,
one
to
three minutes, cooked)
27
Oat
47
rings (cereal)
Pancakes (from mix)
86
Pasta (made with meat sauce)
33
Pasta (made with tomato sauce)
10
Rice (white, cooked)
22
Saltine crackers
97
Shredded wheat
cereal)
85
111
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Number of Residues
Yellow Light Bagel (plain)
Dinner
92
rolls (white rolls)
English muffin (plain, toasted)
Graham Granol
79 109
crackers
81
(cereal)
Rye bread
115
Tortillas
101
Number of Residues
Red Light Butter-type crackers
112
112
164
Fruit-flavored sweetened cereal
127
Muffins (blueberry, commercial)
206
Popcorn (popped
160
in oil)
Raisin bran cereal
141
Rye bread
115
White bread
183
Whole wheat bread
122
FIVE Animal Foods
This
is
where Americans
really get
more of them than they need
eat far
We
down
to
Most Americans I eat animals. You
it.
—animals.
I eat animal foods including seafood no week when Fm at my best practice and in top shape and red meat no more than once every couple of weeks.
eat them.
more than But
I
do
eat them.
twice a
like a
good steak every now and then.
I
might even go
to Ruth's Chris if I could ever get a table. I truly relish these
foods
when
I
have them. But knowing what
I
do of their toxic
dangers, of the burden that raising cattle places on the environ-
ment, and of the inhumane conditions under which mals are raised,
to eat these foods
I feel it's vital
many
seldom and
ani-
to eat
much worse now than ever existed when I wrote the first edi-
only the safest cuts. Things are before.
Mad cow
never even
tion of this book. It wasn't even
But today mad cow
Europe and
in the
symptom of
the
is
real
on the
and has infected
this
widespread
mad cow
is
is
cattle
throughout
Mad cow is a World War IIpractices spawned. That it deeper problem. You see,
United States and Canada.
inhumane husbandry
postindustrial animal industrialization is
radar.
a
symptom of
awful, and
it
a
that our
screwed things up in the United
— Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Kingdom
for sure
and made some problems for the United
Japan and
States with
trade.
But
it
makes cows commodities
without heart or feeHng. So you get the factory farm, and you get the cheapest feed possible,
dered
cow
possible,
it
cow
unending
parts. In its
feed
seems almost ecological in
But the truth
is, it is
made from other
ren-
of recycling everything
circle
a twisted sort of way.
bad animal husbandry.
The
ranchers
of America who've practiced grass pasture management have
been taking care of their cows with see, natural cattle is
—the whole
rise
a different perspective.
You
of natural cattle ranching
because the ranchers of Colorado could not survive at their
smaller size
if
modities with
they all
was no market.
let their calves
and
cattle
be sold
com-
as
of the acquisitions and mergers. There really
It
was you who brought your
cattle there,
and
they gave you the price like there was something else you
could do with them
if
you
didn't like the price
kering to take your business someplace
else.
and had
a
han-
Because ranchers
Mel Coleman and others throughout Colorado and Oregon were going broke on the commodity market, they created their own market. It was brilliant. It was real, and it all
like
started with a
memo
of understanding between the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and Mel Coleman of Coleman Natural Beef that detailed the quality control measures to safe-
guard
a fledgling
out of necessity.
market.
The Colemans
They were unable
invented the market
to sell their calves
and sur-
They worked with the US DA to effectively define a new market. They don't know they did this, or maybe they do but would not say so themselves, but one thing Mel Coleman Jr. is proud of is that his father taught a whole new way or a whole new "old" way of grass management that took into account the
vive.
fact that the better cattle ranchers
agers.
were
At the same time, the use of hormones
in cattle
big news due to cases of diethylstilbestrol use
114
manbecame
effective grass
among
cattle
David Steinman
ranchers in the national food supply. Studies
human death.
cancers over generations.
They should have
been.
But what happened was that
The
DES
use of
was
to
reckless.
the cattle ranchers did was to
all
switch to other cancer-causing yet poorly studied tutes,
DES causes
show
Consumers were scared
other anabolic hormones in beef that
DES
I later
substi-
document.
Freedom of Information Act request to the FDA to obtain files detailing levels of hormones in beef from implanted animals. These confidential Food and Drug AdminI
made
istration
The
a
documents reveal the following: implant
REVALOR,
containing both trenbolone
form of testosterone) and
acetate (a synthetic
estradiol,
is
used
to increase the rate of weight gain in steers in feed lots. It causes significantly greater gains in
weight in the uterus and ovaries
"due to the hormonal action of the
test materials." It also
markedly stimulated division of breast
cells.
diol
and a progestin,
also used for
is
Synovex-S, estra-
growth promotion in steers.
Synovex-S increases estradiol concentrations in muscle by twelvefold; in liver
by
sixfold; in
kidney by ninefold; and in
When cattle
by twenty-three-fold. lowing implantation,
levels are
implants, they are higher
still;
are slaughtered shortiy fol-
even higher. With multiple
with intramuscular implants, yet
even higher. Synovex-H, estradiol and testosterone,
growth promotion
is
used for
in cows. Estradiol concentrations after
implantation were sixfold higher in muscle; fifteenfold in eightfold in kidney; and
more than
sixfold in fat.
cows in feed
lots. It
cancers in experimental animals.
were found in cles.
At
cattle,
induces rapidly invasive breast
Marked
1
estrogenic influences folli-
80 days, concentrations up to nearly
32 parts per billion (ppb) were found in in muscle,
produc-
including increased size of ovarian
typical levels, for
liver;
Melengestrol
acetate, a potent progestin that stimulates estrogen tion, is fed to
fat
fat,
and 14 parts per billion in liver.
12 parts per billion
RALGRO, the fungal 115
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
toxin zeranol,
zeralenone.
It
is
converted in the body into the carcinogenic
induces liver and pituitary tumors in male
rodents; increases uterine weight, a clear-cut estrogenic effect;
and encourages enlargement of ovarian concluded that these "significant its
Under normal use, residues as high as ppb are found in muscle and 0.3 ppb in fat. For organ cuts,
hormonal
0.13
The FDA
follicles.
effects [can be] attributed to
levels
activity."
range up to 8 parts per billion in
lion in kidney.
These
combined with
that,
liver
and
2 parts per bil-
are extraordinarily high concentrations
its
greater
hormonal
present risks
activity,
thousands of times greater than pseudoestrogenic pesticides
and industrial chemicals. right
up
until slaughter
Yet, zeranol
is
used on most cattle
and there are no requirements to pro-
vide additional time to get the toxin out of their systems.
More
than two decades ago and during a time
was being implanted
in cattle
meant
for market,
when DES Roy Hertz,
then director of endocrinology of the National Cancer Institute
and
a
world authority on hormonal cancer, warned of the
carcinogenic risks of estrogenic feed additives, particularly for
hormonally
sensitive tissues such as breast tissue, because they
could increase normal body hormonal levels and disturb delicately poised
hormonal balances. In 1977 Dr. Hertz responded
to the cattle industry's trivializing
women's exposure
to hor-
monal animal drugs:
The
average
woman
will
have on any given day in her
total
plasma volume approximately 20 micrograms equivalent of estrogen activity.
We know
also,
from the standpoint of
cancer, that if we cut that level of estrogen in half,
tomy, in a third of the cases existing breast cancer.
amount of estrogen previously been
116
we can
woman
if
we add back
with breast cancer
ovariectomized,
ovariec-
get a regression of a pre-
We also know that
to a
by
we can
who
exacerbate
that
has
her
David Steinman
disease.
... So that gives you an order of magnitude of the
kind of trace substance we're involved with. This business of thousands of tons of beef is a reductio ad absurdum which has
no pertinence
problem before
to the physiological
us.
.
.
.
We're talking about the addition to an important food item of a substance at a
level
same order of magnitude logical effects in the
body
of concentration which
of the
which has profound physio-
as that
human body
normally, in the
human
by breast cancer.
affected
high-energy
In the low-toxin,
diet,
recommend that all food come from I
no more than one-third of
absolutely
is
animal sources, including meat, poultry, seafood, dairy foods,
and eggs
—and
I
strongly
recommend with beef sources you go
added growth hormones.
for products without
believe that even this
is
too high and
tell
Many
you
experts
to avoid beef
completely, whether natural or hyped up with growth hor-
mones.
I
mean,
it is
such an inconsistent position to allow their
use in beef farming.
Think of
this way.
it
They're
illegal for
use in professional and amateur sports for good reason.
They're powerful agents even foods
—they're much better
sure to the saturated
most dangerous
fat, as
well.
Fruits, vegetables,
at
for
very low doses.
you
Go
for reducing
pesticides
for plant
your expo-
and to cholesterol and
Always remember the two-thirds
and grains are
ways and should make up
far
more
healthful in
at least two-thirds
of your
rule.
many
diet. But,
selected with care and an understanding of safe eating guidelines,
animal foods can be nutritious and can provide a
enhancing variety of
make
flavors. Let's
up
life-
that even higher. Just
sure the beef wasn't supercharged with
some estrogen or
added other anabolic agent. Besides the addition of anabolic the
wrong animal foods can
hormones
to cattle, eating
place a huge toxic burden
on your 117
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
body
for other reasons.
Farm animals
are high
enough on the
food web; in their flesh they bioconcentrate toxins from the
thousands of pesticide-sprayed grasses and grains they've
consumed
or, in
the case of
thousands of other animals.
some
fish
and game, meats from
The most
potent toxins routinely
found in the American diet are in meat, seafood, poultry, and dairy products.
There
are fewer residues in
some animal foods than
in
some
plant foods, but those found in the animal foods are
often
more dangerous. This
is
cumulate in animal flesh are
human flesh. Some
because the residues that bioaclikely also to
bioaccumulate in
of the residues on plant foods are
less
hkely
to bioaccumulate. Toxins in animal flesh are absorbed into the
human body more easily than toxins in plant foods, and the toxins may be activated to become more potent carcinogens by the fats in which they are stored.
The not
pesticides
and industrial pollutants in animal
only danger.
its
Modern
modern farming methods,
flesh are
animal-raising methods, like
rely far too heavily
on chemical
intervention. Cattle and hogs are given antibiotics in their feed
and hormone implants to increase their growth, and these chemicals, [but not
pean
when improperly used
all]
(as
American ranchers), can
common
they have been by
affect
many
humans. The Euro-
market recently banned the import of U.S.-
grown beef that has been treated with hormones. And there is serious
problem with routine use of antibiotics and
cines in animal feed to
combat
sulfa
diseases caused
a
medi-
by over-
crowding. These drugs can harm consumers, and they have
helped create
many superstrains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria,
which are affecting our health and even causing some deaths.
Most of the
toxins in animal foods
come from
as the toxins in plant foods: farmers'
118
the same source
overuse of chemicals.
David Steinman
Pesticides are in the food given to cows, pigs, and chickens,
and they pollute water
fish
rivers
and
lakes, infesting the flesh
and many saltwater
of fresh-
species.
The dangerous long-term
carcinogens and neurotoxins
found in meat, poultry, dairy foods, and seafood include chlordane,
DDT,
dieldrin, dioxin, heptachlor,
BHC,
HCB, and
lin-
dane, according to records obtained from the
FDA
and the
A
1987
USDA
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). report indicated that
DDT, HCB,
24 had and
among
dieldrin, 22
a
sampling of 278 cows, 74 had
had heptachlor, 10 had
BHC,
7
had
had chlordane. These potent cancer-causing
2
among the most dangerous long-term poisons in American diet. The pesticide contamination of the worst
chemicals are the
some dairy products poses a more than one thousand times above the
cuts of meat, seafood, and even risk that
is
thirty to
government's negligible-risk standard for cancer caused by toxic chemicals in our food
ments
I
and water, according to
risk assess-
have performed for both the Arizona Republic news-
paper and the National Academy of Sciences.
When looking at pesticide profiles of individual blood samples, it is easy to tell
particularly beef,
which people
eat a lot of animal foods,
and which ones have supplanted many of
their
meat and dairy dishes with plant foods.
flesh
and dairy food eaters
pounds of these potent whereas those httle bit of is
all.
who
will
Invariably, the
have easily detectable com-
pesticides circulating in their blood,
eat a largely vegetarian diet will have a
DDT—often less than
1
part per billion
—and that
Since these powerful chemicals are probable cancer-
causing agents in the rotoxic properties, to them.
We
significantly
it
human body
in addition to
would seem prudent
can find out
how
having neu-
to reduce exposure
to reduce our toxic exposures
by learning which animal foods are the purest and
which are the most contaminated. And by cutting down our 119
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
we can
exposure,
give our bodies the chance they need to
detox a Hfetime's accumulation of toxic chemicals. Since animals store toxins in their fatty tissues, an impor-
remember
tant rule to
dangerous
it is.
is
more
that the fattier the food, the
This applies across the board. Ground meats,
fatty meats, processed meats, the skin
of poultry, the dark fatty
portions of fish, whole milk, cheese, and ice cream are
high
all
in toxins. Since the fats in these foods also contribute to high
cholesterol levels and heart disease, avoiding beneficial to
them
doubly
is
your health.
Fatty foods
may even potentiate the toxic chemicals that are
lodged in them. In one animal study, chemical carcinogens given to rats were that
was fed
more
fatty foods
a high-fat diet
likely to
itself
a
group
than in a group fed low-fat foods. Thus,
of animal foods is double trouble: the most potent
pesticides are concentrated in
of fat
produce tumors in
fat,
may actually enhance
Worldwide,
a
clear
between the highest
and the chemical properties
their carcinogenicity.
association
consistently
appears
rates of cancer of the breast, colon,
prostate and nations that have the fattiest diets.
I
and
believe that
the link results from a combination of the fat itself and to
some
extent the toxic chemicals, such as industrial pollutants and pesticides,
The
lodged in fatty
link
tissues.
between cancer and meat
eaters'
exposure to toxic
chemicals goes even deeper. All fried and broiled foods contain
mutagens, chemicals that can damage cellular reproductive material.
But
fi-ied
and broiled meats have
than similarly prepared plant foods.
One
some 20 percent of American meat mutagens in
more mutagens
study indicates that
eaters
may
have toxic
their digestive tract that can be absorbed into the
bloodstream and can attack
cells.
The same
that vegetarians are unlikely to have any digestive tract.
120
far
study indicated
mutagens in
their
David Steinman
My
research indicates that thousands of Americans are
hkely to develop premature cancer
—simply
neurotoxicity
—and possibly symptoms of
as a result
of the industrial chemical
and pesticide residues in their favorite cuts of meat, poultry, and seafood. Heavy meat eaters frankfurters and
hamburgers
who
eat high-fat meats such as
have higher body burdens of
will
cancer-causing pesticides and are at higher risk of serious ness than persons
who
eat
goal
is
poultry.
to inform Americans that the risk
cides ingested in their favorite foods
know and
ill-
meat, choose lean cuts, trim
remove the skin from
the fat from red meat, and
My
little
is
certainly higher than the
much
from
pesti-
higher than they
government concedes.
Consumers have been made the unwitting victims of low-level pesticide exposures. I estimate that 50 percent of animal foods
could easily be contaminated with carcinogenic pesticides,
based on than
1
my review of USDA meat inspection reports. Yet less
percent of the meat eaten in this country
contamination.
And
sampled for
the routine tests used by federal inspec-
tors often are not designed to detect
cides
is
and chemicals. Federal
officials
many dangerous
pesti-
(whose numbers were
greatly reduced during the 1980s) regularly inspect for
more than one-tenth of all poultry and meat,
many
no
possible chemical Contaminants in
of which are
known
or suspected
health hazards, according to a recent statement by Public
Voice for Food and Health Policy,
a
Washington-based advo-
cacy group promoting safer food.
Despite these knowledge gaps,
we know enough
to
make
us
passionately concerned about the safety of our animal foods. In
some four hundred thousand chickens belonging to Townsend Poultry Products of Batesville, Arkansas, had to be 1989,
destroyed because of contamination by the pesticide heptachlor. In
1986, Banquet Foods destroyed two hundred thousand
chickens in Arkansas as a result of chlordane contamination.
A 121
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
few years
earlier,
Washington turkeys were found
to be con-
taminated with PCBs. After the inadvertent contamination of
Michigan
cattle
with a cancer- causing
made with 1973-74, more than 5
fire
polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) in million pounds of PBB-tainted
the
retardant
hamburger was consumed by
Smoked chubs from the Great Lakes, catstriped bass, and many other seafood favorites
state's residents.
fish, bluefish,
though they contain dangerously high
are regularly sold even
amounts of PCBs,
An
dieldrin, dioxin,
internal audit
and other toxic chemicals.
by the inspector
U.S. Department of Agriculture in tainted
meat had been allowed
to pass
The
1988 discovered that
on
even after federal inspectors found that taminated.
general's office of the
to
it
American kitchens
was chemically con-
federal auditors discovered that the Agricul-
ture Department's
Food
Safety and Inspection Service was
unable to successfully investigate pesticide violations in 79 percent of the cases reviewed. All too often, by the time lab
were complete, the product was already sold and con-
results
sumed.
The General Accounting
Food and Drug Administration has for protecting
government tect us all
Office reported that the a similarly dismal
record
consumers from contaminated seafood. Despite
officials'
constant reassurances, they cannot pro-
from eating harmful amounts of toxic chemicals.
You must be responsible, ultimately, for the safety of your food.
The government
poultry,
isn't.
You must seek the
and seafood, or buy from ranchers
who
safest meat,
feed their ani-
mals organically grown grains. Fortunately, free
many
meat and poultry
ranchers are bringing to market,
seafood. Shopping savvy
is
and there
is
safe, pesticide-
plenty of pristine
the key to safe eating, but you can
shop smart only if you know which pesticides are in your foods
and
at
what concentrations.
When you know the facts, you can
take action and protect yourself.
122
I
SIX Meat and Poultry
Ask children where they will
answer
tell
—for
you
it
meat or chicken comes from, and
comes from the supermarket.
a child; everything
But we're not children.
come from,
their
We
is
A
cute
"chicken" to them, anyway.
should be aware of where our foods
the conditions under which the animals are raised,
and especially what chemicals used
in raising the animals
may
affect the health
of those consuming them. If we act responsibly,
our children
have
act,
will
a
good model
to learn from.
The
better
we
the better they will.
The Factory Farm In addition to the pesticide residues concentrated in the flesh of
food animals, a huge array of chemicals
is
fed to cattle, pigs, and
poultry by farmers hoping to increase their yield. In a way, these
chemicals are the animal equivalents of chemical pesticides used
on
plants.
Not
fertilizers
and
content with nature's way, meat
and poultry farmers try to speed the animals' weight gain, "improve" the appearance of their able marketing qualities
They
flesh,
and achieve other desir-
by feeding them various chemicals.
also try to increase their profit
by raising animals
in the
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
smallest space possible and
by giving them measurable, con-
trollable feed instead of allowing
of course,
is
The result, among the ani-
to forage.
increased disease and mortality
mals. Farmers try to solve this it
them
problem with
—
^you guessed
—more chemicals. Their drugs of choice include
and
sulfa. Antibiotics are
ally
prevent bacteria from reproducing.
The fowl
is
used to
kill
antibiotics
bacteria. Sulfa drugs usu-
routine use of antibiotics in the diets of pigs, catde, and
a serious
problem
in the factory farmyard.
Today
at least
half of all antibiotics produced yearly in the United States are fed to farm animals to prevent disease.
Up
to 90 percent of the
chickens, 80 percent of veal calves and pigs, and 60 percent of
the beef catde raised for food in the United States are routinely
given antibiotic medications mixed direcdy with their feed.
For more than
a decade, the
government has watched
as
the pork industry has consistendy brought to market products
with elevated residues of sulfamethazine and other sulfa drugs.
The most popular of these drugs, sulfamethazine, is suspected to be a human carcinogen. Why are they used? Steve Marbery, editor of the trade publication
Hog Farm Management,
noted, "For the majority of producers, sulfa
is
has
a low-cost
mask poor management practices or bad environment maybe both." According to the magazine, 97 percent of hog producers rely on feed-grade medication. "As farm size [grows] among the operations surveyed, so [does] the crutch that can
—
tendency to use feed additives," he tion rate for sulfa residues
says.
A
12.6 percent viola-
was found among thirty-four
Indiana swine herds in one survey. In
Illinois,
nearly 20 per-
cent of the hogs sampled in a yearlong residue-monitoring
program contained Illinois
The
farm had
a
sulfa residues
above the violation
50 percent violation
factory farm setting
is
rate.
One
rate.
directly responsible for the
sulfamethazine-tainted cuts of pork purchased by consumers.
124
David Steinman
"Reduce overcrowding and you reduce the need British
says
swine scientist
Tom
Alexander.
for sulfa,"
of
"Instead
enlarging accommodations, the average producer will increase the
number of pigs per
pen. This overcrowding works
through the growing and finishing, resulting in slowing of growth rate and, throughout, a
its
way
a gradual
rise in disease levels
and reliance on medication." If you first
have ever been inside a modern hog barn, one of the
you
things
hard to ignore.
will notice
The
is
an ammonia stench.
reason for the stench
is
that
The
smell
hog barns
is
are
often built with slatted floors over large pits so that feces and
urine can
fall
through to be collected and hauled away, often
hog farmers have
to the fields. Still other
and urine into holding lagoons;
ters that transport the feces
however, these huge
pits
installed flush gut-
of toxic animal waste have become a
major pollution problem in the Midwest, in some areas severely contaminating shallow groundwater. In the traditional
hog
barn,
all this
ronment and form
and urine interact with the envi-
feces
brew of toxic gases
a witches'
ammonia, methane, and hydrogen to
four hours a day.
America now
absolutely
stalls,
raise
is
inhale these fiimes twenty-
Around 20 percent of the hogs
largest
birth to slaughter.
The
them
threat
omnipresent. Sometimes hogs become sick
and lose weight. Others may contract contagious
and
disease that causes the bones
degenerate.
hog farms
in total confinement, allowing
no time outside from
of pneumonia
feeling lightheaded
after their visit has ended.
Hogs, confined to tiny
in
sulfide. First-time visitors
Midwest hog barns frequently report
and feeble even hours
that includes
The hog
farmer
spreads through a barn like
Unlike the consumer,
rhinitis, a
tissues of the pig's
lives in fear
snout to
of rhinitis because
it
fire.
who must
scription to obtain antibiotics
have
a physician's pre-
and other medications, ranchers
125
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
simply go to the local feed store and purchase enormous sacks of antibiotics, which they then mix with the animals' feed. But
how careful can the farmers be? Not too careful, sometimes. The result often is an excess amount of residue in the animals' tissues after they are slaughtered. Yet there
is little
chance that
the government, which has an embarrassingly small sampling
program,
will detect those animals
sulfamethazine in their tissues.
with excessive antibiotics or
The
ranchers
sickly animals are loaded with antibiotics
and
know
this so
sulfa drugs.
Sulfamethazine has been used since the 1940s to prevent respiratory disease toxic effects
among market
hogs.
It is
known
to cause
on the thyroid gland of humans, including nodRecent
ules that could be cancerous.
tests
on mice and
rats also
indicate sulfamethazine could be a carcinogen. In both labora-
tory animals and humans, the effects the thyroid gland.
may be
use
There
is
a
restricted farther
seem
good chance
to be centered
on
that sulfamethazine
by the government and that
sulfa
drugs will even be pulled completely from the market for use
with animals intended for
human consumption
because of
concerns over putting another carcinogenic substance into the
food supply and the excessively high levels found in pork.
The
presence of residues of antibiotics and sulfa drugs in
meat and poultry can cause severe sensitive to these drugs.
instance, have
allergic reactions in
People sensitive to
people
penicillin, for
been known to have serious reactions
after
eating veal because of the penicillin residues in the meat.
Government regulations drugs. But
restrict use
of antibiotics and sulfa
government watchdogs are hard pressed
to stop the
unlawful and widespread antibiotic and sulfa drug contamination of pork. ally.
More
than 80 million hogs are slaughtered annu-
At most, a fraction of
chemical residues. There
1
is
percent of these are inspected for little
reason to beheve that the
Department of Agriculture's sampling program has any 126
David Steinman
significance.
statistical
exceeding the speed
Ranchers, have
limit,
like
little
fi*eeway
drivers
fear that they will be
caught.
Thus
the
presented here, fi*om
figures
USDA
meat
inspection reports, are probably low-end estimates of the extent of the sulfamethazine contamination of pork products.
Nevertheless, these very conservative figures are disturbing. In 1987, for example,
were tested
more than 10 percent of market hogs
at slaughtering plants
tables of Americans
than
5
that
and intended for the dining
had residues of sulfamethazine, and more
percent of those residues were high enough to warrant
and warnings. The
violation notices
ficult to eliminate;
problem
will
be
dif-
most ranchers who use sulfamethazine do
not even think of the medication
When
sulfa
as a toxic chemical.
consumers eat bacon and eggs, they are not
counting on exposure to a suspected tumor-inducing chemical
such as sulfamethazine. But that
the reality that has been
is
spawned by the modern factory farm. It's
sad.
Hogs
are
among
the most intelligent of our farm-
yard animals. Turning them into biomachines and confining
them
in
overcrowded pens
take part
in.
is
something you may not want to
In the Personal Action Guide at the end of this
book, you will find the names of pork producers whose ani-
mals are raised under
humane
conditions without massive
doses of antibiotics and sulfamethazine.
Ranchers' reliance on hormones in raising cattle result of the factory
is
another
farm system. Hormones are given to
between 65 and 99 percent of the
cattle raised for slaughter in
the United States. Farmers find that the
hormones speed
growth and produce leaner meat. Industry experts claim there is
no danger
to
humans from
used properly. But,
these
like antibiotics,
hormones when they
are
growth hormones are sold
to ranchers over the counter without a veterinary prescription,
127
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
no adequate system of inspection for hormone meat and poultry despite the fact that added estro-
and there levels in
is
genic and androgenic burdens on our bodies can cause cancer,
and hormones implanted in
cattle
may contain both
estrogens
and androgens.
And
there have been horror stories. In Puerto Rico in the
early 1980s, premature puberty
ment of
breasts
—menstruation and the develop-
and pubic hair in children under the age of
—reached epidemic
eight
levels.
Physicians studying the problem
foimd that removing chicken and milk from the children's
diets
An independent investigation of
significandy reduced symptoms.
supermarket meats in Puerto Rico by a university researcher indicated extremely high estrogen levels in
some samples of pork
and chicken. Other researchers found synthetic hormones circulating in the bloodstream of the children.
In Italy in 1980,
enced puberty.
mone DES
DES
The
some children age two and
proved to be the synthetic hor-
culprit
was banned
cause cancer. In
in the its
illegally.
United States and Europe in the
abiHty to interact directly with
West Germany in August
thousand veal calves sold to
a
to have been given a mixed calves
which was being used
(diethylstilbestrol),
1970s because of
three experi-
1988,
late
DNA and
some fourteen
U.S. military base were found
hormone
many of debacles made
cocktail;
had to be destroyed. Both of these
the the
use of hormones a red-hot health and political issue in Europe.
Then,
in
January 1989, the European Economic
American
nity prohibited the import of
Commu-
cattle treated
with
growth hormones. The ban affected $100 million worth of U.S. beef and beef by-products.
Now, what was
all
the fuss about?
industry has been teUing us that threat to the health of the are told, the
128
The American
hormones pose absolutely no
American consumer. After
amounts added
to
beef
meat
all,
we
are absolutely minuscule.
David Steinman
Let's look at the use of hormones
from the European point
of view. There are three primary reasons for European oppo-
hormones
sition to the use of
several significant
much
organ
consists of
First,
human health tragedies involving indiscrim-
inate use of hormones have years. Second,
farm animals.
in raising
been reported in Europe in recent
of the American meat sold in Europe
cuts,
which do accumulate
toxic chemicals
such as antibiotics and possibly hormones. Third, Europeans
have not been brainwashed into believing that factory farming is
the only
way to
tion. Indeed,
raise animals
intended for
European pubHc opinion
is
human consump-
soundly opposed to
the factory farm. In 1985 European farmers were prohibited
from using hormones
in raising livestock. Earlier,
England
prohibited the regular subtherapeutic use of antibiotics in
animal feed.
It's
only a pity the U.K. took so long to wise up to
the use of bovine brain and other organs in cattle feed.
When safe;
used properly, hormones are not even completely
everybody knows they increase
mented
book
this clearly in
risk of cancers. I
docu-
The Breast Cancer Prevention Program,
a
that I hated writing or being associated with, although I
suppose
it
provided good information. However,
when used
improperly, as they have been by American and European ranchers,
estrogen
some hormones
—can cause cancer
— such
that
contain
as well as ovarian cysts
and pre-
as
those
mature sexual development, according to medical experts.
Over the menarche
last
at earlier
centuries,
several
and eadier ages.
The
girls
have
average age has gone
from around eighteen to twelve and younger. This gerous trend.
It
are hard pressed to find clues.
is
a
dan-
opens the "estrogen window" and extends the
most cancer-susceptible portion of a woman's
many
reached
One
Researchers
one good answer. There seem to be
of these
our American young
life.
is
girls
called overnutrition, overloading
with loads of pork and corn and
129
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
other inflammatory foods that also put the body into
Our problem
endocrine overdrive. nations.
We
are not under- but overfed.
Another reason This cause
the opposite of other
is
is
is
the use of growth-stimulating hormones.
generally dismissed by most experts because
it
has been a difficult theory to prove since these are somewhat natural estrogens and difficult to differentiate in the urine especially since almost every meat-eating
woman in America is
regularly exposed to added hormones. But scientists have
found another clue in the emergence of the xenoestrogens, that
is,
feminizing chemicals that flake off from plastic can hn-
ings and leach into foods tics.
from
and other unsafe
bottles
plas-
Researchers have found plenty of disturbing evidence
linking xenoestrogens to increased risk of cancer. It that added
them and
how to
hormones
testing for
is
likely
also play a role, although differentiating
them
in tissues
is
no easy
—and then
task
divide your subjects since everybody has been exposed.
Meanwhile, the American consumer has good reason to be concerned about the prohfic use of hormones in raising beef.
The
of
sale
DES
was outlawed
in July 1979, but
documents indicate that forty-nine drug sold
DES
after the ban.
That
feedlots in twenty states.
implanted with illegally
DES
DES
distributors illegally
was eventually used in
3
18
A total of 427,275 cattle were illegally
after the deadline.
implanted with
government
DES
Another 245,000 were
and already had been slaugh-
tered before their carcasses could be recovered.
In 1983,
DES
was
illegally
used again by American cattle
ranchers, this time in nearly fifteen hundred veal calves five different
Academy
farms in upstate
New York. And,
as the
from
National
of Sciences has clearly stated, because of poorly
designed government-monitoring programs for hormones,
nobody knows today the extent to which abuse of hormones occurs among American livestock ranchers. Historic evidence 130
David Steinman
clearly points to the fact that
American ranchers have no
problem flouting the regulations that mones. After
all,
Other questionably
safe drugs
They
badox,
of which are potential
thirty
have been regularly used in
include dimetridazole, ipronidazole, and car-
meat and
residues in
of hor-
who's there to catch them?
livestock. all
restrict the use
human
Up
poultry.
thousand animal drugs
to
carcinogens that leave
90 percent of the nearly
now
in lise
have not been
approved by the government.
The
beef industry, of course, says there
is
no health
But why, then, did the Puerto Rican children's
when they were
regress
threat.
symptoms
taken off chicken and milk? If estro-
genic hormones are not directly carcinogenic at low levels,
why was DES banned?
My position on the use of hormones runs counter to that of the beef industry.
One
theory on the link between estrogen
and the onset of cancer
asserts that the body's
endogenous
production of estrogen and the exogenous intake of estrogenic substances
work together upon
promote or
directly cause cancer. Therefore, chronic elevation
of estrogenic
normal,
estrogenic-sensitive tissues and
may
activity,
above that which would be considered
human body
well put the
linked cancer. In
women,
at risk for estrogen-
cervical or uterine cancer could be
the end result of ingesting
meat from
livestock treated with
hormones. Since chemical poisons often leave no link with synthetic
hormones
in beef will never be
traces, the
known. The
contribution of estrogen from implanted beef to our diets appear
trivial,
may
but our bodies are extremely responsive to
minuscule doses of hormones. In a perfect world, perhaps with
proper use, estrogenic hormones could be perfect world, and even
little
residues can
endocrine systems.
The
regard for the
sanctioned use of
safe,
safe.
But
this
is
no
muck up women's
livestock industry has
shown
little
hormone implants and 131
— Diet for a Poisoned Planet
continues to use these drugs, and most people don't care, just us.
Sometimes the government doesn't even
care, at least
not
enough, and there have been abuses of safe food regulations.
That
is
point, to
why
there
is
no reason, from the consumer view-
add any more of
a
burden to our bodies, especially
with regard to some hormones
—particularly
which are already suspected of being
a natural
estrogen
cancer burden
on the body. Another objection consumers have to hormones and other chemicals such as antibiotics
is
that their use
is
symptomatic of
The meat comes from animals that have spent
the factory farm mentality of American ranching.
many people
eat today
their entire lives
crowded like prisoners in cells, implanted with
hormones, and fed
The
antibiotics.
This
raising of veal calves as
isn't
it is
the America
we want.
practiced today
is
the
most extreme example of factory farm techniques. In order
to
get especially pale, tender meat, veal farmers raise the calves
under extraordinary conditions that produce extensive toxic contamination.
More
than
1
million calves are raised for veal annually in
the United States,
many
of them in the Midwest, California,
and Pennsylvania. Although the calves are slaughtered
months of age, mortality
at four
from 10
rates before slaughter range
percent to as high as 30 percent. Milk- fed calves slaughtered for veal are kept chained in tiny stalls about twenty-two inches
wide
—too small
for the calves even to turn
around
in.
To
pre-
vent muscle development and speed weight gain, the calves are allowed absolutely no exercise. Chained in tiny crates, veal calves cannot
groom
themselves, stretch their legs, or
lie
down
in a natural position.
The light meat sold as "premium" or "milk-fed" veal is from calves that have been made anemic by withholding iron. The veal industry may claim their calves are given adequate iron. 132
David Steinman
But watch what they do, not what they say. And what they do
is
spend their money on water-conditioning systems meant to
remove every
from the water
trace of naturally occurring iron
given to their veal calves.
One
advertisement for a water con-
ditioning system for veal calf ranching specifically admonishes
the industry: "Attention veal farmers!
water supply will hurt you on
It's
a fact.
money day at the
Veal calves are kept in total darkness to
Iron in your
market."
make them
less
Serious leg injuries are caused by the complete lack of
restless.
straw covering the wood-slatted floors. Respiratory and intestinal diseases
run rampant among veal
calves, so
they are given
frequent doses of antibiotics and sulfa drugs. Veal calves are
denied virtually
all
solid food
water. In a futile attempt to
and even pure, plain drinking
quench
their thirst, calves drink
milky feed that causes them to gain weight quickly.
The
calves
then suffer chronic diarrhea from being fed a liquid diet of
growth stimulators,
antibiotics,
powdered skim milk, and mold
inhibitors.
These conditions dard. In
are considered simply the industry stan-
Sonoma County,
CaHfornia, veal rancher Michael
Cambra, of Santa Rosa, was found
guilty in 1987 of animal
cruelty and neglect after law enforcement authorities discov-
ered 159 calves under his care chained in small crates inside a stifling
their
hot barn.
More
than ninety other calves were dead,
decomposing bodies
paltry
$250
ranching
The
is
—because
piled outside.
Cambra was
fined a
he was simply doing his job. Veal
a high-mortality profession
—for the
calves!
conditions required for the production of milk- fed veal
promote the widespread use of can help keep sickly animals
By depriving veal
antibiotics
alive
and
sulfa
drugs that
long enough to be slaughtered.
calves of their mothers' milk, fresh
air,
exercise,
adequate nutrition, and proper veterinary care, veal farmers create a breeding
ground
for
coundess infectious diseases.
133
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
I
undertook an extensive review of government reports on
the antibiotic and sulfa drug residues in veal calves.
My review
indicates that an array of drugs do, in fact, contaminate veal raised
on factory farms.
Liver, kidney,
and muscle
tissues
were
tainted with a variety of antibiotics and sulfa drugs: peniciUin,
streptomycin, tetracycline, neomycin, oxytetracycline, gen-
tamycin, sulfamethazine, sulfathiazole, and sulfaquinoxaline.
Residues of sulfamethazine
were
veal calves
limit allowed
were
residues.
high as
a possible
5 parts
USDA survey,
in clear violation of
That
standards.
human carcinogen
—
in
per miUion, the absolute
by the government.
In one recent ples
as
—
And
twenty of 881 calf tissue sam-
government standards
rate of 2.3 percent
that
is
just
is
quite high
drug
for
by regulatory
what we know.
Dr. Kenneth StoUer, of the Department of Pediatrics at
UCLA
Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Medical Hospital,
points out that calves raised humanely, in a healthy environ-
ment with proper
nutrition and exercise, do not need con-
tinual doses of antibiotics
and other drugs.
It's
that simple.
Unfortimatley, inhumane treatment of veal calves continues even today,
when we should be
living in
more
enlight-
ened times.
We
can learn from other nations' actions. Sweden passed
an animal
of rights in 1988, the world's most sweeping,
bill
stringent set of protection laws pertaining to farm animals. "Cattle, pigs,
and chickens are being freed from the
tions of intensive or factory-farming methods, in
restric-
which
ani-
mals are kept in crowded conditions and antibiotics and
hormones Times. In
often administered," reports the
Sweden
cattle
must now be allowed
pigs
no longer may be confined and
pigs
must be allowed
cattle
134
are
to
tied
New
York
to graze,
and
down. In addition,
bed and feed in separate
and pigs must have access to straw and
places.
Both
litter.
The
David Steinman
Swedish legislation stipulates that chickens be given the opportunity to
roam and peck
confined
all
pastures.
The
hormones
for grub
and that they not be kept
their lives in cages. Veal calves
is
may roam
their
use of subtherapeutic doses of antibiotics and
strictly forbidden.
We Americans who eat flesh and dairy foods must wake up to institutionalized cruelty to animals
on the factory farm,
for
we awaken, we as a nation will lose a precious portion of our own humanity. Perhaps we cannot do away with the
unless
factory farm entirely. But
if
enough of us use our consumer
by buying free-range animal foods, we can cer-
dollars to vote
tainly alleviate the suffering of
some farm
animals. That's
because free-range animals are given the opportunity to graze in pastures or
move about
or penned their entire
the farmyard.
They
aren't
cooped
lives.
Contamination by salmonella
bacteria, a
poisoning in this country,
another result of factory farm
methods.
Many experts
favorite cuts with
is
contend that the contamination of our
microorganisms such
more immediate concern than from
industrial pollution
Each year
at least
1
and
and perhaps
annually.
Some
through
at least
people is,
may not
and so they
monellosis
is
as
as salmonella
is
the long-term threat of cancer
or 2 percent of the American popula-
many
as
means there
are at least 2 mil-
4 million cases of salmonellosis
experts believe
many more Americans go
one case of food poisoning
a year.
Healthy
recognize a bout of salmonellosis for what
will
of
pesticides.
tion suffers salmonellosis; that lion
major cause of food
not report
shrugged off
as
it
it
to a doctor. Often mild sal-
an upset stomach or
flu
with
cramps and diarrhea.
No wonder many scientists assert that salmonellosis poses a health problem of large proportions in the United States.
With 135
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
more than
forty thousand reported cases (the vast majority of
cases are never reported)
and
five
hundred deaths annually,
salmonella contamination of our meat and poultry significant problem.
And
is,
indeed, a
the problem just keeps growing. In
the early 1940s only about four in a hundred thousand persons suffered
from non typhoid salmonellosis, the kind of salmonel-
losis that often results
from eating the contaminated
warm-blooded animals. By 1983, nearly five times.
that
number had
flesh of
increased
Today twenty out of a hundred thousand per-
sons will be afflicted by nontyphoid salmonellosis, according to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control. figure includes only reported cases. poll.
Ask your own
something they
ate.
tell
you
that they have.
This increase in animal-related salmonellosis rise
that
friends if they've gotten sick this year as a
Most will Food poisoning is very common.
result of
And
You can conduct your own
parallels the
of the factory farm, increased antibiotic use in livestock
ranching, and increasingly filthy slaughterhouse conditions.
As factory farming methods have become more commonplace, the bacteria in our nation's food have
The
become
far
more
deadly.
result of widespread use of antibiotic medications in live-
stock feed has been the inadvertent breeding of antibioticresistant salmonella.
These
also they are rendering
In one cattie,
FDA
bacteria are not only deadly, but
our antibiotics
study, salmonella
useless.
from healthy chickens, beef
and swine from 1978 to 1981 were analyzed to see what
percent were resistant to antimicrobial drugs. follows: 61 percent of salmonella
sulfadiazine; 56 percent
were
The results were as
were found to be
resistant to
resistant to streptomycin; 33
percent were resistant to tetracycline; 5 percent were resistant to kanamycin and carbenicilUn; and
3
percent were resistant to
ampicilhn.
Ten salmonella serotypes account 136
for
more than 70 percent
David Steinman
of the food poisoning cases reported in the United States annually.
The most common
Salmonella typhimurium. Fif-
is
teen percent of various isolates of this family are antimicrobial drugs.
to
Overall,
24 percent
serotypes are resistant to antimicrobials.
many as two hundred
It is
now resistant of common
estimated that as
salmonella-linked deaths annually result
from the use of subtherapeutic
antibiotics in animal feeds.
For decades, chloramphenicol has been the drug of choice for
treating
complications associated with salmonellosis.
However, throughout the mid-1980s, the drug was widely used on cattle and hogs.
Its
have been the reason why,
widespread use could very well
when one thousand persons were
infected with Salmonella newport in California in 1985, this strain
was
resistant to chloramphenicol.
Exposure to chlo-
ramphenicol has also been associated with the onset of
a rare
form of human bone marrow
which
is
almost always It
is
fatal.
now known
also
disease, aplastic anemia,
strains are passed
that antibiotic-resistant bacterial
from animals
to
A
humans.
recent
FDA
study of food poisoning in the Seattle area suggests that poultry
is
a
major path by which resistant bacteria reach
FDA
humans. The
reports, for example, that 22 percent of
chicken and turkey samples from local Seattle markets showed
Campylobacter bacteria contamination, and about one-third of these samples contained antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Studies
suggest that the antimicrobial drugs to which food animals are
exposed eventually lead to the appearance and persistence of resistant strains in
humans; only
a small
proportion of resistant
salmonella outbreaks can be attributed to transmission from
other humans.
Although food poisoning
most people, elderly and
infants
is
not
a
very serious
under two years are
immune-weakened
persons.
at
high
Death
illness for risk, as are
results for
one
137
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
in every
one thousand persons infected by salmonella, and
usually individuals at the extremes of age
who
it is
die.
Salmonellosis begins as diarrhea and abdominal cramps
one to three days
after eating
pect the meal you just
ate.
contaminated food.
Only in
dose of salmonellae be so large as to cause after
your meal. For healthy
Do
not sus-
rare cases will the infecting illness
immediately
adults, the episode will last
one
day to one week. Unfortunately the bacterial contamination problem of our food supply
is
The number of chickens may number as few as 3 or 4
not likely to improve.
in a typical flock with salmonella
percent, but as a result of slaughterhouse conditions during
the processing of the animals, salmonella and other bacterial
contamination could spread to as
many
as
38 percent of the
carcasses.
Your best protection against
bacterial infections
the shopping and cooking tips that follow the
is
to
heed
Meat and
Poultry Survival Guide in this chapter.
There
are other reasons to cut
down on animal
cially beef. Cattle raising takes a
and
toll
on our land
contributing substantially to the desertification of the
is
West. Dairy cows drink day,
tremendous
foods, espe-
as
and they compact the
becomes so hard that the
much soil
as fifty gallons
of water a
on which they graze
soil's ability
until
it
to absorb rainfall
is
impaired. In South America the equatorial rain forests are
being destroyed
at a
pasture for cattle,
phenomenal
much
rate to provide
temporary
of it to provide beef for export to the
United States and Europe. This destruction of the rain forests
is
one of the great ecological threats to our
—and our rain
planet
amount of beef we 138
forests
eat.
—
future. All
we can help save our by cutting way down on the
because of our appetite for meat! So
David Steinman
Meat and Poultry
The
Guide
Survival
following analyses of popular cuts of meat and poultry are
based, for the
which
most
thirty-six
on the
part,
FDA
Total Diet Study in
samples of each food were tested. So there can
be no overestimation of the chemical residue concentrations.
These
are very accurate findings. Quite possibly, they are
understated.
The
Total Diet Study did not take into account the pres-
ence of hormones and antibiotics. Since these chemicals are
commonly used on
factory farms, there
a slightly increased
concentration of hormones will be present
in
some meats. Poultry
is
is
a
good chance
that
not given hormones, except capons.
You
should, however, expect the presence of antibiotics or
sulfa
drugs in some cuts of beef, veal, pork, and poultry.
only
way you can be
mones,
certain these foods
antibiotics, or sulfa
drugs
is if
The
do not contain hor-
they are certified organic
(fed organically grown grains) or certified to have been raised hormone or chemical free. Such groups include crop growing organizations such as the International Organic Crop Improvement Association and the Oregon Tilth, both of
which
also certify livestock practices.
program with
a special
a
The government also has
few select ranchers to ensure that
they take extra precautions to prevent traces of antibiotic or
hormone
residues
in
their
products.
Sources of certified
organic as well as hormone- and chemical-free meats and poultry are listed in the Personal Action Guide.
As before,
I've
used the number of pesticide residues as the
most accurate indicator of a
food's relative safety or danger. In
some
number of
foods, however, the
while the concentration of each residue small
residue is
may be high
unusually low, or a
number of residues may have unusually high concentra-
tions. In
account
such cases I've taken the concentration level into
when
assigning the food to the green, yellow, or red 139
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
light food group,
and
have mentioned the variation in the
I
discussion of the food.
Green
Light
Green Hght meats and poultry have the lowest ration, present the smallest cancer risk,
pesticide satu-
and are the richest
source of nutrients while being lowest in cholesterol and saturated
Eat these cuts of meat and poultry
fat.
like,
but remember that animal food
eggs,
and dairy products
you
as often as
—meat,
poultry, fish,
—should make up not more than one-
third of your total diet.
Chicken
(fried, breast, leg,
Over
icans eat chicken often.
and
thigh,
homemade), Amer-
of the population eats
a third
chicken at least once every three days, and one person in teen eats
it
fif-
Oven-roasted chicken
at least twice in three days.
had seven different pesticide or industrial chemical residues.
The
pesticides detected
lindane,
most frequently were
PCBs, toluene, and
DDE,
dieldrin,
xylene.
Chickens (except for capons) are not raised with hor-
mones, and major brands, including Holly Farms and Foster Farms, are raised without antibiotics.
one of the greatest sources of
To lower your
and always remove the is.
One
dieldrin
is
risk for oven-roasted chicken.
pesticide exposure
eat only the white meat,
The pesticide
which
when
eating roast chicken, fatty
is less
skin, since that's
than dark meat,
where most of the
fat
three-ounce serving of oven-roasted chicken without
skin contains only 0.9 grams of saturated fat and 73 mil-
ligrams of cholesterol.
Gafue.
Many game
foods are quite pure. Buffalo meat
be sHghtly contaminated with residues of chlordane and but
it is
free of the antibiotics
raising beef.
Duck,
rabbit,
the levels were low
140
and
sulfa
and goose
enough
all
may
DDT,
drugs routinely used in
had some residues, but
to be considered safe. AlHgator
David Steinman
from some areas of Florida may contain high
me thylmercury.
Pork roast (baked). Oven-baked pork
was
roast
surpris-
many
ingly low in pesticides and other chemicals (although
people won't eat pork for religious reasons). residues representing eleven chemicals: a
DDE,
benzene, chloroform,
The
toluene.
was
of
levels
*
It
had twenty
benzene, butyl-
little
PCBs, and
heptachlor, lindane,
cancer risk as a result of pesticides in pork roast
relatively insignificant, except for the troubling presence of
high
levels
of PCBs, though found in only one of thirty-six sam-
ples.
One
three-ounce serving of pork rib roast, untrimmed,
contains 7.2 grams of saturated fat and 69 milligrams of choles-
The same
terol.
three-ounce serving, trimmed, contains 3.4
grams of saturated roast
is
safer than
fat
serve pork roast. It
Be
and 56 milligrams of cholesterol. Pork
ham, because is
not used to pre-
nitrates are
the safest cut of pork.
careful of pork, however, because of sulfa drugs. Sulfa
medication
is
commonly administered by hog
Turkey breast poultry
(roasted).
commonly
enteen pesticide dicloran,
Turkey
is
farmers.
the safest of all meat and
eaten. Roasted turkey breast
residues
representing
and other petrochemicals and
a
DDE,
benzene,
The
pesticides.
risk as a result of pesticides in turkey breast
though we make turkey
had only sev-
is
green light food,
cancer
negligible,
we
and
are nervous
about the presence of benzene, styrene, and toluene. Turkey white meat has fewer pesticide residues and
and saturated and
all
fat
poultry;
than dark meat. it
is
Remove
less cholesterol
the skin from turkey
the fattiest and most pesticide-laden
portion.
Three ounces of boneless of saturated
fat
roast turkey contains 1.6
and 45 milligrams of cholesterol.
Subway and seeking to be healthiest in eater, I would no doubt order turkey.
all
If I
ways and
grams
were
still
a
in
meat
141
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Yellow Light
With a few exceptions,
these yellow light cuts have about twice
the pesticide saturation of the green light group and about half the total pesticide saturation of the red light group.
These
foods should be eaten in moderation.
Beefsteak ticide
(loin,
pan-cooked). Beefsteak had fifty-one pes-
and industrial chemical residues in
thirty-six
samples
representing nine distinct pollutants and contaminants. While the total
number
isn't
high, in this case, beef proves itself a
prime source of prime cancer-causing
DDE (nineteen of thirty-six),
pesticides, including
dieldrin (ten of thirty-six), hep-
tachlor epoxide, and octachlor epoxide, not to mention the
ubiquitous industrial contaminant PCBs.
By trimming away
the fatty portions, you can significantly reduce your pesticide
A
exposure.
three-ounce serving, un trimmed, will have 4.8
grams of saturated
fat
and 8 1 milligrams of cholesterol; three
ounces of trimmed round steak
will contain 2.7
grams of satu-
rated fat and 75 milligrams of cholesterol.
may be contaminated with and hormone residues. I just don't know how even
Be warned antibiotics
that cuts of beef
the biggest beef lover can look a beef steak in the eye
and say you actually want to eat
anymore
that.
Beef stroganoff (homemade). Eighty-eight chemicals were found with chlorpyrifos,
DDE,
and malathion
as the
most
common.
Lamb
chops (pan-cooked). Although lamb chops had sev-
enty-six pesticide
and industrial chemical residues representing
—
some 15 different pesticide formulations a relatively high number most of the concentrations once were very, very low,
—
so I had classified this as a green-Hght food. However, the inter-
generational legacy of these old-line bad chemicals continues to build
up in the food
supply,
and the
levels
can be high enough to raise concern. 142
of some such as
PCBs
The frequency with which
David Steinman
DDE showed (thirty-four of thrity-six samples) cern. Pesticides
is
also of con-
and industrial chemicals included chloroform,
DDE,
dieldrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, octachlor,
styrene
TDE,
will help.
and toluene. Trimming the
One two-ounce lamb
grams of saturated
fat
fat
from your chops
chop, un trimmed, contains 7.3
and 78 miUigrams of cholesterol.
A lean
two-ounce broiled lamb chop contains 2.6 grams of saturated fat
and 60 miUigrams of cholesterol.
Pork chops (pan-cooked),
A
well-trimmed pork chop
surprisingly nontoxic food, so long as
chops pan-fried in
fat
you
are into pork.
is
a
Pork
had twenty-nine pesticide residues rep-
resenting fifteen pesticide and industrial chemical residues and
The pesticides found most frequently were DDE, DDT, and HCB. Detected less frequently (at very low con-
metabolites.
centrations)
were chlordane,
dane, nonachlor, PCBs, a result
TDE,
and toluene.
The
of the pesticide residues in pork chops
Trim as much fat untrimmed three-ounce tains 9.8 terol.
dieldrin, heptachlor epoxide, lin-
possible
as
insignificant.
from your chops. An
serving of pan-fried pork chops con-
grams of saturated
The same
is
cancer risk as
serving,
fat
and 92 milligrams of choles-
trimmed, contains
3.7
grams of
saturated fat and 72 miUigrams of cholesterol.
Be warned
that cuts of pork
may be contaminated with
sul-
famethazine. If you're allergic to sulfa drugs, you might want to pass
on chemical pork.
Salisbury steak with gravy, potatoes,
and
vegetables
(frozen mealy heated). One-hundred-fifteen chemicals were
found with chlorpropham (from the potatoes),
DDE and diel-
drin (from the beef), and endosulfan and malathion (from the
mixed vegetables) most commonly found. Turkey with gravy, dressing, potatoes, and vegetable (frozen meal, heated). Seventy-five chemicals were found with
chlorpropham (from the potatoes) most commonly detected. 143
5
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Red
Light
You should
They
eat these foods very seldom.
are saturated
with high concentrations of powerful cancer-causing pesticides,
and
and they are very
likely to contain residues of antibiotics
sulfa medications. If you are
exposures,
Bacon that
you should
strike
(porky pan-cooked).
concerned with reducing toxic
them completely from your
diet.
The FDA Total Diet Study found
pan-cooked bacon had 124 different
pesticide, industrial
residues and their metabolites representing eighteen different
formulations.
pesticide
and industrial chemicals
Pesticides
detected most frequendy were
styrene, toluene,
were
HCB,
chloroethylene (dry-cleaning
Pork bacon cuts of
is
DDE,
ethyl benzene,
and xylene. Pesticides detected
dichlorobenzene,
frequently
less
TDE,
nonachlor,
tetra-
and trichloroethylene.
fluid),
cured with cancer-causing
bacon are
1,2-4-
1,1,1-trichloroethane,
trimethylbenzene, benzene, chloroform,
and some
nitrites,
also likely to contain high levels of cancer-
causing sulfamethazine and other sulfa drugs. In addition, three slices of bacon had 3.3 grams of saturated fat and 16 mil-
know you
ligrams of cholesterol.
I
bacon
most likely, based on
a better choice,
is
like
it.
So do all
I.
Turkey
other samples
of turkey in the Total Diet Study, which were uniformly low in pesticide
and industrial chemical contamination.
one of the natural food markets, you without
nitrite that
when
comes
it
might not be
as
will find
to
bacon cured is
green
to being your best choice. five
Americans
beef chuck roast at least once every three days.
and chuck
you go
pink but certainly
Beef chuck roast (baked). About one in
amount eaten
If
daily
is
almost two ounces. Based on
1
million persons, or as
this
be
as
many
as
roast's pesticide content, there will
excess cancers in
The
eats
average
average
many as
1
684 excess
cancers in our lifetime, simply as a result of average American
consumption of pesticides 144
in roast
beef
David Steinman
The most dangerous and
pesticide dieldrin
FDA
comers to the
a
residues in beef chuck roast are the
whole host of petrochemical new-
Total Diet Study, including benzene
(twenty of thirty-six); dichlorobenzene, ethyl benzene, styrene,
numbers 10 and 22 of
and toluene
(in
respectively).
The FDA
thirty-six samples,
Total Diet Study showed that beef
chuck roast had 115 pesticide and industrial chemical residues
some sixteen distinct chemicals. Chemicals of warming were detected most frequently and include
representing global
1,1,1-trichloroethane, benzene, chloroform, dichlorobenzene, ethyl benzene,
PCBs,
xylene. Pesticides
styrene, toluene, trichloroethylene,
were detected
less
gerous nonetheless and include epixide,
and
HCB. One
frequently but were dan-
DDE,
dieldrin, heptahclor
three-ounce serving of un trimmed
chuck roast contains 10.8 grams of saturated ligrams of cholesterol. 3.9
grams of saturated
Trimming
fat
and
The same fat
fat
and 87 mil-
serving, trimmed, contains
and 66 milligrams of cholesterol.
from your chuck roast
will significantly
reduce
pesticide exposure.
Bologna
(sliced).
Some American
children are
given
bologna sandwiches nearly every day for lunch by parents probably believe that this luncheon meat healthful. If only they
knew
wholesome and
is
the truth. Bologna
is
obscenely
saturated with pesticides, as are other high-fat cold cuts.
bologna samples analyzed in the
FDA Total
who
The
Diet Study con-
tained 136 different industrial pollutant and pesticide residues
representing twenty-three distinct pesticides or industrial
chemical formulations and metabolites. That means nearly four industrial chemical and pesticide residues were detected in each sample. Benzene, chloroform,
styrene,
tetrachloroethylene,
DDE,
trichloroethylene,
were detected most frequendy. Pesticides and icals
ethyl benzene,
and xylene
industrial
chem-
such as 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,2-4-trimethylbenzene,
145
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
butylbenzene, carbon tetrachloride, chlorobenzene, dieldrin,
Two
heptahclor, and lindane were found less often.
bologna
will
cholesterol.
have 6.1 grams of saturated
fat
and
31
Concerned parents should not give
bologna on a regular
basis.
There simply
is
too
slices
of
milligrams of their children
much
pesticide
contamination. If you do, be sure to purchase the least fatty
brands of chicken or turkey bologna. I'd stay away from pork/beef bologna.
It's
Chicken nuggets
nasty business,
no matter how you slice
Some 184
(fast-food).
it.
chemicals were
found. Benzene, chlorpyrifos, ethyl benzene, toluene, and
xylene were
among the most frequent. came with beans (homemade). One hundred-
Chili con
nine chemicals were found with
DDE
one of the most
as
common. Frankfurters (beef boiled). Beef frankfurters and beef and
pork frankfurters had some 207 different pesticide and industrial
chemical residues representing some twenty-seven
dif-
That means
that
ferent distinct formulations and metabolites.
each sample in the
FDA study and
every bite of your ballpark
frank has nearly 6 pesticide and industrial chemical residues.
This
is
a
very dangerous food for consumers. Pesticides and
industrial chemicals detected
chloroform,
DDE,
dieldrin,
most frequently were benzene,
HCB,
styrene, tetrachlorooeth-
ylene, toluene, tirchloroethylene, and xylene.
million Americans as
who
many as 24 excess
the early data.
Among
the 43
regularly eat hot dogs, there could be
cancers in
1
million persons, according to
That means we should expect
as
many
as 1,032
persons alive today to develop cancer just from eating pesticides in hot dogs every three days.
That
is
too high a
risk. If
the producers of hot dogs truly cared about the public, they
would at
tell
their products
what concentrations. But because the government
forcing
146
consumers what pesticides are in
them
is
and not
to provide this information, millions of Americans
David Steinman
are playing cancer roulette every time they eat a hot dog.
The
actual risk could well be higher, because frankfurters are often
preserved with in the
nitrites,
which form cancer-causing chemicals
human body. I advise you to keep your consumption of way down. Almost all other foods are much safer.
frankfurters
One
frankfurter has 4.8 grams of saturated fat and 23 mil-
hgrams of cholesterol. Stay away! (Let at a baseball
game and you want
summer, you might
me
add
this: if
you
are
to eat baseball food this
go ahead.)
as well
Green peppers stuffed with beefand rice (homemade). Talk about
a lethal
But look
combination,
at all the
who
doesn't love stuffed peppers?
chemical baggage stemming from both
green peppers and the fatty beef. chemicals were found with
DDE,
One hundred
forty-seven
endosulfan, and permethrin
most frequently detected.
Ground is
beef.
Ground beef has
a very
high
fat
content and
saturated with pesticides. It will ground your Hfe into toxic
rubbles of bubbling fried poison. (But, then again, the pirate
songwriter airman sailor
Jimmy
Buffet says that one said
cheeseburger might just be "paradise," and nobody argues with the
mango man.)
industrial chemical
In the
FDA
Total Diet Study, 180
and pesticide residues were detected repre-
senting twenty-three distinct chemicals.
Bad guys detected
in
DDE, hepHCB, styrene, toluene, and xylene. I think what me most distinctly about ground beef is how the chem-
at least
one-fourth of the samples were benzene,
tachlor, strikes ical
complexion has changed from oldtime gangster chemicals
like
BHC, DDT,
dieldrin, heptachlor,
more modern petrochemicals
HCB,
and octachlor to
that are even potentially
more
physiologically disfiguring. Petrochemicals detected less fre-
quendy included
1,11 ,-trichloroethane,
1
,2 ,4-trimethylbenzene,
chloroform, ethyl benzene, tetrachloroethylene, and trichloroethylene. It
is
clear
on
this revisit to this insane land
of the
147
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
naked lunch that greenhouse chemicals are out of hand and contaminating the food supply in greater quantities and with greater frequency than
most people including experts could
someone has
ever have imagined (but then unthinkable).
Nobody thought
warming would
to think the
that the chemicals of global
modern environment our very ground beef would become a repository of the so permeate our
sons of the chemical onslaught that
is
literally
that
poi-
shaping
humankind.
The
average ground beef-eating American eats nearly two daily. The cancer risk is relatively sigOne regular three-ounce patty of ground beef has 6.9
ounces of ground beef nificant.
grams of saturated
There ground
and 76 milligrams of cholesterol.
fat
are sources of very pure, virtually pesticide-free
beef. See the Personal Action
Guide
in this book,
and
buy your beef from these sources.
Hafn
(baked).
Cured ham had only ten
residues repre-
senting six formulations or metabolites. Pesticides and industrial
chemicals
detected
is
a
contamination alone,
is
low
ham,
ration; the cancer risk for eating
with
DDE,
most frequently were
permethrin, and toluene. This
insignificant.
level
of pesticide satu-
as a result
of pesticide
However, ham
nitrites to preserve the reddish color
is
cured
of the meat and to
prevent botulism, and nitrites form dangerous cancer-causing nitrosamines in the cides
and
nitrites
human
makes
The combination of pestired light food. The use of
body.
this a
back to ancient China and India;
nitrates
and
became
a firmly established practice in
nitrites dates
Middle Ages. There
is
it
Europe during the
strong evidence that excess exposure to
these chemicals in food constitutes a significant cancer threat.
In southern China, where they are found in high concentra-
148
common;
tions in salted fish, nasopharyngeal cancer
is
very
some
is
this family
experts believe the causative agent
of
David Steinman
Because vitamin
chemicals.
nitrosamines,
it
is
C
blocks the formation of
wise to eat vitamin C-rich foods
when
eating meats cured with nitrites.
Be sure to trim the fat from ham. A three-ounce portion of un trimmed ham has 6.4 grams of saturated fat and 79 milligrams of cholesterol. The same portion, trimmed, has only 2.7
grams of saturated
fat
and 68 milHgrams of cholesterol. See
the shopping tips that follow for important safety information
concerning Chernobyl cesium radiation in hams imported
from Europe.
Ham
(luncheon meat,
sliced).
Although having only four
chemicals, luncheon meats are almost always preserved with
form cancer-causing nitrosamines
nitrites that
gut.
These
in the
human
are linked with gastric cancer. If you're .going to eat
luncheon meats, be sure to seek those without
nitrites.
Hamburgers (quarter-pounder on bun, fast food). When was the
last
time a fast-food corporation warned you that the
your burger could be harmful to your health?
pesticides in
When was pers have
the
known
in cholesterol
lems.
first
time?
Was
for years that these red light foods are high
and saturated
The FDA
there ever a time? Smart shop-
fat.
But those
aren't the only prob-
Total Diet Study found that fast-food
ham-
burgers had 285 different residues, representing thirty- two different pesticide formulations.
That means each burger con-
tained roughly seven pesticide residues.
The
chemicals
detected most frequently were benzene, chlorpyrifos, dieldrin,
endosulfan heptachlor,
HCB,
styrene, toluene, trichloroethylene,
Liver
(beef, fried).
The
DDE,
lindane, malathion,
and xylene.
FDA Total
Diet Study revealed that
pan-fried beef and calf liver had thirty-nine different residues
representing
some
ten contaminants (not counting antibiotics
and other medications). Dieldrin was
in fourteen of thirty-six
samples. Less frequendy detected were 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene,
149
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
chloroform,
DDE,
endosulfan, ethyl benzene, heptachlor,
toluene, and xylene. Based
on
historic combination, eating
an
average of about 1.5 ounces of liver daily over a lifetime could cause as
many
as nine excess cancers in a
miUion persons.
Liver and other organ meats such as kidneys tend to accu-
mulate toxic metals and antibiotics.
My review of USDA toxic
chemical monitoring data for cuts of beef showed that
many
cuts of liver tended to be tainted with residues of antibiotics
such as streptomycin, tetracycline, and oxytetracycline. In addition, extremely high resides of sulfamethazine, above five parts per million,
were found
in liver
and kidney cuts.
of the 1986 monitoring data specifically for calf
A review
liver also
revealed that residues of antibiotics were detected in
organ
cuts. Antibiotics
found in the kidneys or
livers
many
of calves
included penicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline, neomycin, oxytetracycline,
and gentamycin. The
sulfa
drugs sulfamethazine,
sulfadimethoxine, sulfaquinoxaline, and sulfathiazole also
were found
Food
the
in kidney
and
liver tissues.
More
Safety Inspection Service of the
problem of
antibiotic
and
sulfa
recent data from
USDA
drug residues
shows the
persists.
One
three-ounce serving of fried beef or calf liver contains 2.5
grams of saturated
fat
and 410 milligrams of cholesterol.
Meatloaf (hoTnemade). This American chemicals with five.
DDE in every sample
Benzene was
favorite
had 186
and dieldrin in twenty-
in fourteen, styrene twelve,
and toluene sev-
enteen samples.
Pork sausage (pan-cooked). The revealed that pork sausage had
FDA
some 113
Total Diet Study
residues in thirty-six
samples representing eighteen distinct chemicals. That means the study found that each sample had about three different toxic chemicals. Pesticides detected in at least one-fourth of
DDE, DDT, and a combination of dieldrin, HCB, lindane, octachlor, phosalone, styrene.
the samples were
heptachlor,
150
David Steinman
TDE,
toluene, and xylene.
The
toxic chemicals.
ularly
Pork
—
cancers in a million persons.
many as eight excess number actually could
at least as
And that may also
be higher because pork sausage residues of sulfamethazine.
loaded with urated
repository of these
cancer risk from eating pork sausage reg-
relatively significant
is
fat is a
contain nitrites and
Each one-ounce pork sausage
milligrams of cholesterol and
1 1
1
.4
is
grams of sat-
fat.
Salami. Salami
loaded with pesticides. (Whether
is
The FDA
kosher or nonkosher makes no difference.)
Diet Study revealed that
this
The whole
at
Total
luncheon meat had some 141
tinct chemicals. Again, this shift in the seismic
our biology shouts out
it is
dis-
underworld of
me: chemicals of global warming.
matrix of the contamination has shifted away from
almost purely findings of pesticides to more and more of the basic petrochemicals linked with global
be seen once again with salami and
warming, and
its
this
contingent of petro-
chemicals showing up so often, especially compared with first trip
down
this fine
during
can
my
my first research period for Diet
for a Poisoned Planet.
You have benzene
in ten of thirty-six samples, along with
styrene (twelve), toluene (twenty- four), and xylene (nineteen) Pesticides found
were not
DDE
insignificant, looking at a
combina-
tion of
BHC,
Among
average salami-eating Americans (who eat slightly
than one ounce
(twenty-four of thirty-six), and dieldrin.
daily), there will
be as
cancers in one million persons.
Two
grams of saturated Sirloin ^eak. sirloin
fat
many as slices
less
thirty-one excess
of salami have 4.6
and 37 miUigrams of cholesterol.
The FDA
Total Diet Study found that beef
and loin steak had forty-nine pesticide residues repre-
senting nine different pesticide formulations. drin, heptachlor,
HCB,
BHC, DDT,
and octachlor were detected
diel-
in at least
one-fourth of the samples. Less frequently detected pesticides
151
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
included diazinon, malathion, and penta. Although the
number of pesticide
residues detected was relatively moderate,
the concentrations at which they were found were significantly elevated.
Consumers can
Whereas
a
all
visible
fat
from
steak.
three-ounce serving of untrimmed sirloin has 6.4
grams of saturated
same
significantly lower their ingestion of
simply by trimming
pesticides
fat
and 77 milligrams of cholesterol, the
serving, trimmed, contains 2.6
grams of saturated
fat
and
64 milligrams of cholesterol.* Veal cutlet (pan-cooked). Although the apparent cancer risk as a result
of ingesting pesticides in veal
must be placed antibiotic
tions
and
in the red light
sulfa
The FDA Total
industrial chemicals.
DDE
its
extensive
raised.
Diet Study showed that breaded and pan-
had only nine
industrial pollutant
cide residues representing seven
included
relatively small, veal
drug residues and the nightmarish condi-
under which most veal calves are
fried veal cutlets
is
group because of
The
and
pesti-
different pesticides
pesticides detected
and
most frequently
and lindane. Industrial chemicals and
pesti-
cides detected less frequently included malathion, permethrin,
and PCBs.
The industrial pollutants and many as six excess cancers
in as
pesticides in veal could result in a
milHon persons. That
probably a low estimate, since sulfamethazine residues
add to the cancer
risk.
One
is
may
three-ounce serving of braised or
broiled veal cutlet contains 4.1 grams of saturated fat and 109
milligrams of cholesterol.
When tends to be in stalls
buying
veal, avoid Hght-colored, pale veal,
more expensive and
indicates that calves
which
were raised
and intentionally kept anemic. Stay away from products
with labels that proclaim the veal was milk-fed, formula-fed,
premium, or fancy. In the Northeast, factory-farmed veal called nature veal.
152
Seek products simply called
is
veal\ these cuts
David Steinman
are the
same red color
as other
beef products; they are the least
expensive cuts. See the Personal Action Guide for sources of
from humanely
safe veal
Venison.
raised, free-range animals.
The major problem
with venison, which
people purchase by mail and from specialty meat shops,
European reindeer herds were severely nobyl nuclear in Finland
disaster. Particularly
by the Cher-
hard hit were reindeer herds
discussed in the Shopping Tips
is
section that follows. U.S. venison as it is
that
is
and Sweden, nations that export reindeer meat. The
impact of Chernobyl
fall
affected
many
is
relatively safe
—
just as
long
not a hunted buck beset with a spongiform wasting.
Shopping and Cooking Tips
One
of the best ways to reduce your exposure to toxic chemi-
cals is to
use meat and poultry as condiments and side dishes
main
instead of as the
dish.
When you
serve
chicken casserole, Chinese chicken salad, or
you cut down
pesticide exposure
homemade stew, pork chow mein,
by combining meat and
poultry with low-residue vegetables and grains.
Always buy the leanest cuts of meat, and choose the leanest
ground beef
available.
saturation include top
percent
fat),
Cuts of beef with the lowest pesticide
round
and top loin
(6 percent fat), eye of
round
(6
(9 percent fat).
Cuts of poultry with the
least pesticide saturation include
breast of chicken or turkey (3 percent fat) and drumsticks (5
Buy skinless chicken parts or skin the chicken yourself before you cook it. You can cut your chemical exposure by 50 percent or more by trimming the fatty portions percent
fat).
from
meat and
all
Do
poultry.
not be misled by deceptive labeling on meat and
poultry products claiming that the product
ernment regulations allow beef and poultry ural" as long as
it
is
"natural."
Gov-
to be labeled "nat-
has undergone minimal processing after
153
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
However, the "natural" claim does not preclude use
slaughter.
of antibiotics and hormones. states that
no
protection,
antibiotics or
Make
sure the label specifically
hormones were used. For your best
buy meat and poultry
fi-om producers
and
distrib-
utors listed in the Personal Action Guide later in this book.
They
provide the purest, safest meat and poultry in the
country, and their farm animals are raised humanely.
Buffalo meat
an excellent choice
is
if
you must avoid expo-
sure to antibiotics and hormones. Buffalo ranchers rarely use antibiotics or If
you
furters,
hormones.
insist
on buying ground meat, bologna, or frank-
buy those made with turkey or chicken, not beef or
pork. Seek brands without nitrites. Better yet, try tofu fi*ankfurters,
which are made of soybeans. These excellent hot dog
substitutes are available throughout the nation at health food
markets.
They
taste
wonderful. Children love them, and they
are far less toxic than hot dogs.
ground
beef.
They
taste
And
try tofu burgers instead of
wonderful.
Avoid charcoal-broiling meats until they are black. That goes for steaks, hamburgers, roasts, poultry, pork, and seafood. Slight grill
marks are
fine.
However, heavy charring of meats
produces high concentrations of benzopyrene, a carcinogen that belongs to a family of potent carcinogens
known
as
PAHs
(poly cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). Unfortimately, benzopy-
rene
isn't
the only
PAH in grilled meats with which we need to
be concerned, although gens
among
the
it is
among
the most potent carcino-
PAHs; some eighteen
different
PAHs
have
thus far been found in our food. Although the data are not entirely conclusive, researchers believe that at least five
many as twelve of these eighteen PAHs cause PAHs form when fat from grilled meats falls down on or hot coals. The PAHs that are formed in this reaction
perhaps as cancer.
flames rise
154
and
with the smoke and permeate the meat.
David Steinman
There
ways to minimize formation of these cancer-
are
causing chemicals in grilled meats:
•
Be sure
buy the
to
leanest foods for grilling.
The
leanest
choices for grilling include chicken breast, lobster, scallops, yellowfin tuna, flounder, sole, grouper, monkfish, halibut,
and shrimp. Trim •
By broiling meat
all
meats well before cooking.
in the oven,
where heat comes from above,
you can eliminate cancer-causing PAHs; the
fat
does not
drip onto the flame. •
Before grilling, allow meat to completely defrost; otherwise
meat heavily chars while the inside takes
the outside of the
longer to cook. •
When
purchasing fuel for your
wood
charcoal to mesquite. Researchers have discovered
grill,
prefer regular hard-
that cooking with mesquite produces far far
•
PAHs
higher concentrations of
ular
hardwood
When
more numbers and
than cooking with reg-
charcoal.
higher than usual from the
grilling, raise the grill
charcoal and place the charcoal on one side of the barbecue
and the meat on the other
side so that the
meat
is
never
directly over the charcoal. •
If
you
that
like
smoke
smoky wood
flavoring, rather than trying to
flavoring
on your home
smoke products. Such products most PAHs in the •
condiment
allowing
its
in
prefer liquid
are filtered; tars, resins,
are removed. Supermarkets carry liquid
You might want tikal Grill,
grill,
burn
and
smoke
section.
to try a
Swedish innovation called the Ver-
which allows you fat to
to
barbecue meat without
drip into the flames. See the Personal
Action Guide for more information. •
When
dining out, prefer the
least fatty cuts;
ask that they
be well trimmed or skinned before cooking.
155
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
•
Although the formation of to barbecuing
and
grilling,
and pan frying meats
PAHs
you must be
(HAs), which are created
Of course,
all
careful
to prevent formation
of cancer-causing chemicals
substances in
appears limited primarily
known
when
the
when broiling
of another group
as heterocyclic
amino
amines
and other
acids
meats are burned. Use lower temperatures.
because of bacterial contamination, you should
not eat meat, poultry, or seafood raw. But do not overcook.
Another technique
for
reducing
broiling or frying, precook
meat
for thirty to ninety seconds
and
Many
supermarkets
sell
specially raised to have cases,
few pesticides.
HA
formation:
microwave on high
in the
toss
before
out the
juice.
brands of meat and poultry that are
no antibiotic residues and
The companies
that
make
even, in
some
these products
take extra precautions to eliminate residues. They've signed
memorandums
of understanding
(MOUs)
with the Depart-
ment of Agriculture. These are legal agreements between the USDA and the company concerning drugs and residues in feed and water. They are upholding standards that are than regular
USDA guidelines. These producers strictly mon-
itor their animals to ticides, antibiotics,
make
sure they have eHminated
many pes-
hormones, and other drugs.
These following companies, among
others,
MOUs with the USDA. Beef Harris Ranch, Selma, California
Hitch Enterprises, Guymon, Oklahoma
Chicken Foster Farms, Turlock, California
Holly Farms, Wilkesboro, North Carolina 156
far stricter
have signed
David Steinman
Turkey Foster Farms, Livingston, California
Norbest, Salt Lake City, Utah
Louis Rich, Davenport, Iowa Swift- Eckrich,
South Chicago,
Illinois
Chernobyl Radiation
The year 2006 marks the twentieth anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. The explosion of a nuclear reactor at the power plant in Chernobyl in the
USSR in
late April
1986 released the
largest quantity of nuclear material ever freed in one technological accident. If you eat
imported European meats, such
as
PoHsh
hams or reindeer meat from Finland, you should be wary of lowlevel radiation
exposure due to the Chernobyl
disaster.
Shortly after the Chernobyl accident, the U.S. Deparmient of Agriculture
Food
Safety and Inspection Service began to
itor the radiation levels
mon-
of European meat and poultry to assess
the extent of radioactive contamination in products that
would
enter the U.S. food supply. Very few of the samples exceeded the
Drug Administration for contamination of human food and animal
guideHnes developed by the Food and accidental radioactive feed.
However, by October 1986, approximately 50 percent of
the one thousand samples taken contained cesium residues
exceeding normal background highest levels in
its
levels.
The
country with the
food products was Romania, followed by
Brazil,
which imports meats from Poland
plants.
Four countries that export
for processing at
significant
its
amounts of meat
and poultry to the United States had samples with significantly high
total
The
half-life
problem
cesium
will
Poland
is
levels:
Hungary, Poland, Yugoslavia, and
Brazil.
of cesium ranges from 2.1 to thirty years; thus the
remain with us for quite some time.
one of the biggest exporters of canned ham and
pork shoulders to the United States (78.3 million pounds in 157
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
A sampling of Polish products indicated that some had
1986). total
cesium
levels as
high
as one-third
of the allowable levels
for foods.
In
exported
1986, Yugoslavia
ham and
canned cesium
is
shoulders into the United States. Total
level.
a principal exporter of canned beef into the
States (46.1 million
and beef cesium
of
of Yugoslavian meats were as high as one-fourth
levels
of the allowable Brazil
million pounds
18.5
pounds
extract. Brazilian
levels that
Brazilian beef
in 1986).
Be wary of Brazilian beef
beef extract recently has had total
were nearly twice the allowable
had cesium
United
levels as
high
level.
Other
one-tenth of the
as
federal response level.
These European affected
nations'
by the Chernobyl
meat and poultry were
least
Germany,
Italy,
disaster: France,
and the Netherlands.
Meat and poultry from the following nations were moderately affected
by the Chernobyl
disaster:
Denmark, Hungary, Sweden, and poultry from these nations
Meat and
Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia. Eat
meat and
no more than once every few months.
poultry products from these nations were signifi-
cantly contaminated by the Chernobyl accident: Brazil, Fin-
Romania, and Switzerland. Avoid eating meat
land, Poland,
and poultry products imported from these countries. The problems persist to
this day,
but
many common
folk in the
Ukraine
and other European radiation hotspots complain the govern-
ment
doesn't
want
to
monitor contamination
foods because the public
they want
officials
know what
levels in their
they will find and
the people to believe that everything
is
okay.
Protecting Yourself against Food Poisoning
Cook These 158
meat, pork, and poultry thoroughly to bacteria are heat sensitive
kill
and are destroyed
salmonella. at
cooking
David Steinman
temperatures of 140°F or higher.
To be completely
safe,
cook
poultry until the meat reaches 180°F to ensure the destruction
of any salmonella that
may
be present. Boneless parts should
be cooked to an internal temperature of 1 60°F, is
cooked thoroughly,
To make
sure that
juices will
be
meat and poultry
When poultry
not pink.
clear,
are
cooked
all
the
way
through, use a meat thermometer to measure internal temperature. Insert the tip into the thickest part of the meat, avoiding fat
and bone. For poultry, insert the thermometer
tip into the
thick part of the thigh next to the body.
Meat and
poultry dishes are safe to eat
cooked to the temperatures but you should
know
listed below.
that cooking
it
when they
are
Rare beef is popular,
to only 140°F
means
some food poisoning organisms may survive. Remember, use meat thermometer to record the internal temperature.
SAFE
a
MEAT AND POULTRY COOKING TEMPERATURES Farenheit
Celcius
Fresh Beef Rare
60
Medium
71
Well done
77
Ground Beef
77
Fresh Veal
77
Fresh
Lamb
Medium
77
Well done
82
159
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Fresh Pork
170
77
Poultry
Chicken
180-185
82-85
Turkey (boneless)
180-185
82-85
Turkey roast
180-185
82-85
Stuffing (inside or outside the bird)
165
74
Ham (raw) Ham (fully cooked)
160
71
140
60
Shoulder
170
77
Cured Pork
Game Venison
160-170
71-77
Rabbit
180-185
82-85
Duck
180-185
82-85
Goose
180-185
82-85
Reprinted from The Safe Food Book, published by die
and hispection Service, 1985 and updated
at
Food
USDA Food Safety
Safety Facts,
USDA,
August 1999 (www.foodsafety.gov/~fsg/fs-cook.html).
Always wash your hands before handling meats and poultry.
Do
not use the same knife for meat, pork, or poultry and for
produce.
Wash
knives well with hot water and soap before
using on produce.
Do
not chop produce on the same surface
where you cut meat, pork, and surfaces
where meat
juices
poultry.
Thoroughly wash
all
have dripped.
Your refrigerator temperature should be below 40°F, and your freezer should be
more time 160
to
cook
set at 0°F.
Always allow frozen food
—generally one and one-half times longer
— David Steinman
than food that has been thawed. Always thaw meats in the refrigerator or microwave, never
warmth of
on the kitchen counter. The
the kitchen and exposure to other foods creates
ideal conditions for
growth and spread of
bacteria.
Meat and
poultry thaw from outside to inside, so thawing your meat
and poultry in the refrigerator will keep bacteria from growing
on the outside while the
inside thaws.
Don't carry cooked meat to the table on the same platter
you used
to transport the
Cooked poultry
that
raw meat to the
grill.
not eaten immediately should be
is
kept hot (between 140°F and 185°F) or refrigerated at 40°F or below. Slice the meat or poultry before refrigerating so
it
will
cool quickly. Store casseroles and stews in shallow pans so they will cool quickly in the refrigerator.
Reheat leftovers to pot to retain as
make
much
at least
165°F before eating. Cover the
moisture and flavor as possible and to
sure the food will heat evenly
all
the
way through. Bring
leftover gravy to a rolling boil before serving.
Store chicken for picnics or luncheons in an insulated con-
Keep all cooked poultry refrigerated for more than two hours. Never leave foods particularly meats tainer or ice chest.
—
in the
ment
oven overnight; microorganisms find the oven environa perfect hatchery.
If you are preparing a brisket for the Seder, or
prepare food long before eating
it,
steps before serving to prevent contamination teria
germ
Clostridium perfringens.
isms are present in the
humans, and
soil, in
no
less
it
in a
cafe-
one of the leading
You should hold
than 140°F. Better
your dish ahead of time and refrigerate microwave, or reheat
from the
the intestines of animals and
causes of food poisoning in the United States. at
special
These microscopic organ-
in sewage. Perfringens are
cooked meat dishes
any time you
you should take
it.
still,
cook
Then reheat it in the
warming oven
at
200°F
for about
161
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
one hour before serving. Wrapping the meat reheating
it
in
its
own
gravy will keep
it
in foil
and
moist.
Should any meat or product have an off odor or an unusual color or texture, return
it
to the store.
Do
not
taste
it.
The
microorganisms responsible for food poisoning cannot be tasted,
anyway.
Safe Shopping
List:
Meat and Poultry
Photocopy this list and use it when you shop for meat or poultry. Always prefer green light cuts of meat and poultry. They are the safest cuts and significantly reduce your toxic exposures.
They may not be have
far
pesticide and chemical free, but these cuts
fewer residues than the most dangerous
Within each group
I've listed the foods
ticide residues at the top.
162
cuts.
with the fewest pes-
David Steinman
Number
Green Light Chicken
(fried, breast, leg,
of Residues
and
homemade)
7
Pork roast (baked)
20
thigh,
OTHER GREEN LIGHT MEAT AND POULTRY Rabbit
Buffalo steak
Duck
Turkey breast luncheon meat
Escargot
Turkey meat
Frogs' legs
Venison (U.S.)
Goose
Number
Yellow Light Beef steak
(loin,
pan-cooked)
of Residues
51
Beef stroganoff (homemade)
81
Lamb
76
chops
Pork chops (pan-cooked)
29
Sahsbury steak with gravy, potatoes,
and vegetables (frozen meal, heated)
Turkey with
gravy, dressing, potatoes
vegetable (frozen meat heated)
115
and 75
OTHER YELLOW LIGHT MEAT AND POULTRY Chicken hot dogs and hamburgers
Chicken cold cuts
Turkey hot dogs and hamburgers
Red Light
Number
of Residues
Bacon (pork, pan-cooked)
124
Beef chuck roast (baked)
115 163
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Bologna
136
(sliced)
Chicken nuggets
184
(fast-food)
Chili con carne with beans
(homemade)
109
207
Frankfurters (beef, boiled)
Green peppers, rice
stuffed with beef
and
(homemade)
147
Ground beef
180
Ham (baked, with nitrite preservatives) Ham (luncheon meat, sliced, with
10
4
nitrite preservatives)
Hamburgers (quarter-pounder on bun. fast
285
food)
39
Liver (beef, fried)
Meatloaf (homemade)
Pork sausage (pan-cooked)
113
Salami
140
Sirloin steak
49
Veal cutlet
OTHER RED LIGHT MEAT Venison (imported from Europe)
164
186 ^
9
SEVEN Seafood
MENTIONED IN the Introduction that fish eaters in Los Angeles who were exposed to DDT- and PCB-contaminated I
seafood were found to have levels of
higher than people
who
DDT up to nineteen times
ate little or
subjects in our study regularly
had
no
The
fish.
fish-eating
DDT and PCB levels six to
ten times higher than would be expected in a "normal" unex-
posed population.
That was (ppb)
pretty bad.
DDT
Most people have
in their blood
probably have
a
few other
2 to 7 parts per billion
and about 2 to
5
ppb PCBs. They
pesticides, too, just
from eating the
food, drinking the water, and breathing the air of the late twentieth century.
thing else
we
These L.A.
fish eaters
discovered was even
had
more
it
even worse. But some-
disturbing.
A few of the
people with the highest levels had been eating fish caught
many
miles offshore, in a region where commercial fishermen throw their nets.
That finding suggested
a
much more dangerous and
widespread threat. In 1986
I
began buying
Angeles, from Koreatown to
fish
from markets throughout Los
Long
Beach.
We used
a laboratory
technique called electron-capture gas chromatography to detect
— Diet for a Poisoned Planet
pesticides
and industrial chemicals in die seafood we knew to
The
be coming most likely from the local waters.
white
croakers were popular with certain ethnic markets, and a
number of people
like
bonito and mackerel, though they are a
We
bit oily for others.
hoped we would
found that even commercially sold
is
find none.
white croaker
fished commercially with
fish,
cheap and
—
a
very
more than
hundred thousand pounds landed annually and sold were grossly polluted. This
But we
from super-
fish straight
The
market freezers were polluted. popular species that
fair
a
locally
plentiful,
would
contaminate the bodies of thousands of persons. Other local seafood, including mackerel, ocean perch, and swordfish, had industrial pollution
tion
seemed
coastline
I
The contamina-
sites. I
my articles,
reported this site-specific contamina-
and commercial fishermen have since been
bringing in fish
demanded
most contaminated
with significantly
to see U.S.
I
discovered that
Not by
a
it
was not
Some
whose
popular
and
Were
Were women
that's
from
all
Were
across
seafood
of childbearing age shocked?
public officials? Absolutely.
At the request of elected fied before
state
and federal
officials, I testi-
environmental committees of both the
lature
and the federal government.
out. I
was one of only
a
few people
I
believed
who
I
state legis-
had to speak
actually
knew inno-
men and women who had become poisoned with and PCBs from fish they were catching and eating.
cent
how
were contam-
fish
fish
the nation were, in fact, significantly polluted. lovers shocked?
are
Food and Drug Administration
just L.A.
long shot.
They
sites.
less pollution.
pesticide monitoring files for the entire nation,
inated.
Los Angeles
and gradually diminished north and south, away
able to steer clear of the
now
traces, too.
to be centered in fish caught off the
from the dump tion in
and pesticide
DDT
People needed to get smart to protect themselves, and they
166
David Steinman
needed to know that government's mandate to protect the
pubhc health had been compromised. Part of explain that they could
my
task
was to
no longer count on the government
to
protect their health.
That was why
I testified as
an expert witness before the
U.S. Congressional Subcommittee on Health and the Envi-
ronment
in
February 1986
of Representative
at the request
Henry Waxman of Los Angeles. I testified that despite the efforts of Food and Drug Administration pesticide watchdogs, a tremendous amount of poisoned seafood was being sold in markets throughout the nation.
I
presented evidence from the
FDAs own files. The next day my findings were printed on the front pages of newspapers in
Los Angeles and became the sub-
ject of stories throughout the nation.
Almost overnight people responded. simply buying
fish.
No
Thfey were asking grocers where their
came from. Restaurant patrons questioned their catfish
longer were they
Was
was caught.
swordfish
all
fish
chefs about
where
What
about
right?
snapper? Halibut? Farm-raised trout? Lobster? Shrimp?
We
needed answers. I
fish
have since studied the entire supply of U.S. and imported
and
species.
shellfish. I will tell
There
you the
relative risks of eating
are significant differences.
Some
each
species of fish
present cancer risks thousands of times greater than other species.
There
are fish to be avoided, but there
delicious seafood that Ironically, all this
come
at a
time
is safe,
plenty of
too.
information about toxins in seafood has
when an
eating fish and shellfish
number of Americans are because studies have shown that
increasing
switching from meat to fish
You
is
may
help prevent heart disease.
should include seafood in your diet. In the low-toxin,
high-energy diet
I
recommend
that
you
ings of fish a week. But beware! Fish
eat is
two or three
serv-
one of the primary 167
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
DDT,
sources of pollutants such as mercury, dioxin,
PCBs. So you must take care
to eat fish
and
and
shellfish that
are pure.
Seafood
high in protein and low in
is
that eating an average of
pound acids
week) of
a
known
as
one ounce
fat,
omega-3
and poultry, seafood
A
fatty acids,
can help prevent heart dis-
Compared with meat
extremely rich in these beneficial fatty
is
four-ounce serving of Chinook salmon has a whop-
ping 2.4 grams of omega-3 fatty
amount of chicken
acids,
whereas that same
breast has only 0.03 grams, and
and ground beef have bare traces of omega-3
omega-3
Interest in
fatty acids
Eskimos
entists discovered that
quantities of fish
had
was
in
first
of Dutch
men showed
supplements just
yet.
with
fish
A more
when
sci-
ate large
recent study
from coronary heart those persons
start
buying omega-3
fish oils
may
who
dis-
con-
fatty acid
be effective in
levels, experts really are
whether benefits conferred upon
omega-3
not quite
fish eaters are a
some other benefits associated recommend eating fish, not simply
fatty acids or
consumption.
taking fish
among
Although
reducing serum cholesterol
result of
sparked
an ounce of fish a day.
Don't give up seafood and
positive yet
fatty acids.
Greenland who
that mortality
ease was reduced 50 percent at least
roimd steak
low incidence of coronary heart disease
a
despite a high fat and cholesterol intake.
sumed
a half-
fatty coldwater fish, rich in beneficial fatty
ease, the nation's leading cause of death.
acids.
and studies report
day (roughly
a
I
oil capsules.
Seafood
is
also a valuable source of low-calorie protein,
fat-soluble vitamins, vitamin B12, calcium,
chromium, and
phosphorous.
At etable.
its best,
But
a
seafood
is
as safe as
finit
few seafood dishes should never be
family's table because they are a
168
any organic
set
or veg-
on your
primary source of harmfiil
David Steinman
and
industrial pollutants
pesticides.
At
its
worst, seafood
most dangerous source of powerful carcinogens
The broad
range of pollution to which of some
that concentrations
extremely elevated.
one
fact:
The
tragedy
is
diet.
exposed means
fish are
industrial
our
in
the
is
pollutants
be
will
best illustrated, perhaps, by
more than two thousand advisory warnings
against
eating certain seafoods have been issued by coastal and Great
Lakes
states.
Seafood Survival Guide
So how
safe
is
your seafood?
The
truth
is
that safety levels for
seafood pollution represent a compromise between the gov-
ernment and the fishing industry
The government
at the
expense of our health.
from
says that the risk
industrial pollution
and pesticides in food and water should be so low worst,
no more than one person
from toxins
that, at
in a million should get cancer
was
in that food or water. But, as usual, the law
written with a loophole that allows regulators to balance con-
sumer
economic harm.
risks against
other fi*eshwater
fish,
risk.
But public
and
far
officials in
and federal government have decided that banning Great
Lakes and other freshwater
fish
would impose too great an
economic burden on the commercial ticularly of the
government is
Great Lakes and
for instance, are extremely toxic
exceed this one-in-a-miUion cancer state
Many
Great Lakes. In
says that
its
fi*eshwater fisheries, par-
this case (and
many others),
the
one-cancer-out-of-a-million standard
too stringent and will hurt the seafood industry, so
it
allows
the sale of poisoned seafood throughout the nation.
Knowing where your seafood was caught about
how
safe
it is.
This survival guide discusses
in specific regions. (At the list
you can use even
will tell
if
end of the chapter
you don't know where
was caught.) In researching seafood
fish
a safe
is
you
a lot
caught
shopping
a particular fish
safety, I
have analyzed
169
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
thousands offish and reviewed the resuhs of tests of many U.S.
and foreign waters for industrial pollution and be surprised
will
It is
at
how many
safe fish there are.
important to keep in mind that
commercially marketed
fish.
You
pesticides.
Sport
fish,
this list includes
only
which are often caught
closer to shore, nearer polluted regions, are not included in this
list.
Thus, halibut caught from Santa Monica Bay and
flounder caught from Boston Harbor
may be
quite contami-
nated whereas commercially caught halibut and' flounder from
deeper offshore waters in most cases will be
less polluted.
We
are interested in the effects of overall lifetime doses, so occasionally eating seafood dishes
regions
is
from
relatively polluted inshore
unlikely to affect the overall dose.
The modern supermarket is filled with seafood imported from around the world. Some 60 percent of seafood sold in the United States is imported. You should know that seafood from Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and
New Zealand
is
the purest the
seven seas can give. Central and South American deep ocean
should be coveted for their purity.
fish I
have been reviewing analyses of food safety for years now,
and what follows
is
based on the best information available.
does not cover every the
number
when
These
lists
introduce
or every region, and in
some
cases
may not have been large. But I of information we can gather is impor-
of samples taken
believe that every bit tant
fish
It
it
comes
to cutting back
on
toxins in our food.
may help you cut a toxin source safe, new seafood dishes.
out of your diet or
some
Green Light
These lutants
fish
have the smallest concentrations of industrial pol-
and
pesticides,
seafood menu.
item
170
as well.
I
have
and should be the mainstays of your
listed the
Eat them often!
major sources of each seafood
David Steinman
Abalone
is
virtually pollution free.
Arctic char from Canada
virtually pollution free.
is
Blue crab from Puerto Rico
is
virtually pollution free.
Catfish from Brazil and Thailand
Caviar from Canada
virtually pollution free.
is
relatively pollution free.
is
Cod from Canada, Denmark,
Iceland, and
New Zealand is
virtually pollution free.
Crab from Korea
is
California,
Dungeness crab from Alaska
virtually pollution free.
and Washington (surimi)
Georgia, Argentina, China, and
is
from Korea
virtually pollution free. Imitation crab is
virtually pollution free.
Beware of addi-
tives in surimi.
Crawfish from Louisiana crawfish from Arkansas
is
virtually pollution free, but
is
slightiy polluted.
Croaker from Uruguay
is
virtually pollution free.
Dace from Hong Kong and China
Dover
sole
from
and the Netherlands
virtually pollution free.
Washington, France, Korea,
California, is
is
virtually pollution free.
localized pollution hot spots in California
more than
that affect recreational fishing
There
are a few
and Washington the commercial
fishery.
English sole from California
is
virtually pollution free.
Flounder (including East Coast yellowtail flounder) from
Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, VirNorth Carolina, Texas, CaHfornia, Argentina, Iceland,
Massachusetts, ginia,
Japan, Mexico, and the Netherlands
There if
are
some
possible stay
local pollution
is
virtually pollution free.
hot spots in Massachusetts, so
away from flounder caught from Boston
Harbor.
Freshwater bass from Mexico water
is
relatively clean for a fresh-
fish.
Grouper from Texas, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and Uruguay is virtually pollution free. 171
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Haddock from Canada, is
and the United Ejngdom
Iceland,
virtually pollution free.
Halibut from Alaska, California, and Iceland pollution free, although your best bet halibut. Halibut
is
virtually
Alaskan or Icelandic
moderate mercury accumulator. Some
a
is
is
Los Angeles-area halibut may be tainted with PCBs.
Mahintahi from Florida and China
is
virtually pollution
mercury accumulator.
free. It is a low-level
Marlin from California
is
virtually pollution free. It
is
a
mercury accumulator.
Menpachi from Hawaii
is
virtually pollution free.
Milkfish from the Philippines
virtually pollution free.
is
Monkfish from New Zealand and Thailand
is
virtually pol-
lution free.
Mudfish
(dried)
from Thailand
is
virtually pollution free.
Mullet from Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Thailand
is
virtually
is
virtually
pollution free.
Octopus
is
virtually pollution free.
Orange roughy
is
virtually pollution free.
Palani from Hawaii
is
Pollock from Canada
Pomfret from
virtually pollution free.
is
virtually pollution free.
Hong Kong,
China, and Thailand
pollution free.
Red mullet from Mexico and Thailand
is
virtually pollu-
tion free.
Red snapper it's
is
virtually pollution free,
no matter where
from.
Rock bass from Florida
Salmon from
is
virtually pollution free.
Ireland and the United
Kingdom
is
virtually
pollution free. Pacific
salmon (chum,
king, silver, sockeye)
Cahfomia, Oregon, and Washington
Sand dabs from 172
is
from Alaska,
virtually pollution free.
California are virtually pollution free.
David Steinman
Sand goby from Thailand
virtually pollution free.
is
and imported, are
Scallops, domestic
virtually pollution free.
Sculpin from northern Cahfornia
is
virtually pollution free.
domestic and imported,
is
virtually pollution free.
Sea
bass,
Sea urchin roe
is
virtually pollution free.
Shrimpy domestic and imported, free.
is
virtually pollution
Because of the possible use of banned antibiotics in for-
eign farm-raised shrimp, prefer U.S. -harvested shrimp.
was most commonly detected
DDE
most recent Total Diet
in the
Study.
Sole from Cahfornia, Washington, and the Netherlands
is
virtually pollution free.
Spiny lobster from Austraha, is
Spiny lobsters
virtually pollution free.
lobsters in that they have
Squid
New Zealand,
no
from
common
claws.
virtually pollution free.
is
Striped bass from North CaroHna free. It is a
differ
and California
is
relatively pollution
mercury accumulator.
Talapia from California, Puerto Rico, Singapore, and Thailand
is
Hong Kong,
China,
virtually pollution free.
Tarpon from Puerto Rico
is
virtually pollution free. It
is
a
mercury accumulator. Trout from California, Georgia, Louisiana, Argentina, Canada, Chile, and Uruguay raised trout lakes
may contain
and streams are
is
virtually pollution free.
antibiotic residues.
Farm-
Trout from alpine
fine.
Wahoo from Mexico and Singapore
is
virtually pollution free.
Whiting, domestic and imported, from Chile, Japan, and
Uruguay
is
virtually pollution free.
Yellowtail
from the
Pacific
Coast
is
virtually pollution free.
173
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Yellow Light
Seafood under the yellow light heading tends to concentrate significantly lower levels of industrial pollutant
than the red light items. Yellow light seafood cautionary approach, however. Eat
Agel shark
is
it
and pesticides
still
warrants a
seldom.
moderately saturated with
DDT.
It is a
mer-
cury accumulator. Belt fish from
BHC,
Hong Kong
is
moderately saturated with
DDX and lindane.
Bonito fi-om Cahfornia
moderately saturated with
DDT
moderately saturated with
DDT
is
and PCBs.
Bream from Arkansas
is
and nonachlor. Butterftsh from Virginia
and
is
moderately saturated with
BHC
DDT.
Catfish from Iceland and
Mexico
is
moderately saturated
DDT
with
Caviar from Iran
is
moderately saturated with
Crab from the Chesapeake Bay
is
DDT
moderately saturated
with chlordane and PCBs.
Croaker from China and
moderately saturated with
is
BHC
DDT.
Drum DDT,
and
from Arkansas
is
moderately saturated with
DCPA,
dieldrin.
Fish sticks (frozen, heated). These have far more petrochemical contamination than ever before and have been
moved from often have
some
a
green light to yellow light food.
They
do, also,
MSG and other additives that may not be good for
people. In total,
some 229
residues were foimd with 1,2,4-
trimethylbenzene, chlorpyrifos, dichlorobenzene, malathion, toluene, and xylene
Northern pike
BHC, DDT, 174
and
most frequently detected.
fi-om
Canada
dieldrin. It
is
a
is
moderately saturated with
mercury accumulator.
David Steinman
Norwegian salmon
moderately saturated with
is
BHC,
lin-
dane, PCBs, and tecnazene.
Ocean perch
firom California
moderately saturated with
is
DDT and PCBs. Pacific barracuda
DDT
moderately saturated with
is
and PCBs.
Rainbow trout from Colorado and Missouri is moderately DDT, PCBs, and toxaphene.
saturated with chlordane,
Ribbonfish from Japan
is
moderately saturated with
BHC
moderately saturated with
DDT.
DDT
and
Rock cod from California Rockfish
is
New Jersey
Sea trout from
BHC, DDT,
is
moderately saturated with
dieldrin,
is
moderately saturated with
and PCBs.
Smelt from Oregon and Canada with
DDT,
New Jersey is
DDT and PCBs. It
is
Walleye from Canada
DDT,
and
dieldrin. It
is
a
moderately saturated with
dieldrin,
and
Tuna (canned from
DDT,
is
moderately saturated
mercury accumulator.
a
is
moderately saturated with
BHC,
mercury accumulator.
Whitefish from Canada
DDT,
moderately saturated
and PCBs.
Thresher shark from California with
is
and PCBs.
dieldrin,
Spot from dieldrin,
DDT and PCBs.
is
BHC,
moderately saturated with
HCB.
in
oil).
Tuna, when canned in
green light to yellow light food. I'd
oil,
make
moved
all
tuna a
yellow light food due to mercury contamination alone.
How-
a
ever, the increased
amount of chemical
still
residue in tuna appar-
ently increased greatly in the last decade with the presence of far
more
industrial petrochemicals.
Twenty of
thirty samples
contained toluene. Also found twelve times: benzene. In
total,
eighty chemical residues were found.
175
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Red
Light
These red
light fish concentrate in their flesh the greatest
amounts of
industrial pollutants
chlordane,
DDT,
and pesticides such
heptachlor,
dieldrin,
PCBs, and
These include some of the most dangerous foods ican food supply.
Black cod sablefish)
is
dioxin.
Amer-
in the
have cut them out completely.
(also sold as California black cod, butterfish,
PCBs, chlordane, DDT,
quite saturated with
is
dieldrin,
HCB,
and
DDT.
highly saturated with
Bluefish
DCPA,
I
BHC,
as
nonachlor, and octachlor. Smaller
bluefish are not as polluted as larger ones.
Buffalo fish from Alabama, Arkansas,
Illinois,
Louisiana,
Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin
DDT,
tachlor, nonachlor,
satu-
HCB,
hep-
PCBs, penta, and toxaphene. Buffalo
fish is
rated with chlordane,
also a
is
diazinon, dioxin,
mercury accumulator.
Carp from Arkansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Virginia
DDT,
dane,
octachlor,
dieldrin,
is
saturated with
chewitz gefilte fish
is
It is
heptachlor, nonachlor,
made with
fish is
made with
northern Manitoba in Canada. gefilte fish
HCB,
dioxin,
and penta. Gefilte
PCBs, BHC, chlorcarp.
Manis-
carp from the lakes of
probably
less polluted
than
made with domestic carp.
Catfish from the rivers of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, ICansas, Illinois, Louisiana,
Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota,
North CaroHna, Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin with
BHC,
chlordane,
DCPA, DDT,
heptachlor, nonachlor, octachlor, It is
so absolutely polluted that
the market.
dieldrin
raised
176
is
HCB,
it
should be banned now from is
also
polluted,
though
contamination with chlordane and
quite significant.
catfish
saturated
PCBs, penta, and toxaphene.
Farm-raised catfish
slightly less; however, its
is
dieldrin, dioxin,
The
southern breeders of farm-
must take stronger measures
to
prevent
David Steinman
contamination of their product with these two pesticides and with
DDT and Hndane.
Caviar from Michigan and China
DDT,
and PCBs.
you buy
If you eat
it
often,
saturated with chlordane,
is
you should be concerned.
only once or twice a year, go ahead and enjoy
it
Chub from
Illinois,
If
it.
Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin
is sat-
BHC, chlordane, DCPA, DDT, dieldrin, dioxin, HCB, heptachlor, lindane, nonachlor, and octachlor.
urated with endrin,
Smoked chub This one
is
very popular, but
expose you to more pollution in one meal
fish will
than a careful
shopper might be exposed to in
Cod from Cahfornia and with is
DDT and PCBs.
listed in the
also extremely polluted.
it is
the Pacific Northwest
Imported cod
is
is
very pure, however;
DCPA, DDT,
is
saturated with
dieldrin, dioxin,
HCB,
coho salmon from the Great Lakes Smaller coho are safe but
Pacific
it
still
is
BHC,
heptachlor,
nonachlor, octachlor, PCBs, penta, and toxaphene.
eat.
saturated
green hght category.
Coho salmon from the Great Lakes chlordane,
a lifetime.
Any
large
extremely dangerous to
quite dangerous. Stay with
Coast salmon for your purest choices.
Croaker caught along the Atlantic seaboard has low
moderate
levels
of chlordane,
DDT,
dioxin,
toxaphene contamination. Imported croaker
is
to
PCB, and
slightly purer
than the domestic catch.
Dace, often imported from China,
DDT,
is
saturated with
BHC,
and Hndane.
Eels from Massachusetts,
New Jersey, New York,
Canada, and Japan are saturated with dieldrin,
dioxin,
HCB,
BHC,
heptachlor,
Delaware,
chlordane,
nonachlor,
DDT,
lindane,
and PCBs. Eels accumulate mercury. Lake trout from Minnesota and the other Great Lakes
octachlor,
states
is
tachlor,
saturated with
HCB,
BHC,
chlordane,
DDT,
dieldrin,
hep-
nonachlor, octachlor, and PCBs.
177
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Lobster from Maine and Massachusetts
PCBs. The worst of the pollution
is
saturated with
concentrated in that
is
portion of the lobster called the tomalley, which
is
popular in
ethnic markets in Massachusetts as a delicacy and sauce; not
somewhat reduce your exposure. Be which are sometimes made with toma-
eating the tomalley will
wary of lobster lley
and which
sauces, will
be contaminated with PCBs. Even edible
portions of Maine and Massachusetts lobsters are extremely
contaminated with PCBs. Lobster from California and imported lobster are hsted under the green light category.
Mackerel from
New
York
DDT, HCB,
chlordane,
mackerel fi*om California atively safer but
is
saturated with
PCBs, BHC,
nonachlor, and octachlor. Pacific is
slightly cleaner
and therefore
not pure by any means.
Mullet from California and North Carohna
DCPA, DDT,
with PCBs, ever,
rel-
imported mullet
dieldrin,
and
quite clean and
is
is
saturated
traces of dioxin. is
listed as a
Howgreen
light fish.
Northern pike from Minnesota and other Midwestern waters
is
tremendous accumulator of mercury and often
a
other pesticides and industrial chemicals.
Sea herring from the United
New
Zealand
lands,
and
DDT,
dieldrin, endrin,
is
Canada, the Nether-
States,
saturated with
HCB,
BHC,
chlordane,
heptachlor, hndane, nonachlor,
and PCBs. Shark, domestic and imported,
PCBs. Shark
is
is
saturated with
Sheepshead ft-om Minnesota and Wisconsin with
BHC,
DDT and
a mercury accumulator.
chlordane,
DCPA, DDT,
tachlor, nonachlor, octachlor,
Smallmouth bass
fi-om
dieldrin,
is
saturated
HCB,
hep-
and PCBs.
Minnesota
is
contaminated with
dioxin.
Striped bass from
178
New York, New Jersey,
and other north-
David Steinman
eastern states and
from San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento
Delta in California
DDT,
dieldrin,
saturated with
is
HCB,
PCBs, BHC, chlordane,
nonachlor, and octachlor.
It is also a
mercury accumulator. Stay away! Sturgeon from
BHC,
DDT,
chlordane,
and Minnesota
Illinois
is
saturated with
HCB,
dieldrin, dioxin,
heptachlor,
lindane, nonachlor, octachlor, penta, and other pesticides such as
DCPA and
triflurahn.
Swordfish, domestic and imported,
with
DDT and PCBs, and
Trout from
New
DDT,
Walleye from
and Wisconsin Walleye
is
Illinois,
is
Jersey,
Maryland, Virginia,
contaminated with
is
BHC,
and octachlor.
York, Minnesota, Michigan,
saturated with
DDT,
dioxin,
and PCBs.
mercury accumulator.
a
BHC,
New
moderately saturated
prime mercury accumulator.
dieldrin, nonachlor,
Weakflsh from with
a
New
and Michigan
Florida, Missouri,
chlordane,
it is
York,
is
New
chlordane,
York and Pennsylvania
DDT,
dieldrin,
HCB,
is
saturated
nonachlor, and
octachlor.
White bass from Ohio and many other areas with
BHC,
chlordane,
DCPA, DDT,
nonachlor, octachlor, and PCBs. Be wary of
White croaker from California
is
is
saturated
dieldrin, all
HCB,
white bass.
saturated with
DDT
and PCBs. Whitefish from Pennsylvania and
many
other areas
is
con-
taminated with dioxin.
White perch from with
DDT,
New York and Pennsylvania is saturated
dieldrin, dioxin,
Yellow eel from China
is
and PCBs. saturated with
BHC, DDT,
and
lindane.
Yellow perch from Pennsylvania has traces of dieldrin.
Be
wary of all freshwater perch.
179
— Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Natural Toxins
Other
perils
of both shellfish and
completely
fish include certain
unwary consumer, and
natural toxins that can be deadly to the
and other microorganisms that are found in
viruses
shellfish,
often as a result of coastal sewage pollution.
The
three
most common naturally occurring
from the dangers of eating
which
sushi,
I
perils
discuss
—aside
below
include ciguatera, scombroid fish poisoning, and paralytic shellfish poisoning.
None
Let's take ciguatera
can be prevented through cooking.
first.
Ciguatera
is
an
microscopic creature
tiny, naturally toxic
illness
known
gellate that lives in tropical areas such as the
caused by a
as a dinofla-
Caribbean and
Hawaii. These dinoflagellates biocencentrate up the food into
some of our
favorite
game
fish,
web
causing thousands of cases
of ciguatera each year. In the continental United States, the only real threat from ciguatera Florida,
is
along the southern
tip
and even there the threat often comes from
of
fish
caught in other areas of the Caribbean. Other areas hkely to
produce ciguatoxic
fish include Australia, the
Bahamas, Cuba,
Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Where
it is
prevalent, ciguatera strikes hard and frequently.
In Queensland, Australia, ciguatera appears to strike as as 1,828
many
out of every 100,000 individuals, roughly 2 percent of
the population. In the Virgin Islands there are about 730 cases for every 100,000 people. In
Miami
100,000. Outbreaks in Maryland and result of fish shipped
from
about
5 in
Vermont have been
the
the incidence
Florida. In the
main problem with ciguatoxic
fish is
is
United States our
mainly in Hawaii and the
Caribbean with recreationally caught species. Restaurants do very well at protecting their customers.
Ciguatera symptoms
may
be
felt
thirty hours after the offending meal.
appear one to 180
six
from
a
few minutes to
Most symptoms begin to
hours after the meal.
They
include
David Steinman
abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting. Other symptoms could include a metallic taste in the
There
pain.
may
The
skin.
may
feel hot; cold
water
may seem
possible
is
up concentrations of the ciguatoxin
becoming
sick
once the
levels reach a
have spoken with persons
ciguatera.
For some
cause extreme nerve
it is
who
in their
break point.
have been hit with
mild. But for others, ciguatera can
damage whose
years. I have a friend
who was
effects linger painfully for
afflicted
with ciguatoxin.
finds that even several years later his nerve endings are
extremely sensitive. activity cause
him
Long
And
come
imports of
is a
are at
fish that
into the United States.
What
much
higher
should you do
could harbor the toxin
The
real
when
with
I
have
fish
would avoid eating these
might harbor the ciguatoxin:
Mahimahi
Forktailed snapper
Royal sea bass
Grouper
Snapper
fish,
lies
eat their catch.
visiting areas likely to
Barracuda
Large
problem
who
risk.
infected with the ciguatoxin? species of fish that
problem are very
might be contaminated with
sport fishermen in areas such as Hawaii
They
still
pain.
Restaurants in areas where ciguatera
ciguatoxin.
He
periods of sitting or of athletic
careful not to serve fish that
rarely
to
ciguatera can be a fatal disease.
linger twenty years or longer. It
that people build
I
cream may
And
ciguatoxin chemicals are powerful neurotoxins, and
their effects
bodies,
severe tooth
are also reversals in nerve sensation: hot coffee
feel cold; ice
burn the
mouth and
weighting more than four pounds, are more likely
to harbor ciguatoxin than are smaller fish.
Because of Hawaii's tremendous popularity
as a tourist
181
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
destination and because a large there, I have also included a
ciguatera poisoning.
I
amount of sport
list
of Hawaiian
have given the
fishing
done
is
fish implicated in
common
with the Hawaiian names in parentheses. As
I
English names noted, restau-
rants tend to be extremely careful to avoid serving any fish that
could harbor ciguatoxin. However, just to be on the safe side,
you might want
These
fish
to
copy
this list for
your next
trip to
Hawaii.
from Hawaiian waters may harbor ciguatoxin:
Amberjack
Mullet (uouoa)
(kahala)
Barracuda (kaku)
Skipjack (aku)
Black snapper (wahanui)
Thread-fin
Blue spotted grouper
Snapper (opakapaka)
(roi)
fish
(moi)
Surgeonfish
Eel (puhialo)
(manini or palani)
Goatfish (weke)
Wrasse (po'ou)
Jack (ulua) Milkfish (awa)
Researchers are on the verge of developing a "stick
test,"
which anyone can use to detect harmful ciguatoxin concentrations in their sport catch.
Scombroid ness,
is
fish poisoning,
another naturally occurring
ill-
caused by poor handling aboard fishing vessels, and
it
occurs worldwide. Cooking cannot destroy the infecting agent in
scombroid poisoning. Symptoms include nausea, abdominal
cramps, tingling and burning sensations around the mouth, oral
blistering
or burning, rashes and itching, redness,
headaches, dizziness, and vomiting. If your fish tastes peppery, it
could be infected with scombroid poisoning.
agent that makes you sick
is
a
The
actual
form of histamine toxin that
multiplies rapidly if fish are allowed to remain at high temperatures for several hours.
ermen 182
is
The
preventative step for sport fish-
immediate icing and chilled storage. The
fish that
David Steinman
most commonly cause scombroid poisoning are erel,
tuna,
mack-
bonito, bluefish, and mahimahi. Also sometimes involved
are herring, sardines, amberjack, anchovy, jack mackerel,
and
skipjack.
Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) results
when
naturally
occurring dinoflagellates, which build up in red tides, concentrate in mussels, oysters, scallops,
and clams. Paralytic
shellfish
poisoning was a tremendous problem earlier in the century, but
is
largely contained today
although
it
may sometimes
by
vigilant public monitoring,
occur in the United States as well
as Chile and Japan. In the United States, a
the
North Carolina
fi-eak
red tide off
coast in 1987 resulted in forty-eight cases
of paralytic shellfish poisoning.
Your knowledge of the environment can help you
steer clear
of paralytic shellfish poisoning. Recreational shellfish harvesters
should get to
Red
know their tidelands and when the
tides in the
red tides occur.
May
United States usually occur between
and
October. If you harvest clams recreationally, note whether there is
discoloration of the water, bird or fish deaths, or
eye, respiratory,
may be a
and skin
occurring.
irritations in
red tide and wait however
tide has
humans.
You should stop harvesting
completely gone.
if
there are
A red tide bloom at the first sign
many weeks are needed Once red tide recedes,
quickly excrete the toxic dinoflagellate
of
until the shellfish
—except Alaska butter
clams, which store the dinoflagellate toxin for months.
Symptoms of PSP occur within nausea and vomiting; paralysis
poisoning
is
thirty
may
life-threatening and
minutes and include
set in. Paralytic shellfish
makes you
feel as
have had a stroke. Cooking will not destroy the toxin paralytic shellfish poisoning.
though you
responsible for
Paralytic shellfish poisoning can
occur during clambakes and barbecues; recognize
its
symp-
toms. Victims should get help immediately from a doctor or a
poison control center.
183
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Shopping Tips Patronize fish markets and supermarkets that provide accurate
information about where your seafood was harvested. You
cannot put
this
information about the safety of fish from
ferent places to use if your retailer won't
know where the stock is from.
tell
dif-
you or doesn't
Certainly now that even govern-
ment officials admit that some of our favorite seafoods
are con-
taminated with industrial and pesticide pollution, shops have an
where
ethical obligation to tell patrons
caught. Unfortunately, they have
Many
markets
now
no
legal obligation to
do
so.
offer this information, however.
One
where the
day's
California supermarket provides fliers noting fish
was
their seafood
was caught. Other markets announce on the
PA
system
that they have just gotten in a supply of a particular fish. are responsible attempts to provide
These
consumers with invaluable
information. retailers
who
post the origins of their seafood, other retailers will follow
suit.
If
you and others
like
you buy seafood from
Remember, the way you spend your food dollars has an effect on retailers and ultimately on the environment. Every fish market and supermarket manager should know where the seafood was harvested. Stay with those retailers
Vague or delayed answers that this
vested. Federal law requires that state traffic
be tagged with the
people
shellfish
you
off
manager does not know where the seafood was caught.
Market workers should know where
If the
who know.
to your questions should tip
all
site
shellfish
shellfish
were har-
moving
where they were harvested.
who work in your market do
not
know where
were caught, find another store where the
have such information. You should do Shellfish that are tagged are
in inter-
staff
the
does
this to protect yourself.
from harvest areas that are
monitored for bacterial contamination. Untagged
strictly
shellfish
could be firom illegal harvest grounds. Illegal harvesting of 184
David Steinman
shellfish
is
particularly prevalent in the Narragansett
Bay area
and the Louisiana Delta. Unfortunately it is a seafood catch
is
hard in many places to find out where To help you find safe fish anyway, I
still
from.
have devised a chart that identifies safe and dangerous fish by species,
without regard to the geographic location where they
were caught. These
Buy fish
lists
that has
are at the
been well
end of this chapter.
chilled. All fresh fish sold in fish
markets and supermarkets should be kept on ice
Be wary of
fresh fish kept in unenclosed
at
about 33°F.
areas
that are
unshielded from customers. This can lead to the spread of disease.
Eyes of whole
fish
should be bright and shiny, never
sunken or watery. Eyes that bulge are
a sign
of freshness. Skin
should be moist, scales shiny. Flesh should be moist and firm
and spring back when touched. tation, the fish has
gone bad.
If your finger leaves
Gills should be red
an inden-
on the
inside,
not black, brown, or gray. Use your nose. Fish that smells fishy has gone bad. Beware of an
ammonia
scent, especially in shark,
another indication of mishandling.
The
claims by
some markets
that fish are "fresh frozen"
an oxymoron. Fresh frozen simply means that the
fish
is
was
frozen quickly after harvest. In the opinion of most fish lovers, "fi-esh
frozen" fish
is
never as tasty as fresh
been frozen and thawed
that has
if
Lobsters and crabs should fight back handled.
Make
fish.
you value
Never buy fish
taste
when
and
quality.
they are being
sure clam, mussel, and oyster shells are shut
tightly; this indicates that
they are
alive.
The
shells of
dead
clams will gape open.
Beware of an iodine smell or off odor
in shellfish.
Beware
of any fishy smell in scallops; this indicates that they are bad.
Good
fresh squid should smell sweet. Shellfish that smells
fishy has
Buy
gone bad.
these fish and shellfish that are high in
omega-3
fatty
185
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
acids.
Grams of omega-3
fatty acids in a
four-ounce cut are
given in parentheses.
Chinook salmon, canned Chinook salmon Clams
Pollock (0.6)
(3.3)
Rainbow
(2.4)
trout (1.2)
Red snapper
(0.2)
(0.4)
Coho
salmon, canned (1.8)
Scallops (0.4)
Crabs
(0.5)
Shrimp
(0.5)
Eastern oysters (0.5)
Sole (0.3)
Flounder
(0.3)
Squid
(1.0)
Haddock
(0.2)
Tuna,
light.
Halibut (0.4)
in water (0.2)
Lobster (0.3)
Pink salmon
Tuna, white, in water (0.5)
(2.2)
Turbot
Mussels (0.8)
(0.3)
Pacific oysters (1.0)
Adapted horn Nutrition Action, September 1984.
Raw
By in
Shellfish
far the greatest
raw
immediate toxic
shellfish. If it
would get seafood.
sick
risk in eating seafood lies
were not for raw
from
shellfish,
very few people
bacterial contamination as a result of
Thousands of Americans who have suffered through
an excruciating bout of gastroenteritis attribute their eating raw shellfish. In
New York State
identified as the cause of more than
illness to
in 1982 shellfish
were
one hundred reported out-
breaks of viral gastroenteritis that involved
more than
a
thou-
sand people. Almost invariably people report that they've eaten raw clams. Since 1982, the
Health has recorded
York Department of
thirty- three outbreaks of illness caused
eating clams, involving
more than 250
and 20 cases of hepatitis.
186
New
by
cases of gastroenteritis
David Steinman
Between July 22 and July
29, 1982, the
New
York State
Health Department evaluated 908 establishments that sold clams and found the 125 of them stocked clams that were
untagged or improperly certified to identify their water of origin. Louisiana Delta shellfish were responsible for an outbreak
of cholera that was the since 1911.
first
indigenous outbreak in the nation
During the summer and
fall
of 1982, twelve cases
of cholera were linked with eating crabs and shrimp caught
along the Gulf of Mexico. Cholera from seafood can be largely
prevented by proper refrigeration and thorough cooking. Ordinarily one would not think of fish or shellfish as
harboring Hsteria and salmonella bacteria, which are normally associated with
imported
meat from warm-blooded animals. Some
shellfish
such
as
shrimp, however, appear to be con-
taminated with salmonella and eating imported shellfish raw.
listeria
microorganisms. Avoid
Thoroughly
boil
shrimp before
serving.
People with AIDS, cancer, and
liver disease
and other
immune-weakened persons should forgo eating raw and possibly even steamed
When
I
cook
chefs
safety,
have gotten
them
sick;
steam even
you love raw
bring the water to a boil and then
shellfish
recommend steaming
maximum If
shellfish.
shellfish, I
steam the clams or other
seven to eight minutes.
just until the shells
shellfish
at
shellfish
open, but for
seven to eight minutes.
I
seven minutes, the shellfish taste
oysters
Some never fine.
and clams and are unwilHng to give
up, at least be aware of the risks.
you're eating were very fi-esh
Be sure the
shellfish
when you opened them; ideally you
should eat at a raw bar where you can watch them being opened. If there is the shghtest hint
of an off odor, don't eat them.
187
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Sushi
We have heard a lot in recent years about bacteria and parasites entering people's systems from sushi and other raw
become
Japanese restaurants have has
become
a
fish.
As
increasingly popular, this
matter of serious concern for
many people.
Par-
can cause extreme pain similar to that of appendicitis.
asites
They are not deadly, however. The species most likely to harbor parasites are raw or undercooked freshwater
mous
such as pike or perch, as well as anadro-
species, such as salmon, that
freshwater and sites
fish
salt water.
spend their
lives in
both
Saltwater fish that might have para-
include European herring, mackerel, rockfish, salmon,
raw squid, and members of the cod
family, including whiting
and haddock. Be especially careful of parasites in raw Pacific salmon. In Hawaii, raw Pacific salmon has been the cause of a
number of cases of anisakis
parasitic infections. Parasites can
also survive in ceviche (raw fish marinated in lime juice).
Some
sushi favorites are
harbor parasites.
Many
much more
likely
(sake) as well as freshwater fish, such as carp
in vinegar or salted and fermented. asites.
than others to
sushi restaurants serve
These
and
fish
raw salmon trout,
soaked
may harbor par-
Neither soaking in vinegar nor salting destroys the
anisakis parasite.
The most commonly consumed
types of sushi include
bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, shiro maguro,
known
as albacore,
yellowtail. asites.
But
These
—
is
also
is known as Japanese may occasionally harbor par-
and hamachi, which
fish,
when
raw,
this is truly rare.
Other uncooked seafood commonly served rants
which
fish roe, clams, abalone,
and octopus
to be sources of parasitic infections in
in sushi restau-
—are not known
humans, according to
Michael Ruttenberg, M.D., an expert on medical problems associated with sushi.
188
David Steinman
The
best solution for
140°F for
fish fillets to
or Sashimi to
kill
Symptoms
sushi at
thirty seconds.
home
You can
is
also fi-eeze sushi
be mild or severe and
for ulceration or inflammation. In severe
symptoms include extreme abdominal
cians can detect
to heat the
bacteria and parasites and stop spoiling.
of parasitic infection can
might be mistaken cases, the
making
embedded
pain. Physi-
parasites with a gastrofiberscope
and remove them.
These
are your best picks (with
American names
in paren-
theses) for safe sushi:
Amaebi
(sweet
Maguro
shnmp)
(albacore)
Ebi (shnmp)
Tai (red snapper)
Hamachi
Tako (octopus)
(Japanese yellowtail)
Hotategai (scallop)
Toro
Kani
Uni
These
(crab)
are
some of the
Kazunoki (herring
(fatty tuna)
(sea urchin roe)
least safe sushi choices:
Most
roe)
Saba (mackerel)
freshwater
fish species
Sake (salmon)
Be
careful
larly
when you
now
important
eat
some
sushi delicacies. This
that fagu, a sashimi
(puffers), is served in this country.
is
made with
particu-
blowfish
Fugu must be properly
pared to remove the deadly tetrodotoxin found in the entrails,
and
ovaries.
As many
as fifty to
one hundred Japanese
die each year after the thrill of eating this delicacy. I thrill,
too.
do mean
A mild dose of the poison found in puffer fish appar-
endy provides
a slight high.
So when
might want to be careful of puffer puffer in Japan, licensed chef. tingling
preliver,
make
traveling in Japan
dishes. If you are
you
going to eat
sure the restaurant employs
a trained,
How will you know if you have been poisoned? A
and numbness of the
lips,
tongue, and fingertips will
189
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
become
quite evident, followed
arms and
legs
and
by progressive
paralysis of the
Death could
difficulty in breathing.
result in
two to twenty-four hours. Survival beyond twenty-four hours
means
that
known
treatment.
you
just
might
respiration
live. Artificial
is
the only
No antidotes to the poison exist.
Cooking Tips
Always store fresh
Use
fish in the coldest part
fresh fish the day
it
of your refrigerator.
bought. Frozen fish should be
is
cooked while frozen. Thawing leads to rapid deterioration of taste
and
Cook shellfish
quality.
To destroy any harmful
within twenty- four hours.
bacteria
on
fish,
follow this rule
of thumb for cooking temperatures. For every inch of thickness of the
Use an
cook the
fillet,
internal
fish at
thermometer
ature of the flesh
is
at least
to
450°F
for thirteen minutes.
make
sure that the temper-
145°F for
a
minimum
of five
minutes. Broil
fillets
on an open rack and
Research shows that by discarding the fried fish
much
as
it
will
Remember
and leach into the
oil.
many
Unfor-
not reduce levels of mercury. that pesticides accumulate in fatty tissue. Avoid
whenever you
suspect.
before serving pan-
65 percent. That's because
toxic chemicals are Hpid soluble
fat
oil
the juices drip out.
you can reduce industrial pollution and pesticide
concentrations by as
tunately
let
eat fish (or
Trim and
any other food) whose purity you
discard the skin and the fatty portions from
the top, side, and belly of pike, walleye. Great Lakes coho
salmon and lake eat fish
trout,
and other Great Lakes
fish if you
must
from those waters.
Safe Shopping List: Seafood
These of
190
fists
show you the
fish, regardless
relative safety of many different kinds
of where they were caught. These charts are
David Steinman
based on samples of particular species of fish from
sites
around
the nation.
Use the
when you shop for fish and can't determine They will also provide a guide for ordering
these charts
fish's origin.
seafood in restaurants.
Green Light Abalone
Imitation crab (surimi)
Sea bass
Arctic char
Mahimahi
Sea urchin roe
Crawfish
Marlin
Shrimp
Dover
Menpachi
Sole
Dungeness crab
Monkfish
Spiny lobster
English sole
Octopus
Squid
Flounder
Orange roughy
Talapia
Grouper
Pacific
Haddock
Red snapper
Whiting
Halibut
Scallops
Yellowtail
Belt fish
Norwegian salmon
Rockfish
Bonito
Ocean perch
Sea trout
Bream
Pacific barracuda
Smelt
sole
salmon
Wahoo
Yellow Light
Butterfish
Pacific mackerel
Spot
Drum
Porgy
Thresher shark
Fish sticks
Rock cod
191
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Red Light Bass (freshwater)
Lake trout
Swordfish
Black cod
Lobster
Trout
Bluefish
Mackerel
Tuna
Buffalo fish
Mullet
Walleye
Carp
Northern pike
Weakfish
Catfish
Sablefish
White
Caviar
Sea herring
White croaker
Chub
Shark
White perch
Cod
Sheepshead
Whitefish
Croaker
Striped bass
Yellow eel
Dace
Sturgeon
Yellow perch
(fi-eshwater)
Great Lakes salmon
192
bass
EIGHT Dairy Foods
Milk and other
dairy foods are extremely nutritious, and they
contribute generous amounts of protein, calcium, phosphorus, riboflavin,
energy if
and vitamin
diet, adults
some
to our diet. In our low-toxin high-
can enjoy two servings of dairy products a day,
—but not
they want
A
just
any dairy products. As you
dairy foods are very bad for you.
ucts to eat and
point out which prod-
I'll
which to avoid.
Dairy products are an excellent source of amino are the building blocks of protein synthesis. tine, plentiful in dairy foods, helps
toxic chemical pollution
tants, radiation,
acids,
The amino
which
acid cys-
our bodies fight the ravages of
by working with vitamins A, C, and
and selenium to protect the body from
helps the
will see,
a
E
host of industrial pollu-
heavy metals, and pesticides. In addition, cystine
body process vitamin
B^,
which
is
involved in
some
fifty
chemical reactions with other amino acids.
Other amino tyrosine
acids in milk
—increase our mental
—glutamine, alertness
and
phenylalanine, and clarity of
thought
and help us overcome depression. These three amino acids have also
been shown to help
by acting
in
weight
loss
and weight maintenance
as natural appetite suppressants.
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
many
Despite these benefits, that adults eliminate dairy
point out that
beyond
humans
infancy.
Many
recommend products from their diet. They health experts
are the only species
who
drink milk
people lack the enzymes necessary to
when they grow older. And the nutrients available in many plant foods. Peaches, for
digest dairy products in
milk are
example, are an excellent source of vitamin
A
and
riboflavin.
Raspberries provide generous amounts of riboflavin. (Peaches
and raspberries are high in organic varieties
if
you
eat
though, so choose
pesticides,
them
for their vitamin content.)
Plantains are another excellent source of vitamin A.
Some
vegetarians are under the impression that they
eat dairy foods in order to get
enough
must
and B
protein, calcium,
vitamins. But in fact people can live completely healthy lives
without any dairy products.
We
need to be extra careful to choose
because children eat so that
some
many
safe dairy products
of them and because
we know
dairy foods contain dangerous pesticides, veterinary
medicines, and industrial chemicals. Unfortunately there real cause for concern. significant, measurable,
Some
is
dairy products present a clear,
and avoidable cancer
risk.
As we know,
toxins are concentrated in animals' fatty tissues, and dairy
products can be high in
fats.
inviting glass of whole milk to
So before you
your
lift
that cold,
consider that you just
lips,
might be about to drink a chemical cocktail spiked with pesticides, antibiotics,
and
dioxin,
sulfa drugs.
Fortunately, the nonfat dairy products that are safest for
your heart (and your waist) are also the lowest in
Unwisely chosen dairy foods can be
a
toxins.
primary source of
heavy doses of a wide variety of dangerous cancer-causing and neurotoxic chemicals.
Some
dairy foods have
among
highest levels in our diet of the banned pesticides chlordane,
194
DDT,
dieldrin, heptachlor,
and
the
BHC,
HCB. These
are
David Steinman
long-term toxins that pollute the
decades after their
soil for
application and continue to contaminate grains fed to
last
dairy cattle. In fact, pesticide contamination of dairy foods
is
every bit as serious as the contamination in meat, poultry, and
seafood
—possibly
Some
even more dangerous.
seafood
is
highly contaminated, but relatively few people eat large quantities
of the worst seafood dishes, whereas huge numbers of
people eat milk, butter, cheese, and ice cream regularly. I
am
particularly concerned about the low-level poisoning
who
of our children. Babies
milk are a lot
at risk,
are fed
whole milk or evaporated
and so are breast-fed babies. Mothers
who
eat
of dairy foods and other high-toxin foods accumulate the
toxins in their breast milk and pass pesticides to their infants.
on
industrial pollutants
And what about
all
and
the pesticide-
contaminated ice cream our children eat?
The
simple fact
products
is
that pesticide contamination of dairy
is
Government
pervasive.
dairy monitoring
files
reveal that contaminated products are sold throughout the
Food and Drug Administration records
country.
indicate, for
example, that virtually 100 percent of the cheese produced and sold in the United States has detectable pesticide residues.
we
discuss the myriad industrial pollution
lems in dairy foods, you
will see
As
and pesticide prob-
how much
cleaning up of our
food supply needs to be accompHshed.
Dairy products are also linked, together with raw-egg dishes, to at least one-tenth of the food-poisoning cases in this
country every year. nella poisoning,
Most of
people, and those with
The
these cases are Hsteria or salmo-
which can be deadly to
fetuses, babies, elderly
weakened immune systems.
listeria bacteria
favor moist, soft cheeses such as Brie,
blue-veined cheeses, and Mexican cheeses. Harder cheeses
have
less
moisture and higher
acidity,
which prevents bacteria
from multiplying. Persons with strong immune systems can 195
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
subdue the
without discomfort. But
listeria bacteria
children, the elderly,
among
and immune-weakened people, the death
rate in reported listeriosis cases also lead to meningitis
19 percent. Listeriosis can
is
and encephalitis, which have
a
70 per-
cent fatality rate in reported cases.
To
avoid this danger, pregnant and nursing
elderly,
and people who are
ill
women,
the
or institutionalized should be
very cautious about unpasteurized dairy products and soft cheeses such as Brie, Camembert, and blue-veined cheeses. Dairy Foods Survival Guide
Green
These
Light
are the least toxic dairy foods available.
two servings of dairy foods Buttermilk.
The FDA
a
day from
Choose your
this Hst.
Total Diet Study found only three
pesticide residues in thirty-six samples of buttermilk, repre-
DDT and penta. One cup
senting two pesticide formulations,
of buttermilk has only
1.3
grams of saturated
ligrams of cholesterol. Buttermilk safe
Chocolate milk
(fluid).
industrial
thirty-six samples.
an excellent, relatively
is
Chocolate milk poses
pesticide residues
The
little risk.
were detected
only contaminant found was
in
DDE.
cancer risk as a result of industrial pollutant and pesticide
contamination in chocolate milk
One cup fat
and 9 mil-
food choice.*
Only seven
The
fat
is
relatively insignificant.
of low-fat chocolate milk has
3 1 .
grams of saturated
and 17 milligrams of cholesterol. Cottage cheese (4 percent milk fat).
Two
pesticide formu-
lations were found in creamed cottage cheese with only nine-
teen total residues, which was a big enough improvement to
move
cottage cheese from red to green light.
detected were
196
DDE
and
dieldrin.
The
pesticides
Eating around two ounces
David Steinman
daily
would
result in a cancer risk of thirteen excess cancers in
one million persons, according to the
earlier results.
One cup
of large-curd cottage cheese has 6.4 grams of saturated
34
When
milligrams of cholesterol.
you shop
fat
and
for cottage
cheese, purchase the product with the lowest percentage of
milk
fat,
preferably
icantly reduce
1
or 2 percent, or nonfat.
your intake of saturated
fat
That will
signif-
and your exposure
to pesticides.
Cream
substitute.
were found. This
is
Two
DDE
chemicals,
and malathion,
safer than half-and-half.
Low-fat milk (2 percent
fat).
Only nineteen
pesticide
residues were found in thirty-six samples of low-fat milk rep-
resenting four pesticide formulations.
detected most frequently.
occurred
less frequently.
The
cancer risk as a result of pesticide
contamination of low-fat milk fat
DDE and dieldrin were
Endosulfan and methoxychlor
is
insignificant.
milk has 2.9 grams of saturated
fat
One cup
of low-
and 18 milligrams of
cholesterol.
Low-fat (plain) yogurt. Only eight pesticide residues representing two pesticide formulations,
were detected
The
DDE
and endosulfan,
in thirty-six samples of plain low-fat yogurt.
concentrations at which these pesticides were detected
presented an insignificant cancer
risk.
One
eight-ounce con-
tainer of plain low- fat yogurt provides 125 calories, 0.3
of saturated
fat,
and only 4 milHgrams of cholesterol. Obvi-
ously, nonfat yogurt, because of its very is
grams
low milk
fat
content,
an even safer choice. Substitute low-fat or nonfat yogurt for
butter in baked potatoes and other dishes calling for butter,
mayonnaise, or sour cream.
Milk shakes
It's
also perfect as a salad dressing.
(chocolate, fast food).
Eighteen pesticide
residues were detected in chocolate milk shakes representing
three pesticide formulations: chlorpyrifos,
DDE,
and
dieldrin.
Chocolate milk shakes provide a relatively significant source of
197
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
calories, saturated fat,
and cholesterol.
One
thick ten-ounce
chocolate shake provides 335 calories, 4.8 grams of saturated
and 30 milligrams of cholesterol. Although only chocolate
fat,
milk shakes were tested, you should assume that other flavors have similar
Skim milk choices of all. resenting
of pesticides.
levels
(nonfat milk). This
is
Skim milk had only four
DDE). One cup
one of the
safety dairy
pesticide residues (rep-
of skim milk has only 0.3 grams of
saturated fat and 4 milligrams of cholesterol.
YeWow
Light
Only three
dairy foods
fit
in the yellow light grouping.
Limit
your consumption of these foods. They contain pesticides
combined with saturated milk.
Ice
vanilla ice tions. least
fat
There were
and cholesterol. thirty-five
residues in
pesticide
milk representing seven different pesticide formula-
The FDA found BHC, DDT,
dieldrin,
and
HCB
in at
one-fourth of the samples and heptachlor, octachlor, and
penta
less frequently.
Eating slightly
less
than two ounces daily
of vanilla ice milk would result in at least five excess cancers in a million persons,
and
which
less significant risk.
milk
fat)
is
on the border between
One cup
a significant
of vanilla ice milk (4 percent
contains 3.5 grams of saturated fat and 18 milHgrams
of cholesterol. You should assume that other flavors of ice milk
have similar
levels
Margarine
of pesticides.*
(stick,
regular, salted).
Some
167 industrial
pollutant and pesticide residues were found in thirty-six samples of margarine representing eighteen pesticide formulations.
Detected in
at least
one-fourth of the samples were
1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, diphenyl 2-ethylhexyl phosphate, ethyl benzene, styrene, tetrachloroethylene, toluene, triphenyl
phosphate, and xylene, a veritable galaxy of petroleum synthetics.
198
Some
of the pesticides and industrial pollutants
David Steinman
detected less frequently included 1,1,1-trichloroethane, benzene, chloroform, dichlorobenzene, and trichloroethylene.
Although margarine
is
much
safer than butter in terms of
and saturated
pesticide saturation, cholesterol,
you should
fat,
Be wary of
nevertheless limit your margarine consumption.
misleading ads claiming that margarine
The
terol.
oils
terol levels
fats,
which dramatically increase serum choles-
still
help our bodies
spoon of margarine (80 percent
.
1
even partially hydrogenated
oils that are
and change the entire shape of your
their oils can
1
from choles-
Even though margarines may contain no
branes.
fat.
free
used in margarine are usually hydrogenated,
and any vegetable contain trans
is
One
make
fat)
cholesterol.
One
vegetable
oils
such
as
fat.
table-
has 2.2 grams of saturated
tablespoon of imitation margarine (40 percent
grams of saturated
mem-
cell
cholesterol,
fat)
has
For cooking, substitute unsaturated
avocado, canola, corn, olive, and sesame.
Yogurt with fruit. Thirty-two pesticide residues representing five different pesticide formulations were detected in thirty-six
samples of yogurt with
fruit.
DDT,
endosulfan, and
vinclozolin were found in at least one-fourth of the samples, dicofol and dieldrin in fewer.
yogurt
is
The
relatively insignificant.
(dicofol, vinclozolin,
cancer risk from eating fruit
Most of the
pesticides
found
and endosulfan) resulted not from dairy
contamination but also from the apphcation of chemical pesticides to the strawberries used in the samples that
You have
a
much
safer option.
which
is
grown
berries or other fruits.*
very pure, and mix
it
Buy
plain,
were
tested.
nonfat yogurt,
with low-toxin or organically
Red Ught
The
foods in this red light section are the most dangerous
dairy products. at least
I
—or
have cut them completely out of my diet
have tried to substitute organic
as
much
as possible.
199
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
dairy
them as seldom as possible or seek out organic products made with milk from cows fed a pesticide-free
diet.
Good
You should
Guide
eat
products are available; see the Personal Action
in this book.
Butter (regular^ salted). If you thought that high cholesterol
and saturated
fat levels
were the only problems in
butter,
well, here's the sad truth: pesticides are another serious danger.
some cheeses have
Butter and tions of
the highest pesticide concentra-
any dairy foods. This should completely convince you
that butter
bad news.
is
Now don't
get
me
wrong.
The
cide levels in dairy products such as butter and cheese
all
government standards. But government standards proindustry that they are, in
effect, a license for
pesti-
meet
are
so
the wholesale
poisoning of America. You have to take responsibility for the safety of your food.
why
That's
Government
I just
hasn't.
much
spent probably twice as
to
buy
a
pound of Horizon organic butter. I know it was a lot more. But, somehow, knowing what I know about chemical butter, I just felt this I just can't
is
the only choice
going forward
let
In the
—and sometimes
tants
all
I
with myself.
have to find a way to keep
it is
my brothers
live
hard but
and
I feel like
I'm
am
not
sisters,
and
I
you down.
FDAs
the nation
can make and
go back to the old ways.
fighting for you, for
going to
I
study of thirty-six butter samples from around
some 384
residues of pesticides and industrial pollu-
were found representing some thirty-two pesticides and
pollutants. Benzene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene,
BHC, chloroform,
DDE (in every sample), dichlorobenzene, dieldrin (thirty-three of thirty-six market baskets), endosulfan, ethyl benzene, heptahclor,
hexachlorobenzene, Hndane, octachlor, styrenem tetra-
chloroethylene, tolene, and xylene appeared most frequently.
Butter
American 200
is
one of the most frequently eaten foods in the
diet.
Given the large amounts of butter we
eat
and
— David Steinman
the high concentrations of pesticides and pollutants in
it,
butter alone will cause at least several thousand excess cancer cases
among people
living today.
According to
a
major food
consumption study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average butter-eating American eats about one-half table-
spoon of butter Americans I
who
daily.
Among
the approximately 76 million
eat butter regularly, the risk of cancer
worked out using
translated into as
a standard cancer risk assessment
many
as
—which
formula
seventy-one excess cancer cases a
year in a million persons;
we should
hundred Americans
today to get cancer from the pesti-
alive
expect roughly fifty-four
cides lodged in butter.
In addition, one tablespoon of butter has 7.1 grams of cholesterol.
Even one pat of butter has
saturated fat and
So learn not jelly alone.
1 1
a
whopping
to always use butter
Enjoy low-fat yogurt or
on your
salsa
Cook
toast;
with unsaturated veg-
At
restaurants, ask
that your vegetables be served without butter. in general, or save
it
as a
use jam or
on your baked potato
etable oils, not with butter or margarine.
it
grams of
milligrams of cholesterol.
instead of butter or sour cream.
without
2.5
Learn to do
once-a-month
treat if
some food you feel cries out for it. Or, better yet, cough up the dough and buy the organic butter. While it probably won't be completely free, either, of some of the older dinosaur there's
petrochemical pesticides nificantly greater
like
tendency to
DDE,
it
will certainly
sig-
purity.
Cheese (cheddar). Like butter, most cheese
The FDA
have
is
bad news.
tested thirty-six samples of cheddar cheese
from
around the nation. There were 171 pesticide and industrial chemical residues in the samples representing some twentyfive pesticides
Chloroform,
were found
and their metabolites or
DDE,
industrial chemicals.
dieldrin, heptachlor, toluene,
and xylene
in at least one-quarter of the samples. Pesticides
201
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
and industrial chemicals detected
less
frequently were 1,1>1-
trichloroethane, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, 1,2-dichloroethene,
azinphos-methyl, benzene, diphenyl 2-ethylhexyl phosphate,
HCB,
styrene,
This
serious contamination, the result of years of pesticide
use,
is
tetrachloroethylene,
which has laced our
soil
and trichloroethylene.
with poisons. These poisons taint
crops and are then concentrated in the milk of dairy cows that
on those
feed
crops.
The high fat content of cheddar and other One ounce of
cheeses concentrates the toxins even more.
cheddar cheese has a whopping 6 grams of saturated milligrams of cholesterol as well, making hazard.
The
it
a multiple health
average cheese-eating American eats a
than an ounce of cheddar cheese
sumption pattern, we can expect cancers in a million persons.
daily.
as
—
con-
this
as thirty-six excess
That makes cheddar
other high-fat nonorganic cheese
little less
Based on
many
and 10
fat
—and any
a high-risk food.
Learn to
look for low-fat cheeses or substitute other foods. Excellent organic tofu cheese substitutes are available at health food markets. Limit yourself to a small helping of cheese as a treat
every couple of weeks, or buy organic cheese.
Cream cheese. Cream cheese and a bagel just took on a whole new meaning. There were 173 contaminant residues in cream cheese, representing some nineteen
distinct chemicals,
including (most frequently) chloroform (twenty-two of thirtysix samples),
of
DDE (thirty-six of thirty-six), dieldrin (thirty- four
thirty-six),
heptahclor (thirteen), and toluene (seventeen).
Stay with certified organic cream cheese.
And
if
make
sure
it
want
to be careful with the Kraft,
Nonfat
is
likely to
have
far
you is
really
nonfat.
fewer chemical contaminants.
Evaporated milk (canned). Forty-six residues representing eight formulations were found in thirty-six samples. Pesticides detected
most frequently were
DDE
(twenty-nine
of thirty-six) and dieldrin (10). Pesticides and other toxic
202
David Steinman
chemicals detected
frequently were
less
endrin, heptachlor, lindane, and toluene.
BHC, chlordane, One cup of canned
evaporated whole milk has 11.6 grams of saturated
fat
and 74
milligrams of cholesterol.
Half-and-half cream. There were tants
fifty-six industrial pollu-
and pesticide residues representing ten formulations in samples of half-and-half. Pesticides detected most
thirty-six
frequently were
DDE,
and heptachlor. Pesticides and
dieldrin,
industrial pollutants detected less fi-equently
HCB,
were chloroform,
methoxychlor, octachlor, permethrin, and xylene. In
addition,
one tablespoon of cream, the amotint used in one cup
of coffee, provides 1.8 grams of saturated
may not seem
of cholesterol. That
fat
and 10 miUigrams
like a lot.
But
after a
few
cups of coffee and a few tablespoons of cream, the pesticides
add up.
The industrial pollutants and
you unwittingly ingest
in half-and-half should offer
contained in saturated pesticides
fat
another reason for eliminating
cream if you
substitutes
made with
want to avoid
it
from your
vegetable
diet.
Powdered
oils are a better
industrial pollutant
choice
and pesticide residues.
One tablespoon of cream substitute has no cholesterol and only grams of saturated fat. And powdered cream substitutes are far purer. They have only one-ninth the number of pesticides, 0.7
at
significantly
detected
in
lower concentrations; the three pesticides
powdered
cream
substitutes
(chlorpyrifos,
malathion, and penta) are far less potent and easier for our bodies to metabolize than the pesticides found in cream.
Of
course, heavy whipping
cream
laden than half-and-half. Sour cream
is
is
much more
pesticide
also Ukely to be pesti-
cide saturated. Ice
cream (vanilla-flavored,
were found, with chloroform, and Processed cheese
light). Fifty-seven
chemicals
DDE was the most frequent.
(American). In thirty-six samples of
American processed cheese, there were 168 pesticide and 203
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
industrial chemical residues representing
different pesticides
DDE,
and
dieldrin, toluene,
the samples;
industrial
some twemty-one
chemicals.
Chloroform,
and xylene were found in
1,1,1-trichloroe thane,
a quarter
of
1,2,4-trimethylbenzene,
HCB, styrene, and frequentiy. One ounce of
chlorobenzene, endosulfan, heptachlor, tetrachloroethylene appeared less
American process cheese has
5.6
grams of saturated
milligrams of cholesterol. Processed cheese
is
as
fat
and 27
dangerous
as
butter and hard cheese.
Soft cheeses. Soft, processed Mexican-style cheese products
can be extremely dangerous. In 1985, more than 48 deaths (including stillbirths) and 150 illnesses in the
West were
linked
with eating listeria-contaminated cheese manufactured by
Mexican Products, of
Jalisco
Artesia, California, a
Mexican
food company, which has since closed.
are
Unfortunately,
many producers
mom-and-pop
operations in which cheeses are produced in
poor sanitary conditions. Some
of Mexican-style soft cheeses
soft cheese
producers operate
out of their garages. In 1989 the Los Angeles shut
down seven
whom stir
district attorney
California soft cheese producers,
some of
reportedly used rusty pipes and toilet bowl brushes to
the milk that was being processed into cheese.
These
soft
cheeses were then sold from door to door and by street ven-
dors throughout southern California and as far north as San Francisco.
Avoid purchasing unlabeled
soft cheeses,
and don't buy soft
cheeses from street vendors or door-to-door vendors. In '
supermarkets and neighborhood grocery stores, avoid Mexican soft cheeses sold in large blocks without labels. Products that are teria
most likely to be poisoned with dangerous
are queso fresco, queso
listeria
bac-
afiejo (also called cotija cheese),
panela cheeses, manchego, queso enchilada, queso jalapeno,
requeson, and adobera cheeses.
204
— David Steinman
Beware of these brands of Mexican-style distributed throughout the recalled
due to
listeria
West
—that
soft cheese
have had products
contamination: Ariza Cheese Company,
Cacique Fine Foods, and Rodeo brand cheese. Rodeo, whose products are distributed in Arizona, California, Oregon, and Texas, also produces cheese under
two private
Jimenez
labels:
queso fresco and Jimenez adobera (distributed in Texas). Brie and other imported soft cheeses can also have bacterial infestations. British chief medical officer
warned consumers
in
Donald Acheson
February 1989 that pregnant
women
should not eat soft cheeses such as Camembert, Brie, and blueveined cheeses because infection from the Hsteria bacteria could cause miscarriage or porarily,
Belgium recently banned, tem-
stillbirth.
French Camembert because of hsteria contamination.
In 1987, twenty- four persons died during one European out-
break of listeriosis, which was traced to a Swiss soft cheese.
The French
rate of listeriosis
lion persons; the U.S. rate
is
is
about 11.3 cases in
about 3.6 per miUion.
I
a mil-
suspect
that the higher rate in France can be attributed in part to sig-
consumption of soft cheeses such
nificantly higher
Do
not misunderstand
my message:
one should eat Brie or other people
elderly,
women who listeriosis
are
I'm saying that the
immune-weakened,
children,
and
are pregnant or nursing are especially at risk for
soft cheeses
problems
Italian producer,
as well.
from
Italy have, in the past,
Cheeses made by Mauri,
a
posed
northern
were taken off the American market more
than three years ago because of ever, the
I'm not saying that no
soft cheeses.
and should avoid these foods.
Imported hsteria
who
as Brie.
listeria
contamination.
government has allowed Mauri
How-
to once again begin
selhng cheeses in the United States. Other Itahan cheeses that
have had
listeria
contamination include Taleggio, Tortalpina,
D'Aravaggio, and Gorgonzola.
205
— Diet for a Poisoned Planet
I
have some good news: America's favorite soft cheese
cream cheese
from
listeria
—has
a clean bill
of health and appears to be free
or salmonella contamination. However,
it is
prob-
ably high in pesticides and should be eaten very seldom for that reason.
Swiss cheese. You can't chemicals in your food.
flee to the
How
Swiss for protection from
disappointing:
tion, Swiss cheese certainly isn't neutral
pesticide residues. Swiss cheese
on
close inspec-
when
it
comes
to
had 160 different pesticide and
industrial chemical residues representing twenty-five different pesticides, metabolites,
dieldrin
were each
in
and industrial chemicals. thirty of thirty-six
DDE
and
market baskets.
Toluene was in 18 and heptahclor in one-third. Also detected
were
1,1,1-trichlorethane,
1,2-4-trimethylbenzene.
BHC,
dichlorobenzene, benzene,
chlorotoluene,
1,2-
HCB,
Hn-
dane, styrene, trichloroethylene, and xylene. Better clean off that Swiss
army
knife next time
Whole milk. The
you
slice
some Swiss
cheese.
FDA food study found sixty-seven pesti-
cide and industrial chemical residues in thirty-six samples of
whole milk representing twelve
different pesticides,
metabolites or industrial chemicals. Chloroform, dieldrin
zene,
were found in
at least a quarter
their
DDE,
and
of the samples; ben-
and toluene were some of the
tetrachloroethylene,
petrochemical delights that occurred
less frequently.
This
is
only about one-third the level of saturation of butter and
cheddar cheese. But two other families of synthetic chemicals
found in milk are of tremendous concern, warranting the inclusion of whole milk in this red light section.
The
regulatory history of milk
is
a
prime example of an
industry that has been guilty of severe lapses of safety.
pose two questions:
Why should
Have they earned our
In 1982, Hawaiian dairy
206
we The answer is an farmers on Oahu
trust?
I
must
trust the dairy industry?
unequivocal no. fed dairy cows
David Steinman
heptachlor-contaminated sugarcane, which contaminated the herds.
The
heptachlor-tainted milk was then sold without
and allowed to invade and contaminate the bodies
restriction
of thousands of men,
women, and
children. Heptachlor
is
a
very strong carcinogen and causes birth defects. Mothers in
Hawaii must stop breast-feeding their children or
risk breast-
feeding their newborns heptachlor-tainted milk. Hawaiian children have suffered significantly elevated instances of ness.
ill-
But the contamination threat wasn't limited to Hawaii.
Several years
later,
bodies of men,
same period
—
heptachlor-contaminated milk invaded the
women, and
children in Arkansas. During this
in the early 1980s
—the industry was
also forced
to recall heptachlor-contaminated milk distributed in Texas,
Louisiana, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Again, innocent
newborns
will
be victimized for years to come. In Arkansas, 70
percent of nursing mothers examined during the early 1980s
had heptachlor-contaminated breast milk. This contamination was so severe that they were advised not to breast-feed dren because of high levels of milk.
this pesticide in their breast
Our children should not be exposed
to a carcinogen thir-
teen to twenty-six times rriore powerful than like
chil-
DDT Pesticides
heptachlor represent a very dangerous toxic exposure for
both unborn children and babies.
These unsettling heptachlor-contamination episodes
are
occasional dramatic tragedies. However, the historic use of
sulfamethazine in dairy cows represents
a.
chronic and far more
disturbing and flagrant violation of safe food laws. Serious violations of federal health standards have occurred
throughout
the 1980s for the drug sulfamethazine in dairy products. dict that further studies will reveal that
our milk supply
I
is
pre-
con-
taminated also with traces of penicillin, tetracycline, and other antibiotics
and that we
will
be hearing disturbing reports
about drug residues in milk for a long time.
When
you add 207
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
cream to your coffee do you residues of sulfamethazine?
you
really
not!
But
really
want
When you
to ingest low-level
drink milk at night do
want another dose of sulfamethazine? Of course
that's
what you
get, thanks to the
American dairy
industry!
In a 1987
FDA study,
milk samples collected from super-
markets in ten American
cities
were analyzed for sulfamet-
hazine. Residues were detected so frequently in milk samples that the regulation against use of sulfamethazine in dairy
was found to be
a joke
—
a sick joke.
But who was
cows
sick?
The
overcrowded dairy cows? Sulfa-sensitive persons? Or the dairy industry that flouted the regulations banning the use of
sulfamethazine in milk?
we
And where was
trusted to enforce safe food laws?
store?
And how long had
the government that
Who
was minding the
this flagrant violation
gone on
before being discovered? Overall, 41 percent of the samples
were contaminated with sulfamet-
in this ten-city survey
hazine. Carcinogenicity studies of rats and mice indicate that
sulfamethazine
human
may well be
a
human carcinogen,
affecting the
thyroid gland.
According to the milk with
FDA survey, these producers were selling
illegal residues
of sulfamethazine:
Adanta: Kinnett Baltimore: Lueis, Lucerne, Embassy, Highs, and Giant
Boston:
Cumbedand
Farms,
Hood
Star,
Stop
& Shop, and
West Lynn Brooklyn: Food Club, Crowley, and Byrne
Chicago: Muiler, South Valley, Dean Food, and Kraml Dallas:
Kroger
Denver: Sintons,
Oak
Farms, and Lucerne
Kansas City, Missouri: Price Choppers, Lucerne, Zarda,
Anderson, Erickson, and Fairmont
San Francisco: Berkeley Farms, Carnation, and Lady Lee
208
David Steinman
Seattle:
Carnation, My-T-Fine, Darigold, Lucerne, and
Vita-Milk
Some
dairy producers
These
came out with
a clean bill of health.
whom
you should patronize.
are the dairy producers
who
They're the ones
care about your family's health.
Atlanta: Flav-O-Rich, Kroger,
Brooklyn: Dairylea and
and Mathis Dairy
Meadow Brook
Chicago: Heritage House Dallas: Borden, Cabell's,
Denver: Cream
Government
and Schepps
O 'Weber
officials
claim the sulfamethazine problem
is
imder control. They say that the industry has voluntarily curbed
its
use of this chemical. However, the problem
widespread than the government concedes.
The
is
more
limits cur-
rently being used to detect sulfamethazine in milk are almost
twice as high as the levels at which sulfamethazine
found.
Thus
it is
possible that the
trolled as carefully as the
problem
government
is
is
usually
not being con-
claims. In addition dairy
producers have switched from sulfamethazine to other drugs that the
government cannot
detect. It
is
well
known
that
drugs not registered for use with dairy cows are, in
many
fact, in
widespread use. For example, the Wall Street Journal vt^ovitd in
1989 that 38 percent of milk tested from
New
York,
Philadelphia, MinneapoHs-St. Paul, and Boston was tainted
with residues of sulfa drugs and streptomycin at levels from five to
one hundred parts per biUion. The Center for Science
in the Public Interest
found
sulfa residues in
20 percent of the
milk sampled from the Washington-Baltimore area.
Dioxin residues also taint our milk.
The Health
Branch of Canada has reported extremely low (in the parts
per
trillion
Protection
levels of dioxin
range) in several samples of milk and
209
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
cream that were packaged
in bleached milk cartons
tured in the United States. Dioxin, which
manufac-
by-product of
a
is
the process used to bleach paper products, had migrated from the cartons to the milk. Very likely U.S. milk products are similarly tainted.
minor aspects of the dioxin
Scientists quibble over
but there
is
no question
that
we should reduce our
The 2,3,7,8-TCDD form
470,000 times more potent expert noted that the
EPA
of dioxin in our milk
as a
ment group found unacceptable tested in
1
carcinogen than
is
at least
DDT. One
has compared the chronic toxicity
of dioxin with that of plutonium!
dietary exposure to
exposures
whenever pos-
to environmental contaminants such as dioxin sible.
threat,
The EPA's carcinogen assesshuman cancer risk at chronic
part per trillion dioxin, the lowest dose
mammals, and concluded
that dioxin
most potent carcinogens known, with no
is
safe dose.
among
the
Dioxin
is
a
cancer promoter and a cocarcinogen, a kind of all-purpose car-
cinogen that not only
may cause
cancer but also enhances and
speeds up cancers triggered by other carcinogens.
Government
regulators and the paper industry have tried
to quell public concern, saying that low-level dioxin exposure is
is
human health problems. The real truth that cancer incidence rates keep increasing, and much of the
not likely to result in
cause will eventually be seen to be cumulative toxic exposures as a result
of pervasive industrial and chemical pollution. Here
we have one of
the most carcinogenic
The
appearing in our milk!
some
fish as well as
—
milk
is
compounds known
dioxin problem
—prevalent
in
plainly out of control. Regulating
the pulp paper mills that produce milk cartons and enacting a
zero-tolerance policy for dioxin in milk would be logical places to start gaining the
upper hand with
urgent today as the chlordane,
DDT,
problems were two decades ago.
210
this
problem, which
dieldrin,
A law calling
is
as
and heptachlor for labeling of
David Steinman
products containing dioxin would also help. industry says
its
The
paper
products are safe and that the amount of
dioxin that migrates into food
is
nobody
so low that
will
be
harmed. But with labeling, consumers could decide for them-
what
selves
is safe.
In Sweden, manufacturers of toilet paper, tampons, paper towels, food containers, disposable diapers, and other paper
products have begun to use unbleached pulp, which
England and Germany market
dioxin.
unbleached food cartons.
The marketing
a
is
free of
wide range of
of unbleached paper
products in America has just begun.
For now, the best way dioxin
is
to
part of an
buy milk
to protect yourself
from
traces of
in glass containers. Plastic containers are
enormous waste problem
in America,
and there may
be some migration of plasticizers into the milk product. Glass,
which can be
easily recycled, is the sensible choice.
Companies
such as Organic Valley and Horizon have gone to great lengths to reduce or completely eliminate
any traces of dioxin in their
cartons and dairy products.
In
November
approved the cally
sale
1993, the
Food and Drug Administration
of milk from cows injected with the geneti-
engineered (recombinant) bovine growth hormone to
increase milk production. Although this synthetic differs chemically, biologically,
natural
hormone
and immunologically from the
hormone, the Food and Drug Administration warned
dairy producers and distributors against using "hormone-free" labels
on milk from cows not given rBGH, claiming
would be
"false or
misleading" as there
is
that this
"no significant
dif-
ference between milk from treated and untreated cows."
Acting on
rBGH,
this regulation,
Monsanto, the manufacturer of
has sued Midwest and other milk producers for using
hormone-free labeling. Today, however, Monsanto "has
abandoned"
all
lost or
of the labeling lawsuits.
211
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
The Food and Drug Administration
guidelines were devel-
oped by then-deputy commissioner Michael Taylor, former counsel to Monsanto and the biotechnology industry.
The
guidehnes reflect flagrant disregard of consumers' right to
know and
are scientifically flawed.
Bovine growth hormone poses and,
more important,
wide range of veterinary
public health hazards. Yet
it
has
become
and the Food and Drug Administration
clear that industry
have conspired to suppress or differences
a
trivialize these
well-documented
between hormonal and nonhormonal milk.
Bovine growth hormone degrades the quality of dairy prod-
The Food and rBGh (Posilac),
ucts, including increasing their fat concentration.
Drug Administration-approved
label insert for
that only dairy farmers see, admits that
its
"use
is
associated with
increased frequency of use of medication in cows for [infected udders], mastitis, and other health problems."
data also reveal
up
Monsanto own 's
to an 80 percent incidence of mastitis, an
udder infection, in hormone-treated
cattie, resulting in
contam-
ination of milk with pus and bacteria. Furthermore, treatment
of mastitis requires use of antibiotics, some of which are carcinogenic, with additional risks of allergic reactions and devel-
opment of antibiotic Additionally,
markedly increased
growth division
of the growth factor, insulin-like
which stimulates and regulates
and maturation. Cows
which
The
levels
factor- 1 (IGF-1),
mone show heavy cells,
resistance in consumers.
rBGH-treated cows produce milk with
is
cell
injected with the biotech hor-
concentration of IGF-1 in breast (udder)
not seen in untreated cows.
high residues of IGF-1
in
rBGH
milk are not
destroyed, but rather increased, by pasteurization. Further-
more, the growth factor in the
human
not destroyed by digestive enzymes
gut, particularly as
normal protein in milk.
212
is
it is
protected by casein, a
David Steinman
Food and Drug Administration publication disclosing secret Monsanto tests, feeding to mature rats for only two weeks resulted in statistically significant increases in body and liver weights and bone length. These effects were seen at a small fraction of doses given to control rats. By manipulating these data, the milk industry and the Food and Drug AdminIn a 1990
istration alleged that
IGF-1
"lacks oral toxicity." Furthermore,
Food and Drug Administration nor Monsanto has investigated the effects of long-term feeding of IGF-1 -treated milk on growth of infant rats or primates, let alone human neither the
risks.
A
recent detailed analysis of the scientific literature, pub-
lished in a prestigious international public-health journal, con-
human
cluded that a
infant drinking
rBGH
milk would be
exposed to approximately double normal blood levels of IGF1,
levels over
one hundred times greater than standard
margins. Moreover, IGF-1 in milk from treated cows
more potent than
is
safety
much
the natural hormone. It was farther con-
cluded that the supercharged levels of IGF- 1 in dairy products
from treated cows pose potential
risks
of breast cancer by stim-
ulating division and promoting malignant transformation of
normal breast
known
to
cells
(Appendix
2.6).
Additionally,
IGF-1
is
maintain the malignancy of breast cancers,
increasing their invasiveness and spread, and to protect cancer cells
from
grammed
their
cell
normal tendency
to
self-destruct
(pro-
death or apoptosis). This could well lead to the
stimulation of growth and invasiveness of undetected, early, noninvasive, and relatively benign localized cancers, such as
milkduct cancer.
High
levels
of IGF-1 are also likely to pose risks of colon
cancer as noted in a recent scientific publication and national press conference, recently reported in the popular press in
USA
Today. Further evidence for this
is
based on evidence of
213
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
sharply increased rates of colon cancer
among people with
gigantism (acromegaly), a pituitary gland disorder in which the body produces high levels of IGF- 1
.
Of further and
importance, recent evidence has confirmed that there tistically significant increase in
breast cancer in
women
critical
is
a sta-
the incidence and mortality of
with gigantism.
Even the highly conservative American Medical Associa1991 expressed concerns over increased IGF-1 levels
tion, in
milk:
in
"Further studies will be required to determine
whether the ingestion of higher than normal concentrations of bovine insulinlike growth factor
safe for children, adoles-
is
cents and adults."
The
opposite of further study
is
unrestricted sale of unla-
beled milk to consumers.
Bovine growth hormone use
and Canada. However, with the
is
now
prohibited in Europe
active complicity of the
and Drug Administration, the United States
is
Food
currently being
subjected to an experiment involving large-scale adulteration
of an age-old dietary staple by a poorly characterized and unlabeled biotechnology product. Disturbingly, this experiment benefits only a very small
segment of the
agri chemical industry
while providing no matching benefits to consumers. Even
more
disturbingly,
for the entire
it
poses major potential public health risks
United States population.
Because of low-level residues of antibiotics, cides, dioxin,
and
BGH,
of them a pediatrician,
who
milk. Unfortunately,
don't
whole milk that otics, fats
214
and
up
is
may be concerned about children. I know two doctors, one
parents
feeding whole milk to their
I
sulfa drugs, pesti-
will
not feed their children whole
know of any
suppliers of organic
guaranteed to be free of pesticides, antibi-
sulfa drugs.
Remember, children need
to age two, so don't risk switching
a lot
of dairy
from whole milk
to
David Steinman
skim without finding
substitute source of dairy
a
which
course, organic milk,
is
widely available
now
Of
fat.
at super-
markets and health food stores, helps to considerably reduce
amount of contamination. Organic cheeses
the
which you can give your child getting essential dairy
fats,
daily to
too.
make
are available,
sure he or she
is
Organic yogurt could be
another source. You can also make yogurt cheese. See the
shopping
tips section
and the Personal Action Guide for infor-
mation on the yogurt cheese funnel. Shopping Tips
Always buy low-fat or nonfat milk and yogurt, and look for the coldest, freshest products in the store.
tenth as as
many
many pesticide
Skim milk has only one-
residues as whole milk and one-eighth
as low-fat milk.
Bacteria such as salmonella or listeria can
product, not just cheese. tion, always
To
cut
down
grow in any dairy
the risk of contamina-
buy U.S. Extra Grade milk from government-
inspected plants, and do not buy unpasteurized milk.
Choose
Hot air rises, and shelves may not be cold
milk from the lower refrigerator shelves. temperatures on the higher storage
enough is
to prevent the
minimal for
growth of listeria and salmonella (40°F
safe storage), so finding the coldest
product
is
important. Find the freshest milk by checking the date on the
Buy milk and other dairy products last, and store them when you get home. Don't pour unused milk from the
carton. first
table
back into the bottle or carton.
a separate glass jar.
Throw it out or
Milk that has been out
ture for even a few minutes has already
at
begun
store
it
in
room tempera-
to be invaded
by
multiplying bacteria, so you're pouring additional bacteria
back into your milk, speeding up the spoilage. milk in teria,
a separate jar,
use
it
for cooking,
If you save table
which destroys bac-
not for drinking.
215
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
When
buying cheese, be aware that cheeses labeled "nat-
ural" could contain chemicals such as
potential carcinogen that
is
used to
hydrogen peroxide,
sterilize milk,
zoyl peroxide, used to bleach milk. Bulk cheese
a
and ben-
may
well
have preservatives, mold inhibitors, and antimycotics. Grated cheeses may contain mold inhibitors, anticaking agents,
and natural or
on the
label. Certified
artificial flavoring.
organic cheese
is
These must be
a
much
Buying raw (unpasteurized) milk cheese
is
listed
better choice.
no guarantee
that the cheese will be without additives, artificial coloring,
and preservatives or that least
make
it
will
be
fi-om pesticides.
fi*ee
At
sure the label stipulates that nothing artificial has
been added. Brie,
Camembert, and Limburger cheese
is fi*ee
of coloring
and preservatives. Any ammonia smell means these cheeses are past their prime.
Be wary of smoke cheese. Like smoked
fish
and meats, smoked cheese contains carcinogenic compounds that are produced in the
smoking process.
All
smoked
cheeses,
except provolone, are labeled as such.
Try sapsago,
a safe,
dry grating cheese made with
all
skim
milk,
which
Some
people love sapsago; others are not so fond of it. Cheese
is
perfect for the low-toxin, high-energy diet.
producers should note that more cheeses are very
much
needed.
They would
made with skim milk
help to reduce our expo-
sure to pesticides, as well as our consumption of cholesterol
and saturated
An
fat.
excellent nontoxic cheese that
you can make
at
home
is
yogurt cheese. Yogurt cheese made with nonfat yogurt gives
you the
rich taste of
pesticides.
And
it is
whole milk cheese without dangerous
easy to
make with cheesecloth or
a
yogurt
cheese fiinnel, which you can order by mail. This simple plastic funnel has a microsized
yogurt.
216
You simply
fill
mesh
that
removes whey from
the funnel with yogurt, place the
David Steinman
funnel over a coffee
mug
or drinking glass, and six to twenty-
four hours later you will have yogurt cheese in the funnel. takes thirty-two ounces of yogurt to
yogurt cheese.
I
defy you
It
make about two cups of between
to tell the difference
made with nonfat yogurt and cheesecake made
cheesecake
with fatty dairy products! Yogurt cheese makes a great substitute for
cream cheese, mayonnaise, margarine,
sour cream.
It
butter,
and
can even replace butter at the dinner table and
the sour cream served with baked potatoes. for cheesecake, for layering lasagna,
Try yogurt cheese
and for dips and spreads.
See the Personal Action Guide for ordering information for a
yogurt cheese funnel.
Buy organic
cheeses.
There
are
many
now
dairies
pro-
ducing chemical-free and low-fat cheeses. North Farm cheeses
made with organic
are ical
fertilizers,
milk;
antibiotics,
no
herbicides, pesticides,
chem-
or hormones are used. This
Madison, Wisconsin, company's organic cheeses are
certified
by the Organic Crop Improvement Association. Dairy farmers working with North Farm must have practiced an organic pro-
gram
for a
minimum
of three years. Cheese varieties include
milk and aged cheddar, low-fat/low-sodium cheddar, colby,
monterey pepper
jack,
jack,
muenster, mozzarella, provolone, string,
and lacy
swiss. I
have tested North
and found them free of pesticides limits.
at relatively
Farm
cheeses
low detection
See the Personal Action Guide for more information
about other mail-order organic dairy food suppliers.
Many people wonder whether
they should substitute goat's
milk for cow's milk. Although goat's milk seems to be tolerated better
mind
by persons
sensitive to cow's milk,
that goat's milk
may be
as cow's milk, since it has a
lacks folic acid
and vitamin
the effects of stress.
On
as
in
contaminated with pesticides
higher 6^2,
you should keep
fat
content. Goat's milk also
which are valuable
in fighting
the other hand, goat's milk also has a
217
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
slightly higher calcium content
otic
and tends to have
less antibi-
contamination than cow's milk.
Be wary of imported powdered
milk. In
Mexico
City,
some
seven thousand tons of imported powdered milk were allowed
consumed even though the milk was contaminated with cesium 137 and strontium 90 as a result of fallout from the to be
Chernobyl nuclear accident. Dairy Substitutes
At our home when we cheese that
is less
eat cheese
we
make it organic, and
try to
than organic hardly appeals to
the calories, saturated
fat,
pesticide contamination.
us,
because of
and cholesterol in addition to the
However, we have
also
found excel-
lent dairy substitutes for sandwiches and for grating.
Soya Kaas produces an excellent Hne of cheese substitutes
and for grating. Their excellent hne of cheese
for sandwiches
substitutes are available nationwide at health stores.
They're
tasty.
and natural food
They're convenient. They're made with
organic tofa without chemical additives or preservatives. Varieties include
Nu
Tofu, available
made with organic tofa without chemical or preservatives. Use these tofu cheeses as you would
nationwide, additives
monterey jack and cheddar.
is
also
dairy cheese.
Soy milk adults
is
a fine
milk substitute for older children and
and can be substituted for most milk uses.
lesterol or lactose,
and the
fat in it is
Nutritionally, soy milk has as
much
It
has no cho-
mainly unsaturated.
as thirty times
more
than cow's milk, as well as lecithin and vitamin E.
iron
It lacks
appreciable amounts of vitamin A, vitamin D, and calcium, but these nutrients are found in other staples of the high-energy,
low-toxin diet such as
fruits,
vegetables, grains, pure seafood,
and some mineral waters. There are several
excellent, tasty soy
milks available, including Edensoy, Health Valley Soy
218
Moo,
David Steinman
which
I love,
soy milk
Soy Powder, Vitasoy, and Westbrae. Always buy
made with
grown soybeans
organically
to be sure
Nut and grain milks They are made with an almond blend or with cultured rice known as amazake. An unrefined sweetener may be added. They also have less pro-
you're not getting pesticides in your milk.
can also be used in place of cow's milk.
tein, calcium,
When
and vitamins
shopping for
your desire for
A and D
than dairy milk.
buy nonfat yogurt
desserts,
a rich dessert while
following low-toxin
still
guidelines. Nancy's brand nonfat yogurt
yogurts marketed today.
Its
to satisfy
is
one of the best
ingredients are nothing but skim
and beneficial acidophilus and bifidum
milk, nonfat dry milk, bacterial cultures.
Nonfat
home
Bring
yogurt also makes an excellent dessert.
fi-ozen
pack of nonfat frozen yogurt and use
a family
organic fresh fruits for your topping.
Honey
Hills
Farms
nonfat frozen yogurt, available throughout the nation, excellent product for reducing
cutting rated
down your
is
an
your exposure to pesticides and
intake of calories, cholesterol, and satu-
fat.
Other good dairy very low in
fat; Vitari, a
and Tofutti
Lite, a
also very
low in
fat.
from France,
substitutes include Gise,
frozen fruit dessert, virtually nonfat;
nondairy frozen dessert made from tofu, Regular Tofutti, however, has 200 to 275
calories in a four-ounce serving,
calorie alternative dessert.
None
making
it
far
from
a
low-
of these desserts are organic,
but because of their ingredients, they are sure to be very low in pesticide saturation.
Sherbet, with only for dessert or snacks. color,
which should
methods. Sherbet
home,
if a
is
1
or 2 percent milk
Avoid brands with tip
you
off to
fat, is
a
artificial flavor
inferior
a great dessert choice
good choice
when
and
production
dining out. At
craving for something sweet hits you with
full
gale
219
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
force and
you
headed for the supermarket, look
find yourself
for sherbet.
Dole for
fi-uit
sorbet
is
an excellent dessert that
your body than any dairy
is
much
better
dessert. Its ingredients are water,
raspberry puree, sugar, corn syrup, locust bean gum, pectin,
guar gum, grape skin extract (for color), natural citric acid. Sure,
sugar and corn syrup are not the very best
ingredients for your
Compared with
and
flavors,
ice
really big difference
body But we cream. Dole
comes
are talking about trade-offs.
fruit sorbet is excellent.
The
in the area of pesticide saturation;
the sorbet will have far fewer pesticide residues. Cascadian
Farm
makes an organic
also
Water
ice is
another great dessert alternative. Water ices
They have
no milk
ingredients.
egg whites are used. They have very low,
if any, pesti-
are really gems! Instead,
fruit sorbet.
absolutely
cide saturation.
Best of
all,
when you
crave a sweet frozen dessert,
use a blender to create delicious frozen desserts that the low-toxin high-energy diet.
One
of
my
fit
it;
frozen banana slices in a blender; add a handful of in
enough of your
made
at
moderate speed
220
an
a
put the ice,
much
and
until thick
make it runny. and creamy. You have as to
a sinfully delicious dessert that is absolutely healthy
tastes as delicious as
is
favorite organic fruit juice to give the
dessert a fruit-juice flavor but not so
Blend
in with
favorites
banana-fruit dessert: slice a banana and fi-eeze
pour
you can
ice
cream milk shake. Enjoy!
and
David Steinman
Safe Shopping List: Dairy Foods
Number of Residues
Green Light Buttermilk
3
Chocolate milk
7
(fluid)
Cottage cheese (4 percent milk
Cream
fat)
Low-fat milk Low-fat
(2
(plain)
percent
fat)
yogurt
Milk shakes (chocolate,
19 8
fast-food)
Skim milk (nonfat milk)
Yellow Light Ice milk
Margarine
19 2
substitute
18
4
Number
of Residues
35 (stick, regular, salted)
Yogurt with
fruit
Red Light
167 32
Number
of Residues
Butter (regular, salted)
384
Cheese (cheddar)
171
Cream
173
cheese
Evaporated milk (canned) Ice
cream
(vanilla flavored, light)
46 57
Processed cheese (American)
168
Swiss cheese
160
Whole milk
67
221
NINE
Eggs, like meat, are eat far too lesterol,
much
of.
and there
is
a great protein source that
They have a serious
tion of eggs in this country.
exceptionally high
most Americans amoimts of cho-
problem with salmonella contamina-
But from the toxic chemical standpoint,
eggs are better to eat than the worst pesticide-accumulating meats,
such as bologna, frankfurters, ground beef, and salami. eggs overall a yellow light food and try to eat
I
consider
—
them seldom
^unless,
of course, they're from organically raised hens.
Eggs are the most cholesterol-saturated food Americans routinely
consume. There are 213 milligrams of cholesterol
single tgg;
by comparison,
a single frankfurter
in a
has only 2 3 and a ,
cup of ice cream has 59.
Bad
as
they are, eggs are not the worst food for your heart,
because they are relatively low in saturated that dietary saturated fat lesterol
is
more
closely
fats.
And studies show
Hnked than dietary cho-
with elevated blood cholesterol. While
six
ground beef would have 12.4 grams of saturated have only
3.1
grams.
A
one-ounce
slice
ounces of lean fat,
two eggs
of cheddar cheese has
only 30 milligrams of cholesterol but 6 grams of saturated
One cup
fat.
of whole milk has only 33 milligrams of cholesterol, but
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
it
has a
whopping
5.1
grams of saturated
contribute to an increase in levels,
some
but other animal foods are
Eggs may indeed
fat.
individuals' cholesterol
much more
significant
contributors.
Unfortunately, people like to combine eggs with other high-fat foods such as cheese, sausages, bacon, or another fatty
meat.
And
therein
the problem: the combination of these
lies
animal foods can be deadly. I
see eggs as part of the larger animal protein picture. Eggs,
dairy foods, and
meat
are
in the
all
same
boat.
And
study after
study has shown a direct and strong correlation between
who consume
groups of people
and mortality in the 1960s
as a result
—known
saturated fat and cholesterol
of coronary heart disease.
as the
men
seven countries
in
study
—looked
Seven Countries Study
the cholesterol and saturated fat intake of
thousand
One
at
more than twelve
—Finland
Greece,
Italy,
Japan, the Netherlands, the United States, and Yugoslavia.
The
results
were
clear:
those groups of men
who
ate the
most
cholesterol- and saturated-fat-rich foods also suffered the
highest rates of deaths from coronary heart disease.
The message raise total
is
that dietary saturated fat and cholesterol do
blood cholesterol
levels.
cholesterol level, the greater
is
The
higher the total blood
the severity of atherosclerosis;
the greater the severity of atherosclerosis, the greater the risk for coronary heart disease. It
And your
diet
Unfortunately,
is
is
that simple.
the key!
many
doctors today
know
about diet and nutrition and are too eager to therapy to lower cholesterol. If Americans
too
little
initiate
drug
far
knew
the close
interrelationship between diet and high cholesterol, they
could radically limit their intake of fatty dairy foods, eggs, and meat, increase their consumption of plant foods (particularly
whole 224
grains),
and significantly lower their cholesterol without
David Steinman
drugs, adding years to their lives and reducing their risk of
heart disease.
The
drugs in use today for coronary artery dis-
ease often are toxic chemicals with
may not become
effects that
nutritional
Remember
them seldom.
eat
niacin.)
meat and dairy foods,
that eggs, like
So
for lowering cholesterol,
B vitamin
including monitored use of the
risk of heart disease.
adverse side
evident for years. (There are also
available
strategies
many potential
create a
You'll get plenty of
protein elsewhere in the low-toxin, high-energy diet.
remember
not to
And
combine eggs with other high-cholesterol,
high-fat foods like cheese, bacon, sausage, milk, and creamy
One day
sauces.
we'll
all
look back at the bacon-and-eggs
breakfast as another relic of the
American mentality of excess
DDT,
that also brought us gas-guzzling automobiles,
high in
fats
and red meat, and routine consumption of ciga-
and hquor.
rettes
diets
It's
a legacy
we can do
without.
Salmonella Contamination
The
big problem with eggs
is
bacterial contamination, partic-
ularly salmonella contamination. Nationwide, the reported
number of food poisoning
cases linked to eggs
grew from
By 2000, the number United States was more than 182,000.
7,325 in 1974 to about 14,000 in 1986.
of estimated cases in the
(These figures might represent only
number of persons who that
is
cases
reported,
it is
1
to 10 percent of the
For every case
are actually sickened.
estimated that as
many
as
one hundred
go unreported because they are shrugged off as
a
bug or
intestinal flu.)
We used
to think that eggs
were not major
carriers of sal-
monella. Improved sanitary standards and use of disinfectants to
wash eggs
led us to believe that bacterial diseases linked with
eggs had been virtually eliminated. However, from 1985 to 1987, eating uncooked eggs accounted for 77 percent of the
225
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
2,119 salmonella-poisoning cases researchers were able to trace to their sources.
And
eggs,
we now know, have been
the cause
of a dramatic increase in food poisoning in the Northeast.
The number of salmonella-poisoning cases linked
to
Grade
A eggs underwent a six- to sevenfold increase in the Northeast from 1976 to 1986. Only about 550 enteritidis
cases a year oi Salmonella
occurred in the Northeast in the 1970s; one decade
number had jumped
more than 4,000 cases. SalGrade A eggs, the kind sold in supermarkets. Those at highest risk include children under the age of one, pregnant women, and people
later that
monella enteritidis
who
is
most
to
closely associated with
immune compromised,
are
including individuals under-
going cancer treatment and those with AIDS. Until recently, salmonellosis outbreaks had been confined to flocks of chickens in Connecticut, Maine,
New Jersey, New York, Then
mont.
Pennsylvania,
New Hampshire,
Rhode
and Ver-
Island,
the infections spread to flocks in the mountain
and southern
states.
And
in Utah,
South Dakota, Mississippi,
and Florida the incidence of Salmonella
enteritidis
much more insidious and Investigators who have looked into the
may be
infecting chickens in a
hard-to-
combat way.
causes of
Grade
A
egg-related salmonella outbreaks have discovered
that the salmonella bacteria
and whites. Researchers
were
inside the eggs, in their yolks
killed the
egg-producing hens and
discovered that their ovaries and oviducts were infested with viable,
some
reproducing colonies of Salmonella
enteritidis.
experts theorize that Salmonella enteritidis
may
Thus,
be repro-
ducing, colonizing in the ovaries of hens, and infecting the tgg
—before the
yolk directly ters worse, this type
ination
toms 226
shell
is
even formed! To make mat-
may not even know that hold of a flock. The contam-
farmers and veterinarians
of salmonella has taken
may go on
in the flock.
for generations without
any
visible
symp-
David Steinman
How
serious
Some
tive.
the problem? Well,
is
let's
put
it
in perspec-
researchers claim that only one in ten thousand
eggs in the supermarket will harbor Salmonella the other hand, one
enteritidis.
On
of the nation's leading bacteriological
experts has remarked that if he were in the Northeast and
someone raw
offered
raw tgg dishes
immune
hollandaise sauce, which
would refuse
eggs, he
serve
him
to eat
it.
made with
Certainly you must not
to frail elderly persons, to persons
systems have been compromised by
babies and toddlers. Their white blood cells
of their
is
immune system
—might not be able
illness,
whose or to
—^which are part
to
subdue
this sal-
monella bacterium.
This does not mean you must refuse raw least
you should be aware of the
risks,
Q,gg dishes.
But
at
and you can avoid par-
Qgg dishes and recipes. For those who possess basically strong immune systems, eating raw eggs presents a ticularly risky
may result in
slight risk of infection (that
a
few days of nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea, and fever).
These dishes
are usually
made with
raw, unpasteur-
ized eggs:
Homemade mayonnaise Homemade ice cream Milk shakes Caesar salad Hollandaise sauce Soft omelets
Eggs sunny side up (the yolks are virtually uncooked)
Uncooked
batter of cakes
and cookies (many kids love
uncooked cake and cookie
Cake
batter)
filling
Pasta with raw egg-cheese stuffing (don't nibble before
cooking) Stuffing for seafood dishes
227
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Rice balls and meatballs
made with
eggs (don't nibble before
cooking)
Eggnog Potato-egg salad
If you are traveling,
you should know that eggs from England,
Wales, the Balkan countries, and the Iberian peninsula are
December
frequently infected. In health minister, sion that
1988, England's junior
Edwina Currie, remarked on national
televi-
most of England's eggs were infected with the
sal-
monella bacteria. This revelation triggered public hysteria that resulted in severe industry. Sales of eggs
lion
economic
slumped 50 percent. More than 20 mil-
eggs went unsold.
resign
—
as a result
tgg
losses for the British
Currie was eventually forced to
of her honesty! Meanwhile, the British
government announced that thorough cooking was the best
method of self-protection. I do not want to see any more persons sickened. And particularly concerned that so
many food-poisoning
I
am
out-
breaks occur in institutions. If you have loved ones in institutions, be careful for them;
make
sure that they are never
served undercooked or raw tgg dishes.
Immune-compro-
mised persons and individuals recovering from heart surgery, cancer therapy, or other illness also should
not eat raw
tgg dishes. Fortunately,
be quite safe
if
many
foods that are
commercially
sold.
made with raw eggs may
Commercial products
made with bulk eggs and should be
free
are
from contamination.
That's because bulk eggs are pasteurized and sterilized and
can be used in any recipes that demand raw or undercooked eggs. Pasteurized bulk eggs should always be used tions serving toddlers, the elderly,
persons.
228
by
institu-
and immune-weakened
David Steinman
Eggs Survival Guide
Green Light
The
evidence
quite clear that pesticides and industrial
is
chemicals have infiltrated commercial eggs sold in most supermarkets.
I
looked at both chicken and duck eggs and found
residues of benzene, levels are low,
cides
DDE,
dieldrin, toluene,
and styrene.
The
however, and the cancer risk as a result of pesti-
and industrial chemicals in eggs
is
relatively low.
Boiled eggs. Boiled eggs had twenty-one residues in thirtysix
samples with
DDE and dieldrin being most prevalent.
Fried eggs. Fried eggs had eighteen residues in thirty-six samples with the most prevalent contaminants our old enemies,
DDE and dieldrin.
Yellow Ught
Scrambled
Scrambled eggs had seventy-two pesticide
eggs.
and industrial chemical residues in
thirty-six
market basket
samples. Chief among these were benzene, chloroform, styrene,
DDE,
and toluene.
Shopping and Cooking Tips
These guideHnes humanely
will
help you find the best eggs from
raised chickens
and protect yourself against egg-
related salmonellosis.
Look
for labels that state that the chickens
were raised
without antibiotics. Although antibiotic residues were not reported for the samples of eggs
symptom of
I
hens, so
is
a
the factory farm. Also, be sure to look for fertile
eggs, available at health food stores
Here's why:
analyzed, their use
it is
and some supermarkets.
impossible to cram roosters into cages with
you can be
certain that fertile eggs
come from
uncaged hens. 229
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Horizon
many urban
eggs, a brand of eggs available in
supermarkets, are certified to be fi*om hens raised humanely
and without
antibiotics.
See the Personal Action Guide for
details.
Do
not use
artificial,
cholesterol-free egg substitutes.
One
such brand, Morningstar Farms' Scramblers, contains alu-
minum
which introduces aluminum into your
sulfate,
Check other brand
labels. If
diet.
they contain any aluminum com-
pounds, they deserve no place in the nontoxic kitchen. There is
a better alternative to these cholesterol-free chemical-laced
eggs products. cholesterol, icals
Egg
whites have absolutely no saturated
fat
or
and they probably have very few industrial chem-
or pesticides.
When
cooking dishes that require eggs,
separate the whites from the yolks and use only the whites.
Give your dog or
cat the yolk.
True carnivores such
as cats
and
dogs do not suffer problems with cholesterol.
My favorite recipe
is
the white omelet. Instead of using tgg
simply use egg whites
yolks with pesticide-saturated cheese,
I
with North Farm organic cheese or a
tofii
cook
it
Do
would
just as I
a
cheese substitute.
I
yellow omelet.
not buy unrefrigerated eggs. Temperatures between
40°F and 140°F
are ideal for salmonella to breed.
Never
leave
eggs unrefrigerated for more than two hours. Use only
uncracked eggs. Always wash your hands
raw eggs.
Wash
Do
not
utensils
dling raw eggs. tion of diluted
let
after
working with
raw eggs touch other foods.
and cutting surfaces before and
after
han-
You might even want to use a homemade soluchlorine wash, made with a half teaspoon of
chlorine per cup of water, to sterilize cutting surfaces and utensils.
Observe the hot and cold
rules.
Egg-rich foods should be
served hot immediately after cooking; refrigerate after use.
230
An
them quickly
egg-rich food to be served cold should be
David Steinman
refrigerated right after preparation and kept in the refrigerator
Do
serving time.
until
advance and allow
not prepare hoUandaise sauce in
to sit in a double boiler
it
on the back of the
stove.
The
cook
especially prudent will
all
eggs thoroughly and
avoid runny eggs cooked sunny side up. French toast and
scrambled eggs should also be thoroughly cooked. BoiHng eggs for seven minutes,
utes
may
on each be
poaching
side will kill
a little
salmonella.
Do
These cooking times
the best you can.
are boiled, eggs lose the protective outer
brane around their
shell,
mem-
and bacteria can pass into the egg.
Always store hard-cooked eggs sible in
minutes, or frying three min-
long for some, but they are ideal cooking
times for your health.
Once they
all
five
at as cold a
temperature
as
pos-
order to prevent salmonella contamination. Hard-
cooked eggs with refrigerator.
Any
shells intact will
keep one week in the
that crack should be used the
same
day. It
is
safe to leave
hard-cooked eggs unrefrigerated for an hour or
two
an Easter tgg hunt, but refrigerate any that are
for, say,
not immediately eaten.
For best quality use whole eggs within
The
a
week of purchase.
fresher the eggs the less likely they are to contain high
salmonella concentrations.
whole eggs quality.
The
in the refrigerator
For
safety's
is
outside
five
limit
for
keeping
weeks. After that they lose
sake, use leftover separated yolks
and
whites within two to four days.
231
TEN Prepared Foods
A HUGE
PART of our diet
is
made up of prepared
foods.
These
food products are as saturated with pesticides as the whole foods we've already discussed, and
many of them
vatives, taste enhancers, emulsifiers,
Did you know
that
pesticides such as
chocolate?
Or
are laced with preser-
and other additives
some of the highest
levels
as well.
of carcinogenic
BHC and lindane in any food are found in milk
some of the highest levels of the carcinogenic pumpkin pie? that Americans really do prefer wholesome nat-
that
pesticide dieldrin are found in
The
irony
is
ural foods without additives
and preservatives. Surveys con-
ducted regularly by the Food Marketing Institute indicate most
Americans are extremely concerned over the additives and preservatives in their food.
But the major convenience-food corporations simply are not responding to consumers. Just take
morning
television.
On
is
Saturday
at
hawking breakfast foods of
dubious nutritional value loaded with additives,
look
any weekend morning, much of the
advertising aimed at our children
atives,
a
and saturated
fats.
artificial colors,
Even the
TV
guidelines designed to protect our children backfire.
preserv-
network
The CBS
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Network Advertising Guidelines require that products be shown for at least three seconds
Television advertised
within the context of a well-balanced breakfast. So for a few
seconds a child sees
a nutritionally suspect cereal in a table
The
setting with milk, orange juice, toast, and fruit.
here
to teach our children
is
that
it
balanced,
a
But what are the cereal hucksters
nutritional breakfast. really teaching
something about
idea
our children?
No doubt children get the idea
the cereal that provides the bulk of nutritional
is
benefits.
Dr. Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for
Science in the Public Interest, discussed this situation in a recent letter mailed to
CSPI members.
Every once in a while,
morning
television.
gramming
is
watch Saturday
force myself to
I
What
a depressing experience!
The
pro-
bad enough, but the commercials make
me
angry enough to pull the plug. ...
Week
after
week, in shameless pursuit of
profit,
major
food corporations spend millions of dollars to persuade
chil-
dren to eat foods that are slowly killing them.
McDonald's alone pours more than $40 million a year into network television ads
aimed
spends more than $100 million marketing eral
Foods spends $20 million a year
mercials.
And
General Mills backs
In dazzling
TV
hamburgers and .
its
just
candies.
its
on Kool-Aid com-
junky
Cream Cone
Ice
.
.
commercials, food conglomerates
fries
loaded with saturated
candy bars packed with
fat
and sugar
cereals that are
no more than
50 percent sugar.
glorified candy,
and
fats .
that contain ten teaspoons of sugar in every can
234
Gen-
with $10 million worth of ads.
cereal
ries
M&M/Mars
at children.
.
with
calo-
soft drinks
.
.
hawk
.
.
as
breakfast
much
as
— David Steinman
And society facts
they target the most vulnerable segment of our
—our
children
the ones least able to separate the
from the commercial hype.
Many dients.
children's foods are
They contain
And
preservatives.
food
—
—
made from
the cheapest ingre-
colorings,
artificial
and
flavorings,
have anything to do w^ith nutritious
fev^
or with building a future generation of healthy
Americans.
.
.
.
What's even more intolerable than the massive amounts
of
money poured
cials
into food advertising
routinely try to deceive us.
is
that the
And v^here
commer-
children are con-
cerned, they succeed far too often. In Trix ads, for instance, brightly colored pieces of fruit
hop
into the cereal
box
v^hile the
announcer shouts, "Made
with natural flavorings." Fine. But what the ads don't disclose is
that Trix does not contain
tain artificial coloring!
any
fruit
.
.
And how many
.
and that
it
does con-
children will under-
stand the brief disclaimer that the pretty-colored cereal
only "part of a balanced breakfast"
—
is
fact,
they
diets
from
the part, in
could most healthfully do without? Despite a decade of urgent
calls for
improved
the surgeon general, government agencies, authorities,
and other health
our society has not changed the way
children's eating habits. If anything, thanks to the
TV
advertising
it
shapes
power of
combined with the greed of corporate
America, things are getting worse. If eating kids' diets.
had no impact on
But the
fact
is
health,
no one would care about
that right now, the seeds of disease
ranging from tooth decay and obesity to heart disease
—
are
being planted in our children and grandchildren:
•
Saturated
fat
and
cholesterol,
which lead
to heart attacks,
begin to clog youngsters' arteries by their teenage years. Yet
235
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
the
hamburger chains
show
studies
target children in particular.
many
that
teenagers
dren already have cholesterol •
—candy
whelmingly
fatty
adults. Yet children's
hot dogs, hamburgers
bars,
or fried,
and
—
are over-
very fattening. Obesity
among six-
to eleven-year-old children has increased
cent in the
last
twenty
chil-
over 200!
Obese children usually become obese products
•
levels
Medical
and even younger
54 per-
years.
Additives cause allergic and hyperactive reactions in a small
but significant number of children
makers load
Worst of
all,
their products
dietary habits
likely to persist into
change and where death.
.
The
.
—
yet the junk- food
with synthetic chemicals.
formed
in
childhood are highly
adulthood, where they are harder to
effects all too often lead to sickness
and
.
real
shame
of- it
is
that the institutions that could
ensure that children eat a healthful, wholesome diet have
simply turned their backs on their responsibility.
TV
works have refused to turn away junk-food advertising. food restaurants will not stop targeting kids with their foods.
Many
food.
And
little
doctors and hospitals are so busy
treating adult heart attack victims that they have
work on preventing
Fast-
fattiest
schools continue to serve meals that are
more than junk
net-
heart attacks
among
no time
to
the young.
Cynical campaigns aimed at capturing the hearts and minds of
our children also have been launched in the print media under the guise of educational journalism.
Some
five
hundred thou-
sand copies of Sports Illustrated for Kids, a monthly
child's ver-
sion of the adult sports magazine, are distributed nationwide
without charge to public schools. Although pose
236
is
to help
promote
Hteracy, this
its
ostensible pur-
magazine
is
actually an
David Steinman
advertising
mentality!
forum
for
promoting die great American junk- food
What right does this magazine have to use the cred-
ibiHty of our schools to provide
its
junk-food advertisers with
access to the bodies and minds of our children? Corporate advertisers such as Frito-Lay, Hershey,
RJR Nabisco, and General
Cola,
M&M/Mars,
Mills pay $250,000 for ten
pages of advertising a year in this magazine. they're willing to
make such
Pepsi-
No
wonder
costly investments! Advertisers
gain credibility, because the magazine becomes part of the educational curriculum.
time to teach our children the true
Let's take the
about food
safety.
Good
facts
nutritional habits can never begin
too soon. Materials used to package convenience foods are a legiti-
mate cause little
for concern. Unfortunately, federal scientists
know
about the toxic chemicals that are released into food from
packaging, and there
is
very lenient regulation concerning
migration of toxic chemicals into convenience foods from their containers. scientists
The FDA
does approve packaging, but the
simply do not have a handle on
all
the different
chemicals that could be leaching into your food. This cially
of concern today
when
so
many
is
espe-
of us are using
microwave ovens to heat foods contained in heat-susceptor packaging.
Heat
susceptor
packaging
microwave cooking temperatures.
enables
intense
When temperatures start to
exceed 300°F, migration of chemicals such as plasticizers and adhesives in the food packaging occurs. What's in these
chemicals? Benzene, toluene, and xylene are
among
chemicals found in packaging materials, and
all
the toxic
cause cancer,
neurological, or reproductive effects.
We
have some control over
this situation.
Foods that are
hkely to be in heat-susceptor packaging include pizza, french fries, waffles,
popcorn, and breaded
fish,
according to Lisa
237
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Lefferts and Stephen
Pubhc
Interest.
Schmidt of the Center for Science in the
The
best self-protection
method
is
to take
convenience foods out of their packaging whenever possible
and transfer them to
glass
cookware or CorningWare, whether
cooking in the microwave or conventional oven.
Microwave radiation
itself is
probably not dangerous in the
amounts leaked from microwave ovens. Although there can be
some leakage from
a
microwave oven, the amount
truly
appears to be inconsequential. Nevertheless, Lefferts and
Schmidt a
prudent not to allow children to stare into
advise, "It's
microwave while Plastic
on."
it's
wraps in which foods come and which are used for
food storage also contain chemicals that can migrate into our food
at all temperatures,
whether
in the oven, at
perature, or stored in the refrigerator. entists
know
migrates into
di-(2-ethylhexyl) adipate
One
chemical that
from
food
cancer in one experimental species, still
should be classified as a potential
it
sci-
plastic 'wrap
(DEHA). Although
two, leaving the scientific jury
room tem-
it
is
has caused
has not caused cancer in
out to decide whether
human
carcinogen.
DEHA
it is
often found in plastic wrap used for meats. Your best personal solution
is
to use glass containers or
wax paper
as a liner for
food storage between your food and cHng wraps or aluminum foil.
Instead of cooking in plastic wraps,
transfer foods
from
In this section
plastic
I'll
wraps to
glass
point you to the
it
is
prudent to
cookware.
many
safe
convenience
foods available in any supermarket. There are thousands of
prepared foods; I've tried to look at the most popular ones.
Once you
see
foods are, you
how will
saturated with pesticides
some of
these
be convinced more than ever that you must
go nontoxic! I'll
also look into
all
BHT, MSG, TBHQ, 238
the chemical concoctions
—such
as
BHA,
aspartame, benzoic acid, carrageenan, food
David Steinman
and dye colorings, saccharin, and other additives and preservatives
—
that lace the thousands of brands of prepared foods in
all
those colorful, enticing, and often misleadingly labeled packages. I'll
explain
how these additives and preservatives can dramatically
affect your health, as well as that will help
you
in strengthening
healthful foods
of your children. These insights
your commitment to buy
safe,
and beverages.
CONVENIENCE FOODS Did you think ited to
tions
that the pesticide controversy
was
strictly lim-
raw foods? Unfortunately, pesticides make no
distinc-
between raw and processed foods. Nor does food
processing always destroy them.
Some convenience
foods are
thoroughly saturated with pesticides. Others are not. You need to
know
the difference.
In this section I've looked at foods
supermarkets for use as I've
used the
a
commonly bought
main course or
side dish.
in
As before,
FDA Total Diet Study's very thorough analysis of
chemicals in foods.
I
assure
you that some of these
are heavy-
weight industrial chemicals and pesticides, and pretty packaging cannot
make them
vanish.
Convenience, Carry-out, and Fast Foods Survival Guide
Green Light
Beef broth. Canned beef broth had only two Penta was the only pesticide detected.
pesticide residues.
One cup
of beef broth
has about 0.3 grams of saturated fat and a trace of cholesterol.
There
is
virtually
salt levels in this
no cancer
risk.
Be
careful,
though, of high
and other canned soups.*
Chicken noodle soup (canned, condensed, prepared with water). Chicken noodle soup had only two residues: the pesticides malathion
and methamidophos. There
is
virtually
no 239
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
One cup
of
canned chicken noodle soup has only 0.7 grams of saturated
fat
cancer risk as a result of toxic contamination.
and 7 miUigrams of cholesterol. Be sure there are no chemical additives such as preservatives or
monosodium glutamate
(MSG).
(New England, canned, condensed, prepared with whole milk). Only forty-one residues were found Clatn chowder
in
market basket samples with chlorpropham
thirty-six
appearing most frequently and cameos by benzene, dicloran, dieldrin,
and endosulfan.
Mushroom soup
(canned, condensed, prepared with whole
Only twenty-eight
milk).
DDE,
residues were found in thirty-six
market basket samples with chlorpyrifos and thiabendazole found most frequently.
Pork and beans (canned). Canned pork and beans had only twenty-one distinct chemical residues with occasional appearances from chloroform, chlorpyrifos, toluene, and xylene.
amount of meat
is
The
tiny (and pork tends to be less contami-
nated), so the pesticides usually associated with red
meat do
not appear.
Tomato soup (canned, condensed, prepared with water). In the
FDA Total Diet Study, tomato soup had twenty-eight pes-
ticide residues representing four pesticide formulations. Pesti-
cides detected
most frequently were
chlorpyrifos, malathion,
and methamidophos. Tomato soup made with cream, of course, cides.
would probably have more contamination with
There
is
virtually
no
the toxic contamination.
soup has about
5.1
pesti-
significant cancer risk as a result of
One cup
of canned cream of tomato
grams of saturated
fat
and 20 milligrams of
cholesterol. Processed tomatoes are a rich source of lycopene,
which protects against prostate cancer. Vegetable beef soup (canned, condensed, prepared with water).
240
Canned vegetable beef soup had
thirty residues in
David Steinman
thirty-six
market basket samples. The vegetables are highly
processed, and there
is
so Uttle beef that
its
pesticide residues
were not found. Chlorpropham was found most frequently.
One cup
of canned vegetable beef soup has only 0.9 grams of
saturated fat and 5 milHgrams of cholesterol. Seek soups that are not
cream based; cream adds
significantly to the pesticide
saturation. Also, look for soups without additives.
Yellow Light
Beef chow mein (from Chinese carry-out). And it's not even low calorie. Beef chow mein contained seventy-seven chemical residues,
chief
among which were
chlorpyrifos,
malathion, and permethrin. (And you thought
all
dicloran,
you had
to
worry about was MSG.)
Beef stew with
potatoes, carrots,
and onions (homemade).
Sixty-nine residues were found with chlorpropham,
endosulfan as the most
DDE,
and
common.
Chicken pot pie (frozen, heated),
A very popular American
convenience food, frozen pot pies had 127 pesticide residues representing some fifteen distinct chemicals.
Pesticides
detected most frequently included chlorpropham, pyrifos,
chlor-
and malathion.
Frozen dinners. Frozen dinners are
a favorite
convenience
food. Fried chicken dinners had forty-two pesticide residues
representing nine different pesticide formulations. That
is
not
too bad, compared with other foods we've discussed. Pesticides detected
malathion;
most frequently were
DDT,
diazinon, and
other pesticides detected were chlorpropham,
chlorpyrifos, dicloran, dieldrin, octachlor,
Select the safest frozen dinners
and penta.
by following
safe
meat and
poultry guidelines. Dinners with beef, such as Salisbury steak,
or with cheese and beef, such as enchiladas and tacos, will have the greatest pesticide contamination.
A better choice would be 241
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
a
frozen turkey dinner, since turkey breast has far less pesticide
saturation.*
Lasagna (homemade with meat). Homemade lasagna with meat, in the
FDA Total Diet Study, had seventy-three residues some fourteen
representing
and
different chemicals. Chlorpyrifos
DDE were detected in at least one-fourth of the samples.
Other
pesticides detected included diazinon, dicloran, diel-
drin, endosulfan, malathion,
Macaroni and
and xylene.
With
cheese (from box mix).
sixty-nine dif-
ferent pesticide and industrial chemical residues in thirty-six
samples, representing eight different pesticide formulations,
macaroni and cheese made from
a
box mix was not so great
and not so bad. Pesticides detected in
of the
at least a quarter
samples included chlorpyrifos (thirty-two of thirty-six samples),
DDE,
and malathion. Other pesticides and industrial
chemicals detected
less
frequently included dieldrin, diphenyl
2-ethlhexyl phosphate, ethyl benzene, and xylene. Because
macaroni and cheese does have tamination problem,
lookout for
which
new
I
a
moderately significant con-
would advise consumers
to be
on the
organic varieties of macaroni and cheese,
will significantly cut
down pesticide
brand, available in health food markets,
is
exposure.
One such
Amy's frozen maca-
roni and cheese dinners. (Amy's macaroni and cheese has been Idd tested at our
You could
healthy smiles.)
cheese
—which —and
pesticides
home and
I
passed with flying colors and also
buy North Farm organic
personally tested without detecting any
make you own nontoxic One cup of macaroni and cheese made
organic pasta and
macaroni and cheese.
with margarine has 9.8 grams of saturated
fat
and 44 miUigrams
of cholesterol.
Macaroni
(boiled).
Macaroni, when boiled, had forty-five
residues with chlorpyrifos and malathion appearing frequently.
242
most
David Steinman
Spaghetti (canned with tomato sauce). Canned spaghetti witii
tomato sauce had only twenty-four residues
in thirty-six
market basket samples with chlorpyrifos, endosulfan, and
methamidophos most frequentiy Spaghetti
(homemade with
detected.
tom^ato sauce
and
jneatballs).
Spaghetti in tomato sauce with meatballs had fifty-three pesti-
contaminants. Chlor-
residues representing thirteen
cide
DDE
were detected most frequently. Benzene,
pyrifos
and
DCPA,
dieldrin, endosulfan,
Hndane, malathion, toluene, and
xylene were detected less frequently. Clearly, the meat sauce in this pasta dish
adds pesticide residues. There
risk as a result
of this contamination.
is
a small cancer
One cup
of spaghetti
with meat sauce has about 3.9 grams of saturated
fat
and 89
milligrams of cholesterol.
Red
Light
Limit your consumption of these foods try to
—
if
you
can, or at least
buy them with more wholesome organic ingredients
whenever
possible.
(I
mean,
if you're
on the
streets
of New York
City and you need a sHce of pizza, well, you might well cheat, but
when you have more might even become
control over yourself, trying to be better
a regular spiritual-ascetic experience.)
and pepperoni pizza (regular crust, from carrySome 336 chemicals were found in cheese pizza and pepperoni. Chlorpyifos and DDE were commonly found. And so Cheese
out).
were benzene, styrene, toluene, and xylene. Cheese pizza (regular crust, from carry -out). In the Total Diet Study,
some 227 chemical
Most commonly found
FDA
residues were found.
pesticides include chlorpyrifis,
DDE,
and malathion, and industrial chemicals most commonly found
were styrene, toluene, and xylene. But don't forget the heptachlor, lindane, tetrachloroethylene,
which
all
made
and trichloroethylene,
lesser appearances.
243
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Fish sandwich on bun (fast-food).
One hundred
seventy-
DDE,
chemicals were found with chlorpyrifos,
six
and
malathion the most common.
Frankfurter on bun
One hundred
(fast-food).
chemicals were found with chlorpyrifos,
malathion
among
French fries cals
DDE,
seventy-six
dieldrin,
and
the most frequent.
(fast-food).
Two-hundred-twenty-five chemi-
were found with chlorpyrifos, endosulfan, styrene, toluene
and xylene detected most frequently.
French fries (frozen^ heated). In the
were found to contain 137
frozen, commercial french fries pesticide residues representing
formulations,
ticide
Chlorpropham,
FDA Total Diet Study,
some twenty-one
different pes-
or industrial chemicals.
metabolites,
dieldrin, endosulfan, ethylnethiourea,
and
iso-
propyl (3-chloro-4-methoyphenyl) carbamate were found
most
frequently. Also detected
2,3,5,6-tetrachloroaniline,
zene, and
TDE.
French
were 1,2,3-tetrachlorobenzene,
benzene,
DDE,
fries are also
pentachloroben-
among
the foods with
highest levels of the cancer-causing chemical acrylamide.
Wow!
Stay away! Ten large french
have 2.5 grams of saturated
fat,
no
fries
cooked in vegetable
oil
cholesterol.
DESSERTS AND SWEET SNACKS
Who would expect that eating milk chocolate candy every day could present a cancer risk as a result of toxic contamination that
is
dards
nearly one hundred times greater than government stan-
recommend? Keep
sweet tooth:
the faith, though.
many commercial
You can satisfy your
desserts are quite safe, and
sources of pesticide-free desserts and snacks are listed in the
Personal Action Guide at the back of this book. But you should
be outraged that our government allows such heavy-duty carcinogenic pesticide residues in foods as seemingly innocent as plain
244
milk chocolate, ice cream, and pumpkin
pie!
David Steinman
Dessert and Sweet Snacks Survival Guide
Green Light
These
desserts
and snacks are your best choices. They had the
fewest pesticide residues and presented the lowest toxicity and
cancer
risk.
Chocolate pudding (from instant mix). Instant, powdered chocolate pudding had eleven pesticide residues representing three formulations.
chemicals least
is
The
cancer risk as a result of these toxic
The
virtually nonexistent.
DDE. Chlorpropham
one-fourth of the samples was
toluene were also detected.
pudding contains
2.3
A
pesticide detected in at
and
half cup of instant chocolate
grams of saturated
fat
and 14 milligrams
of cholesterol.
Gelatin desserts. Gelatin desserts are quite pure as far as pesticides,
gelatin
but
I'd stay
from beef
form of mad cow
parts
away from due to
disease.
gelatin desserts
risk of contracting
However,
made with the human
also be sure they
do not
contain dangerous additives and preservatives such as aspar-
BHA, BHT, or TBHQ. Jell-O, have many pesticides, but it does contain tame,
TBHQ,
and that should be
product out of your shopping
clear
a
cart.
aspartame,
BHA, and
warning to keep that
(These chemical concoc-
tions are discussed fully in the chapter
FDA Total
for example, doesn't
on
additives.)
Diet Study revealed that gelatin had
The
first
five pesticide
and industrial chemical residues representing two formulations:
penta and tributyl phosphate.
Yellow cake. Yellow cake prepared from mix with white icing prepared
from mix had
fifty-eight pesticide residues rep-
resenting three formulations.
Chlorpyrifos and malathion
were found most frequently; xylene was detected only once.
The no
cancer risk was insignificant.
One
slice
cholesterol and only traces of saturated
of yellow cake has fat.
245
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Yellow Light
Caramel candy. Caramel candy had eighty-nine residues in thirty-six samples representing some seventeen pesticide and chemical formulations or metabolites, including
industrial
diphenyl 2-ethylhexyl phosphate and triphenyl phosphate.
One ounce
of caramels has 2.2 grams of saturated
fat
and
1
miUigram of cholesterol. Chocolate milk mix. In the
FDA
Total Diet Study, sweet-
ened, powdered chocolate had thirty-nine pesticide and indus-
chemical residues representing nine formulations:
trial
chlorpyrifos, lindane, ples;
and penta in
BHC,
one-fourth of the sam-
chlorpropham, diazinon, dieldrin, diphenyl 2-ethylhexyl
phosphate, and octachlor
not eat
all
that
less often. Fortunately,
most of us do
much chocolate powder sweetener; the cancer risk
However,
is slight.
late
at least
dieters should note that
one ounce of choco-
powder sweetener has about 9 grams of saturated
lesterol.
Note
that this
mix was
tested without
fat,
no cho-
added milk.*
Doughnuts. Ready-to-eat frozen plain cake doughnuts had fifty-two pesticide residues representing eight pesticide for-
mulations:
chlorpyrifos,
DDT,
diazinon,
malathion, and
octachlor in at least one-fourth of the samples; ethion,
and vinclozolin
less often.
The
EDB,
actual cancer threat, as a result
of toxic contamination in doughnuts,
is
low.
However, many of
the chemicals in doughnuts could cause neurotoxicity. Their
thorough pesticide saturation makes doughnuts food. Dieters should note that one plain cake
grams of saturated Red
fat
a
yellow hght
doughnut has
2.8
and 20 miUigrams of cholesterol.*
Light
Apple pie
(fresh /frozen, comfnercial). In the
FDA Total
Diet
Study, frozen apple pie was found to contain 173 chemical
residues representing
The 246
some nineteen
pesticide formulations.
cancer risk was no longer insignificant, and this formerly
David Steinmax
green light food
fell
how
to yellow light status. Again, seeing
bad apples turned out in our produce section, the added processing
is
great for reducing pesticide residues, but
it's still
bad
contamination. Pesticides or industrial chemicals detected
most frequently were 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene,
chlorpyrifos,
malathion, styrene, toluene, and xylene. Other pesticides and
were 1,1,1-trichloroethane, ben-
industrial chemicals detected
dichlorobenzene,
zene,
tirchloroethylene.
urated
fat,
no
One
ethyl
slice
cholesterol.
benzene,
and
malathion,
of apple pie has 4.5 grams of sat-
Hold
Brownies (commercial).
the ice cream, please!
Brownies had 188 chemical
residues in thirty-six samples. Chlorpyrifos and malathion
were the pesticides detected most frequently. Next were styrene, toluene,
and xylene.
Chocolate cake (with chocolate icing, com^mercial). In the
FDA
Total Diet Study, ready-to-eat frozen chocolate cake
with chocolate icing had 192 industrial chemical and pesticide residues in thirty-six samples representing twenty-three different pesticide
and industrial chemicals. Pesticides and
industrial chemicals detected in at least one-fourth of the
ples
sam-
were 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, chlorpyrifos, ethyl benzene,
malathion, styrene, tetrachloroethylene, toluene, and xylene.
One
slice
of chocolate cake has 3.5 grams of saturated
fat
and
37 milHgrams of cholesterol. Chocolate chip cookies. In the
FDA
Total Diet Study,
chocolate chip cookies also had 192 different pesticide and
chemical residues in thirty-six samples representing twentythree pesticide and industrial chemical formulations. Pesticides
and industrial chemicals detected most frequently were
1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, benzene, butylbenzene, chlorpyrifos,
dichlorobenzene, malathion, toluene, and xylene. dieldrin,
Other
and lindane. Eating
styrene,
tetrachloroethylene,
pesticides detected slightly less than
were
DDE,
two ounces of 247
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
many
chocolate chip cookies daily would result in as
as eight
Four chocolate chip
excess cancers in a million persons.
cookies have 4 grams of saturated fat and 22 milligrams of cholesterol.
Danish pastries (sweet Danish
pastries
commercial). Ready- to-eat
had 183 residues representing some twenty-
five industrial chemicals,
The
roll,
pesticides,
and their metaboHtes.
cancer risk as a result of the pesticides in Danish pastries
was low, but the sheer number of neurotoxic pesticides detected makes
most
them a yellow light dessert.
frequently,
in
least
at
Pesticides detected
one-quarter of the samples,
included chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and malathion. Other pesticides detected less frequently included octachlor,
and quintozene.
grams of saturated
3.6
Milk the
FDA Total
dieldrin,
small Danish pastry has about
and 49 milligrams of cholesterol.
fat
chocolate candy
One
BHC, DDT,
ban Parents and children beware! In
Diet Study, plain milk chocolate was found to
contain 286 industrial pollutant and pesticide residues representing
some twenty-nine
different formulations. Eating
many as Because many
ounces of chocolate each day would result in ninety-five excess cancers in a million persons.
two
as
children and adults do eat about two ounces daily of plain milk chocolate,
it is
an extremely dangerous feature of our national
The major
diet.
troublemakers in chocolate include
(twenty of thirty-six samples),
dane
(all thirty-six).
among the diet.
In
fact, plain
highest levels of
Part of the problem
crops
grown
DDE
(twenty-eight), and Hn-
milk chocolate
that chocolate
is
made from pesti-
your body with
the pesticides in plain milk chocolate, look for safer substi-
tutions such as carob and organic candy bars.
many 248
laced with
where these cancer-causing
cides are widely sprayed. Rather than pollute all
is
BHC and lindane in the American
may be
in countries
BHC
organic chocolate bars.
Some such
as
There
are so
Endangered
David Steinman
Species Bar contribute portions of their earnings to world causes.
wildlife
Other pesticides and
chemicals
industrial
detected in at least one-fourth of the samples included 1,2,4-
trimethylbenzene, ethyl benzene, ylene, toluene,
tetrachloroeth-
styrene,
One ounce
and xylene.
of plain milk chocolate
has 5.4 grams of saturated fat and 6 milligrams of cholesterol.
Pumpkin pie pie
Frozen pumpkin
(fresh /frozen, commercial).
had 231 pesticide and industrial residues representing
twenty- three pesticide formulations.
pumpkin
among
the pesticides in
Pumpkin
pie pack a powerful toxic punch.
the
most dangerous
tually every
Other
And
desserts in the
American
pie
diet.
is
Vir-
sample of pumpkin pie had residues of dieldrin.
pesticides
found in
at least
one-quarter of the samples
were chlorpyrifos, malathion, and permethrin. Pesticides and industrial chemicals
found
less
often were
BHC,
chlordane,
diazinon, endosulfan, ethyl benzene, styrene, tetrachloroethylene, toluene, and xylene.
Although pumpkin pie has fewer
residues than other foods, the levels of
some
dangerously high. Eating just one six-ounce pie a
week would
lead to as
in a million persons.
many
of pumpkin
as forty-one excess cancers
Remember
the squash family, and chemically
that
pumpkins belong
grown squash
most thoroughly pesticide-saturated
One
slice
were
This disturbing news about pumpkin pie
should not be a surprise.
supply.
pesticides
favorites
is
in
to
one of the the food
shce of pumpkin pie has 6.4 grams of saturated
fat
and 109 milligrams of cholesterol.
Sandwich cookies with creme filling (commercial). Sandwich cookies with white cream fiUing had 152 residues representing nineteen pesticides. Pesticides detected most frequently
were chlorpyrifos, malathion, styrene, and toluene. Other industrial chemicals
and pesticides detected were
1,1,1-
trichloroethane, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, carbon tetrachloride,
chlorobenzene, dichlorobenzene, and tetrachloroethylene. 249
Diet for a Poisoxed Pl.\xet
Eating two ounces of sandwich cookies daily would produce
many
cancers in
a
million persons, so be
wan'. Four sandwich cookies have
2
grams of saturated
as
no
as five excess
fat.
cholesterol.
Sugar
{commercial).
cookies
Sugar cookies had residues,
Call
poisons.
and industrial chemical
196 pesticide
including chlorpyrifos.
them sweet
malathion.
and
st}Tene.
trichloroethylene.
CONDIMENTS, SNACKS, FROZEN MEALS we do not eat large senings of condiments and is imponant to make the safest possible choices, because we eat them regularly, and some items can introduce toxic substances into our bodies. Remember, there are pesti-
-Vlthough snacks,
it
cides in almost
all
foods, and these poisons are
combining
in
our bodies, so we should reduce exposure whenever we can.
Some condiments and butter, are
snacks, like potato chips and peanut
downright dangerous. Fortunately we can find
safe,
reasonably priced substitutions for these pesticide-saturated foods.
Condiment, Snacks, Frozen Meal
Survival
Guide
Qrttn Ught
These condiments had the fewest your best choices
in
pesticide residues.
fift\*-seven
t\velve pesticide formulations.
propham. cchlop}Tifos. bro\\Ti gra\y has 0.9
are
any supermarket.
Broun gravy (homemade). Xot (homemade) has
They
bad, ma.
Brown gra\y
pesticide residues representing
Most
DDE.
often detected were chlor-
and malathion. One cup of
grams of saturated
fat
and
2
mihigrams of
cholesterol.
Honey. Honey had three residues representing three 250
David Steinman
pesticide
Honey
coumaphos, dicloran, and ethion.
formulations:
has no cholesterol or saturated
grown brands of honey antibiotics,
to
make
sure
which some beekeepers do
fat.
Seek organically
you avoid exposure
to
use.
Italian salad dressing (low -calorie). Low-calorie Italian salad dressing
DCPA, and
had forty-two residues including chloroform,
One
ethion.
tablespoon of regular Italian salad
dressing has 1.3 grams of saturated fat and 8 milligrams of cholesterol.
Seeking low-calorie Italian salad dressing
(instead of regular) will cut
your pesticide exposure, and
it
has only 4 milligrams of cholesterol and a bare trace of saturated
fat.
Mayonnaise
(regular, bottled).
Mayonnaise had
thirty-five
and pes-
pesticide residues representing six industrial chemical
benzene,
ticide formulations:
ylhexyl
phosphate,
DDE,
endosulfan,
dieldrin, diphenyl 2-eth-
One
and methoxychlor.
tablespoon of regular mayonnaise has 1.7 grams of saturated fat
and 8 milligrams of cholesterol. Although the pesticide
uration ever,
is
not dangerous, the
fat
content
is
rather high.
one tablespoon of imitation mayonnaise
pesticide exposure,
and
it
sat-
How-
will cut
your
has only 0.5 grams of saturated fat
and 4 milligrams of cholesterol.
Pancake syrup. Bottled cane syrup one residue (chloroform)
for pancakes
in thirty-six samples.
had only
Two
spoons of cane syrup have no cholesterol or saturated a
bad choice for pancakes and waffles in Salt.
Table
salt
table-
fat.
Not
a coffee shop.
was not analyzed for pesticides and indus-
You should know, though, that some commercial brands of salt use aluminum-based compounds to prevent caking. Choose brands that do not use these compounds, or trial
chemicals.
use natural sea
salt.
White sugar (granulated). White sugar had two
residues:
diphenyl 2-ethylhexyl phosphate and tributyl phosphate.
One 251
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
tablespoon of white granulated sugar has no cholesterol or saturated
fat.
Yellow Light
These yellow
light foods
were rather more saturated with pes-
Use them sparingly. Com chips. Corn chips had 116 pesticide and industrial chemical residues representing some twenty-two compounds. Detected most frequently were benzene, toluene, and xylene. Most health food markets sell several brands of organically grown blue corn chips, which you should seek to significantly ticides.
cut your pesticide exposure. In the supermarket, choose the lesser of
chips.
urated
two
evils
by seeking corn chips rather than potato
A one-ounce package of corn chips has fat,
no
1.4
grams of sat-
cholesterol.
French salad dressing (regular). Boycott French salad dressing!
The product
contained 107 pesticide and industrial
chemical residues, including appearances by
BHC, DCPA,
DDE, DDT,
and xylene.
dicofol, dieldrin, endrin, lindane,
Fruit jelly. Fruit six pesticide
jelly
had twenty pesticides representing
formulations. Pesticides detected most frequently
were dicloran, ethion, malathion, and penta. Although the cancer risk for these pesticides
is
relatively low, they can
be
extremely potent neurotoxins, even at low cumulative doses.
With reasonably
priced, absolutely pure organic fruit con-
serves available at major health food markets,
foolhardy to eat pesticide-saturated jams and
it
jellies.
has no cholesterol and just a trace of saturated
just
seems
Fruit jelly
fat.*
Tomato ketchup. Ketchup had ninety-four
pesticide
and
industrial chemical residues including acephate, chlordane,
DDE, endosulfan, and methamidophos. It is not surprising that
252
with
this legacy several
their
way
to the market.
brands of organic ketchup have found
Buy them! They will
significantly cut
David Steinman
your pesticide exposure. Ketchup has no cholesterol and bare trace of saturated
just a
fat.
White sauce (hotnetnade). Fifty-eight chemicals were found with chlorpyrifos, diphenyl 2-ethylhexyl phosphate, and malathion seen most often.
Red Ught Dill cucumber pickles. Dill pickles had 198 pesticide residues. Pesticides detected
most frequentiy were
dieldrin, endosulfan,
and toxaphene. Pickles are actually cucumbers, and you may recall that
chemically grown cucumbers are quite Hberally laced
with dieldrin. Pesticides detected chlordane,
DDE, DDT,
less
BHC,
frequentiy were
heptachlor, lindane, nonachlor, and
pentachloroaniline. In addition, pickles often are preserved with
aluminum-based compounds, which introduce excess amounts of
this potentially toxic industrial
advise that
you seek organic
against toxic exposures.
One
Peanut butter. In the had
a
whopping 413
metal into your
pickles for
maximum
excellent brand
FDA Total
diet. I
is
would
protection
Cascadian Farm.
Diet Study, peanut butter
some
pesticide residues representing
thirty-five different pesticide formulations, their metabolites,
and
industrial chemicals. Pesticides
and industrial chemicals
detected most frequentiy were 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,2,4-
BHC,
tirmethylbenzene, benzene, drin, endosulfan, ethyl
chlorpyrifos,
DDE,
diel-
benzene, malathion, pentachloroaniline,
pentachlorobenzene, penta, quintozene, styrene, tecnazene, toluene, toxaphene, and xylene. In addition to the pesticide threat,
some peanut
butter products have varying amounts
of a potent, natural carcinogenic mold especially dangerous to
known
as aflatoxin,
anyone with underlying
hepatitis.
Furthermore, although peanut butter has no cholesterol, one tablespoon has a whopping stay
1
.4
grams of saturated
away from peanut butter and
fat. I
would
definitely substitute organic
253
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Arrowhead Mills
brands.
field
dries
its
grown
organically
peanut crop to prevent aflatoxin growth. Potato chips. Potato chips had 202 pesticide residues rep-
some
resenting lites.
If
you
thirty-one pesticide formulations or metabo-
are packing potato chips with your child's school
lunch, stop! Pesticides and industrial chemicals detected most
frequently were carcinogens and neurotoxins such as chlor-
propham,
DDE,
dieldrin, endosulfan, ethyl benzene, styrene,
toluene, and xylene. In addition, potato chips are often pre-
served with
BHA or BHT. Just ten chips have
urated
no
fat,
cholesterol.
chips, corn chips,
The
high
salt
1
.8
grams of sat-
content of potato
and many other snacks and condiments
will
be of concern to those watching their sodium intake.
VEGETABLE OILS That old saying
that a
little
learning
is
dangerous thing rings
a
especially true in the case of vegetable oils.
When
properly for their purity and nutrient content,
extremely valuable.
They can
actually strengthen
ance to pollution-related disease.
Then
again,
chosen oils
your
some
are
resist-
oils
can
diminish the body's ability to fight off the effects of toxic chemicals. Unfortunately,
some of the major brands of veg-
etable oil sold today in supermarkets contain antinutrients
such as pesticides that actually weaken your body's immunity.
As
I
describe the pesticide and antinutrient saturation of veg-
etable oils
and vegetable oil-based foods, you
will see
why
best oils available today are expeller-pressed, unrefined, and
the
made
with organically grown crops. These guidelines will help you steer clear of excessive industrial pollution
and pesticide exposure.
Selecting Oils
The key
to purchasing the best oils for reducing your body's
toxin load
254
is
in the kinds of fatty acids contained in the oils. All
David Steinman
vegetable
oils
contain fatty acids.
And
while there are different
kinds of fatty acids, the ones your body needs to fight
damage
caused by toxic chemicals are called essential fatty acids (EFAs).
Why do we call them essential fatty acids? The answer
some nutrients that the body cannot make but must obtain from the natural world. Of these essential nutrients, some are minerals, some vitamins, some amino acids, and two are essential fatty acids: omega- 3 fatty acids and is
There
quite simple.
omega-6
fatty acids.
Most of fatty acids.
sunflower
Such the
us have no problem acquiring enough omega-6
They
are widely available in corn, safflower,
is
not the case for omega- 3 fatty acids, which can help effects of industrial pollutants
So where do you get omega-3
best sources
omega-3 omega-3
The
flaxseed
is fi*esh
oil,
fatty acids?
oil
these
pesti-
^One of the
contains 15 percent
fatty acids; canola oil, 10 percent;
we need
and
which contains 57 percent
Pumpkin-seed
fatty acids.
reason
omega-3
good
soy
oils in
oil,
8 percent.
our diet
that
is
fatty acids from vegetable sources contain alpha-
Hnolenic acid (LNA). Your body's enzymes metaboHze into another family of substances that resemble
which regulate white blood
called prostaglandins,
body's
and
oils.
body combat the
cides.
are
immune
system, particularly
B
cells
and
LNA
hormones, cells in
T cells.
B
the cells
produce antibodies to help your body destroy potentially toxic invaders, while
T cells alert your body when the invaders have cells and T cells are able to remember who
been vanquished. B
know how to produce antibodies that can zap them. But if your immune system is impaired by lack of LNA, your B cells and T cells will have difficulty remembering the enemies and how to make proper antibodies.
the toxic invaders are, and they
So
your
body's
prostaglandins can
inability
to
properly
manufacture
mean big problems for your immune 255
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Any time your immune
system.
function
body's vulnerability to toxic chemicals
Many
impaired, your
is
rises.
people do require a supplemental boost of omega-3
and pesticides may interfere
fatty acids. Industrial pollutants
with the body's use of vitamin B^ and a vitamin B^ deficiency will
prevent the body from properly using omega-3 fatty In addition, pesticides tend to deplete the body's
acids.
C and vitamin E, which the immune system
supply of vitamin
needs to battle toxic chemical invaders and to protect the
EFAs
in
your body.
We need the EFAs to strengthen our cells'
membranes. Without an adequate
more
pass through our cells
supply, toxic chemicals will
easily.
Because of the scarcity in
the American diet of omega-3 fatty acids,
it is
American adults and children are
lions of
likely that mil-
deficient in this
essential nutrient.
How There
can you detect an omega-3 fatty acid deficiency?
are
many
hair or skin dry?
signs.
Do you
you
ciency.
To
omega-3
daily of pure flaxseed
your
and see
oil,
are
—
An
taking a teaspoon or two
a little
diminish.
it
with
Many people find
oil into
fruit juice if
You can use
your
diet,
you wish, but be
quickly, for the oil will
flaxseed oil
soon sepa-
on cooked veg-
pasta, or use
it
in salad
made by blending tofu. Or try mixing
excellent dressing can be
flaxseed oil with nonfat yogurt or soft
256
omega-
sweet and invigorating.
mixed with freshly cooked
dressings.
aller-
fatty acid defi-
the vegetable oil richest in
mix well and drink
rate fi-om the juice. etables,
diet, try
ways to introduce flaxseed
however. You can mix sure to
Do you have acne,
of these symptoms could be a
if symptoms
flaxseed oil quite tasty
There
your
whether you should be including more
fatty acids in
3 fatty acids,
allergies? Is
from an omega-3
are suffering
find out
brittle?
Any
eczema, or dry skin?
sign that
from
Are there rashes or tiny lumps on the backs
of your arms? Are your nails gies,
suffer
David Steinman
flaxseed oil with a
Flaxseed
oil
yogurt and organic
little
can also be used in baking, which fortunately
does not destroy EFAs.
promote weight
And
a httle bit
of flaxseed
oil will
when
oil
frying or sauteing.
excessive heat and oxygen will destroy
valuable EFAs.
its
Another good source for omega- 3 fatty acids
When
walnuts.
And some
oil.
using
oil
two tablespoons
tute
not
gain, either.
However, do not use flaxseed
The
fruit topping.
made with English
for every
is
English
walnuts, substi-
one tablespoon of flaxseed
of the best sources of essential omega-3 fatty
acids are beans: great northern, kidney, navy,
and soy beans.
Eating these beans regularly will help you make sure that
you have an adequate supply of essential omega-3 in
your
fatty acids
diet.
Other
oils
—even
though they contain
amounts of omega-3
Use them
kitchen.
monounsaturated
fatty
acids
—should
relatively small
also
be in your
for cooking because they contain valuable fats,
are highly stable,
cancer-stimulating free radicals
when
and do not form
intensely heated, and
they do not interfere with your body's utilization of EFAs.
example
is
olive oil,
EFA- destroying
into
cado
oil
and canola
Some
One
which does not break down under heat substances.
oil.
Other good
oils
include avo-
All are extremely heat stable.
health experts, such as Dr. Maurizio Trevisan of the
State University of
New York at
Buffalo, believe that
we may
gain additional benefits by cooking with canola or olive
One
reason these
oils are
so stable
high in stable, monounsaturated fats
may
is
fats.
oil.
that they are naturally
These monounsaturated
help us reduce cholesterol and blood pressure and
offer further protection against heart disease risk factors.
Although the evidence
is
not conclusive, one study published
recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association
looked
at forty-nine
hundred Itahan men and women, whose 257
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
ages ranged from twenty to fifty-nine, and found that those
people
who had
a diet
high in ohve
margarine also had lower overall
oil
and low in butter and
levels of cholesterol
and
blood pressure than persons whose diets included more butter
and margarine.
Among
fats are canola, olive,
those
oils
high in monounsaturated
and peanut. All should be purchased in
their organic variety; this
especially true of peanut
is
oil,
because of the tremendous pesticide saturation of peanuts and
peanut butter. Also
over those fats,
If
preferable to use these three oils for cooking
it is
oils that are
higher in
less stable
polyunsaturated
such as corn, cottonseed, sunflower, and safflower
oils.
make
sure
you
insist
on using safflower or sunflower
oil,
you purchase high-oleic safflower and sunflower oleic varieties contain nearly as
oils.
High-
much monounsaturated
fat as
olive oil.
Hydrogenated Oils
One
of the major problems with vegetable
preparation of many foods today
Hydrogenation
is
of
important, because rancid addition, if the oils
that they are hydrogenated.
make them semisoHd
fats to
The hydrogenation
used in the
by which hydrogen atoms are
a process
added to unsaturated fats.
is
oils
oils
oils
saturated
prevents rancidity, which
is
can become carcinogenic. In
were not hydrogenated, many
favorite
foods would change measurably. Margarine spreads because of
hydrogenation. Without hydrogenation
pour margarine. But that tion end.
And
is
where the
we would have
to
benefits of hydrogena-
the problems with hydrogenation outweigh
these scanty benefits.
The hydrogenation are essentially
genated
258
no
oils, like
compounds that animal fats. Hydro-
process turns oils into
different
from saturated
saturated
fats,
appear to promote
arterial
David Steinman
They
plaque.
and
inhibit the production
body
stances in the
that help the
reduce our body's ability to rid other toxins. In
hke saturated
fact, it is
efficient use
immune
itself
of sub-
system, and they
of carcinogens, drugs, and
quite possible that hydro genated
oils,
potentiate the effects of toxic chemicals.
fats,
Furthermore, substances known as phytosterols, which help reduce cholesterol and which are present naturally in vegetable oils, are modified during hydrogenation into a
pound
that
no longer possesses such
com-
potential. Finally, the
nonessential fatty acids created in the hydrogenation process
can prevent your body from using essential fatty acids. So
when you down. And
word "hydrogenated," put the product
see the
Hydrogenated ucts:
name
oil,
unfortunately,
a
candy, frozen foods,
few
is
used
many prod-
is
oils are
and margarines
being used.
but not always,
Any label
hydrogenated should send you
are holding a product that deserves
ping
often saturated
used in
breads,
favorites. Labels often,
hydrogenated oil
is
oil.
baked goods, potato chips, peanut butter, frozen dinners,
potpies,
you
which
that includes margarine,
with hydrogenated
tell
—to
when
declaring that the
a clear
no place
warning that in
your shop-
cart.
Vegetable Oils Survival Guide
Green
Light
Olive/safflower
oil,
Olives are no longer virtually free from
pesticide residues. Olive/safflower oil contained 167 industrial
chemicals and pesticide residues.
Some
Spanish olive
oil
imported into the United States was found to have traces of the industrial solvents
PCE
and
TCE,
both carcinogens.
Unfortunately, this contamination has only gotten worse for olive/safflower
oil.
Among
industrial chemicals
and pesticides 259
Diet for a Poisoxed Pl.\net
detected were
1
J,l-trichloroethane, benzene,
BHC,
tetrachloride, chlorobenzene, chloroform, chlorp\Tifos,
diazinon, endosulfan, ethyl benzene,
HCB,
carbon
DDE,
Hndane, proc}Tni-
done, tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, and x\4ene. (But,
according to earher research, no ItaHan olive
found to be adulterated with oils that
tene,
received a clean
TCE
has been
oil
and PCE. Imported
olive
included BertoUi, Gondola, Pas-
bill
and Cola\ita.)
Sesame
oil.
Based on
my
re\iew of
FDA
pesticide
moni-
toring data, sesame seeds are not ven' saturated with pesticides.
Thus, sesame
oil is
Hkely to be free from residues.*
Ye/low Light
Coj'u
oil.
One
markets, corn
of the most popular oil
oils sold
today in super-
had twent}^ pesticide residues representing
eight pesticide formulations and metabolites.
and wood presen'ative penta was malathion was found in diazinon, dieldrin,
HCB,
six
of the
The
pesticide
in half of the samples; thirt\'-six
samples.
BHC,
pentachlorobenzene, and methox\^-
chlor were each found once in
thirt\'-six
samples.
Xot
too
reassuring.*
Margmiue.
In thirt} -six samples of partially hydrogenated
margarine, there were 157 chemical residues. Toluene was
found
in
more than
half the samples. Diphenyl 2-ethylhex\i
phosphate was found in almost half the samples. Other industrial
chemicals and pesticides detected included benzene, ethyl
benzene, st}Tene, and tetrachloroethylene.
Red
Light
Cottonseed
oil.
A popular
residues, representing dieldrin. I don't
because of
260
its
oil,
cottonseed
oil
had ten pesticide
two pesticide formulations,
recommend using cottonseed
his^h saturated-fat content.*
DDT
oil,
and
however,
David Steinman
Soybean in
A number
oil,
of pesticide residues were detected
FDA study. samples; BHC was
1970-76
samples tested in a
thirty-eight
Dieldrin was detected in 45 percent of the
detected in 24 percent of the samples. Also detected were endrin, malathion,
DDT,
heptachlor, and
PCBs.
No
doubt,
with time, these pesticides' concentrations have diminished.
But they probably can organic
whenever
oil
still
be found in soybean
oil.
Substitute
possible.
Shopping and Cooking Tips
Buy oils made with
organically
grown
crops. Barlean's Organic
Oils produces superb flaxseed and organic
oil
wonderful organic cooking
also produces
products. Flora
A
oil.
company
called Spectrum markets the greatest variety of oils made with
organically
grown
grown with
are organic and
organic flaxseed
crops. Five of thirty oils sold
by Spectrum
certified organic crops. All their
— —are unrefined. oils
safflower, sesame, toasted sesame, olive,
Look for expeller-pressed
oils (also
known
and
as cold-pressed).
This process ensures consumers that no residues of solvents, such as hexane, will be
left in
the
oil.
Major brand
often extracted using solvents to glean every last
pressing
means
has been
mashed
bit.
oils are
Expeller-
that the oil source, such as soybeans or for the
75 percent of the
oil
oil, a
com,
process that recovers only about
but leaves
it
much
purer than that pro-
duced through solvent methods.
Keep transfer
Use that are
botties capped.
and promotes oils that are
made with
Canola
(also
Oxygen
accelerates this chemical
rancidity.
low
these
in saturated fats,
and seek products
oils:
high in valuable monounsaturated
Olive (also high in valuable monounsaturated
fats)
fats)
Safflower
261
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Sesame Sunflower
These
oils are
very high in saturated
fats.
disease-promoting qualities to animal or buying foods
fats.
They have
made with them:
Palm kernel (more than 80 percent saturated Palm (50 percent saturated
fat)
fat)
Cottonseed (25 percent saturated
Until
we know more about
its
fat)
physiologic effects, beware of
sucrose polyester, a synthetic substitute
fat.
The
theory
the body does not metabolize this product and that
But sucrose polyester could be
straight through.
tant and could steal nutrients
Beware of spray-on fats
a
it
is
that
passes
colon
irri-
from your body.
which often contain hydrogenated
oils
and preservatives.
Prefer virgin and extra-virgin olive the
similar
Avoid using them
first
which are made from
oil,
pressings of the olives. "Pure" olive oil
pure and
anything but
often extracted with chemical solvents.
is
You may want
to use different oils for different types of
cooking. For flavor use olive tinctive taste of olive oil
If
oil.
when
you want
and walnut are
cado and canola
delicate.
oils are best
to avoid the dis-
cooking, try using avocado,
canola, safflower, sunflower, or walnut flower,
is
oil.
Safflower, sun-
For cooking
fried foods, avo-
because they can be heated above
400°F Rancid
oil is
dangerous because
it is
highly reactive and
could promote cancer. To reduce the chances of
becoming
rancid, buy only a month's worth of
and be sure to replace
it
refrigerated. Heat, light,
them 262
cool,
away from
after
and
about
air are
a
oil at a
month. Keep
oils
time oils
destructive, so keep
direct sunlight,
and with
as little
David Steinman
exposure to
air as possible.
to retard oxidation.
helpful to your
Some people add vitamin E
Vitamin
body
E
is
vitamin
it.
E
Repeat in
a natural antioxidant
and
Add when consumed. Buy
in metabolizing unsaturated fats.
200 international units of vitamin
you open
to oils
a
E
to a bottle of oil
few weeks until
capsules, break
oil is
them open, and
let
the contents
drip into the liquid.
Safe Shopping List: Convenience Foods
Number
Green Light Beef broth (canned)
of Residues
2
Chicken noodle soup (canned, condensed, prepared with water)
2
Clam chowder (New England, canned, condensed, prepared with
whole milk)
Mushroom soup
41 (canned, condensed,
prepared with whole milk)
Pork and beans (canned)
28 21
Tomato soup (canned, condensed, prepared with water)
28
Vegetable beef soup (canned,
condensed, prepared with water)
Yellow Light
30
Number
of Residues
Beef chow mein (from Chinese carry-out)
37
Beef stew with potatoes, carrots and onions (homemade)
Chicken pot-pie (frozen, heated)
69 127
Frozen dinners
42
Lasagna (homemade with meat)
73
263
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Macaroni and cheese (from box mix)
69
Macaroni
45
(boiled)
Spaghetti (canned with tomato sauce)
Spaghetti
24
(homemade with tomato sauce
and meatballs)
53
Number of Residues
Red Light Cheese pizza (regular
crust,
from
cany-out)
336
Cheese and pepperoni pizza (regular crust,
from carry-out)
277
Fish sandwich on bim (fast-food)
176
Frankfurter on bun (fast-food)
176
French
fries (fast-food)
225
French
fries (frozen,
45
heated)
Safe Shopping List: Desserts and Sweet Snacks
Number of Residues
Green Light Chocolate pudding (from instant mix)
11
Gelatin
5
Yellow cake
58
Number of Residues
Yellow Light Caramel candy
89
Chocolate milk mix
39
Doughnuts
52
Number
Red Light Apple pie (fresh/frozen, commercial
173
Brownies (commercial)
189
Chocolate cake (with chocolate commercial)
264
of Residues
icing,
192
David Steinman
Chocolate chip cookies
Danish
192
commercial
pastries (sweet roll,
Milk chocolate candy bar
183
286
Sandwich cookies with creme
filling
(commercial)
152
Pumpkin
231
pie (ft'esh/fi'ozen, commercial)
196
Sugar cookies (commercial)
Safe Shopping List:
Condiments and Snacks
Number
Green Light Brown gravy
of Residues
57
Honey
3
ItaHan salad dressing (low-calorie)
42
Mayonnaise
35
(regular, bottled)
Pancake syrup
1
White sugar
2
(granulated)
Number
Yellow Light Corn
116
chips
French salad dressing (regular)
107
White sauce (homemade)
58
Number
Red Light Dill
of Residues
cucumber
of Residues
198
pickles
Peanut butter
413
Potato chips
202
Safe Shopping List: Vegetable Oils
Number
Green Light
of Residues
Avocado Oil Extra virgin or virgin oHve
oil
265
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Organic
Sesame
oils
oil
Number
Yellow Light Margarine
19
Com oil
10
Number of Residues
Red Light Cottonseed
oil
Hydrogenated
oils
Palm and coconut "Pure" olive
Soybean
266
of Residues
oil
oil
oil
ELEVEN Beveraees
Do
BEVERAGES SUCH
as coffee, cola,
and other
soft drinks
and
alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine, and whiskey have additives, pesticides,
chosen. tions
—
or other carcinogens? Absolutely
found pesticides in
I
most notably
tainted with
in wine.
dren.
is
And
Your morning cup of coffee could be
dioxin because bleached coffee
a frequent I
unwisely
significant, disturbing concentra-
minute traces of dioxin that leach into the liquid
Benzene
if
filters
contain
as it
filtered.
is
contaminant in processed drinks for
chil-
found the potent carcinogen urethane in plenty of
brands of alcoholic beverages. But there are ways to avoid these problems and
Benzene In
in
still
all
find plenty of safe beverages.
Beverages
November
2005, the
FDA received
private laboratory results
reporting low levels of benzene in a small
number of soft
that contained benzoate salts (an antimicrobial)
(vitamin C).
The
FDA
as a quality standard.
and ascorbic acid
has no regulatory limits for benzene in
beverages other than bottled water, for which
maximum contaminant
drinks
level
(MCL)
FDA uses the EPA
of 5 ppb for drinking water,
Diet for a Poisoned Planet
Benzene
•
coal and
oil,
Benzene
is
is
found in the
from emissions from burning
air
gasoline service stations, and a carcinogen
exposed to high levels from w^orkplace
salts
substance [isomer] also
Benzene can form
at
that contain both
known
as d-ascorbic
Elevated temperatures and Hght can stimulate benzene
formation in the presence of benzoate sugar and
salts
and vitamin C, while
EDTA salts inhibit benzene formation.
November 2005 benzene findings, FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition initi-
As the
air.
some beverages
and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) or erythorbic acid
(a closely related
acid).
exhaust.
and has caused cancer in workers
the parts per billion level in
benzoate
motor vehicle
a follow-up to the
ated a limited survey of beverages with a focus
on
soft drinks
that contain both benzoate salts and ascorbic or erythorbic
The
acid.
vast
majority of beverages sampled to date
(including those containing both benzoate preservative and ascorbic acid) contain either
below the I
5
ppb
no detectable benzene or
levels
limit for drinking water.
have posted the
FDA results
obtained between
2005 through April 20, 2006 from die Safety and Applied Nutrition
¥DNs
November
Center for Food
(CFSAN) ongoing
survey of ben-
zene in beverages. Over one hundred soft drinks and other beverage samples were collected from Virginia,
retail stores in
Maryland,
and Michigan. Only four beverage products containing
both added benzoates and ascorbic acid contained benzene above the
5
ppb
juice beverage levels
EPA drinking water MCL. One light cranberry
product with added ascorbic acid and only natural
of benzoic acid
benzene above
The FDA
5
(i.e.,
no added benzoates)
also contained
ppb. Data are presented in Table 11.1.
says that appropriate steps currently are being
taken by industry as well as the
zene formation in beverages
is
FDA
to
make
minimized to
sure that ben-
levels
below the
drinking water standard of 5 ppb. However, for now,
268
levels
if
you're
David Steinman
going to buy such beverages, purchase those with the
least
benzene in them. In the chart below, two different methods to benzene were used. Prefer those products that had
test for
none detected or the lowest
levels
according to both methods.
Table 11.1: Benzene Levels in Beverage Product Samples
Level of benzene (ppb)
Product
Method
Products
Containing
Safeway Select Diet Root Beer,
lot
1