Provided by: www.ewg.org
Yes, but far too slowly. Further, it's important to remember that the government said that highly toxic pesticides like DDT, chlordane, dursban and others were safe right up to the day the EPA banned them.
The EPA is in the process of upgrading pesticide safety standards to comply with a 1996 law (The Food Quality Protection Act) that requires protection of infants and children from pesticides. Several highly toxic pesticides have been banned or restricted under the law, but many have either escaped controls, or have not yet been subjected to them. Pesticide makers, food companies and agribusiness groups are fighting strict application of the statute, and so far have succeeded in weakening several key provisions.
Even the best application of the 1996 law will not protect the public from the combined effect of multiple pesticides. Although a handful of the most dangerous pesticides have been removed from the food supply in recent years, overall, the use of pesticides has remained steady. Once you see the results of the FoodNews Computer, you'll see that multiple exposures are daily events. If you eat in this country, you eat pesticides.
More From the EWG Food News:
Pesticides in Produce
Most Contaminated
Least Contaminated
Should I Stop Eating Certain Foods?
What about washing?
How We Measured Contamination
Why Reducing Pesticide Exposure is Smart
Doesn't the Government Regulate These Chemicals?
Are These Chemicals Bad For Me?
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