David Shaw

Q: How do you remove all the insectide and pesticide sprayed on the vegetables from the product before it reaches consumers?

Answered By David Shaw - Aug 06, 2013

A: It is first important to know that pesticides go through a natural degradation process as soon as they are applied. This varies widely, based on which pesticide, but is substantial in all cases.  It is, of course, important to wash fresh fruits and vegetables to remove pesticides, as well as microorganisms, dirt and other sources of contamination.  However, EPA requires data on toxicity and pesticide residues to ensure that concentrations higher than what would normally be in or on food products after the maximum amount that can be legally sprayed will not cause harm.   [...]

GMO Basics Health & Safety

Q: How can humans be safe if we are now eating more herbicides (since more can be applied with Round-up ready GMO crops)? Why did the EPA raise the limit *now*?http://www.cornucopia.org/2013/06/epa-raised-residue-limits-of-monsantos-glyphosate-herbicide/My

Answered By David Shaw - Aug 06, 2013

A: EEPA and FDA require exhaustive data to support the proven safety of any pesticide not only to humans, but also to the environment.  This includes data on wildlife and other non-target organisms.  The active ingredient in Roundup, glyphosate, has been repeatedly demonstrated to be extraordinarily safe to humans and other animals.  It has a mechanism of action that targets an enzyme system that is not present in humans and animals.  With regard to the new use of Roundup in GM crops, extensive data were submitted that demonstrated the safety of glyphosate. [...]

GMO Basics Health & Safety

Q: I'm not worried about the modification of food. Microwaving foods modify them in ways that are not found in nature. What worries me is the fact most of the crops are engineered to withstand herbicides. Which in turn means more herbicides and/or pesticides

Answered By David Shaw - Mar 13, 2014

A: The United States has extraordinarily safe food supplies, and the Environmental Protection Agency has stringent requirements for safety levels in any labeled herbicide application to a crop. These safety levels are set with extremely conservative estimates, and the thresholds are multiple times below what are considered unsafe levels. Manufacturers must submit extensive test data to establish these limits prior to EPA approval. This is the case with both regular herbicides that the crop naturally tolerates and crops that have been genetically modified to withstand an herbicide that they do no [...]

Environment Crop protectants

Q: Do GMOs contaminate the soil?

Answered By David Shaw - Jan 03, 2014

A: The short answer is no―there is no impact of GM crops on soil. More specifically, this can be viewed from three perspectives:   1. The genetically modified crops themselves break down in exactly the same manner as non-GM crops. The genetic composition is organic in nature and is quickly broken down by the soil microbial community. The genes themselves are no different than the genes for flowering characteristics, seed production or chorophyll synthesis; they are simply DNA and all of the constituents associated with the composition of the plant.   2. In the case [...]

Environment Crop protectants