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by Linda Dulicai
A recent study was published by IVL, the Swedish Environmental Research Institute in partnership with a grocery chain. Yes you heard me, a cooperative effort with a grocery chain in Sweden.
I have no doubt that Big Food will say it’s not valid, that it proves nothing, etc., etc., etc. However, this is not the first study, and it will not be the last. The study was small and short and to the point – one average family, two weeks. Markers were taken at the beginning and the end of the study.
So why all of the hullabaloo? The results were once again clear and direct. Two weeks of organic eating results in a significant drop in pesticide, herbicide and fungicide levels.
This should not be a surprise. These types of studies go back to at least the 1950’s with DDT and PCB’s. We as a species have not developed in a mere 65 years or even 100 years the ability to process chemicals. So, the less the exposure, the better off we are. More and more people are realizing that the better they eat, the healthier they are. They are asking more and more for transparency in the food industry and GMO labeling. Even the USDA has heard.
There is a great deal of attention being given to the clean label initiative. The consumer must be aware that this is to benefit industry marketing. It comes out of consumers wanting to know what they are eating. The result is industry changing the little stuff, preservatives for instance, but not the big stuff, GMOs and such. Is it a good thing? We will have to wait and see. Brands such as Panera’s have said they are relying on the food scientists to tell them what to take out, but there is a discrepancy between the public and scientists.
The argument is simple. We have a right to decide what we eat. That means we have to know what it is we are eating. If we don’t know, we can’t make choices. Even with the food secrecy, the numbers are starting to tell. Big Mac, Monsanto and others are losing money for the first time. Ad campaigns are being changed to appear healthier. Just watch any of the new MacDonald’s ads. Annual meetings are being held with the press excluded. So, I have to ask…guys, wouldn’t it be easier in the long run just to clean up your act?
So, here’s a resource for you. The Environmental Working Group keeps a database. It scores food and things you use in your house and on you. It even has apps for your phone that you can use when you shop for skin products and food.
The Food Revolution Network has a great article on the 10 best apps for non-GMO.
So what is the message here? No matter what Big Food does not want us to know, there are people out there actively working to help us know. Thank them, use them and be weller.
A practitioner for more than 38 years, Linda Dulicai is a Certified Natural Health Professional and an Advanced Loomis Digestive Health Specialist educated in more than 25 modalities of wellness. She is CEO of The Healthy Zone.
