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Author Topic: Pollen chemical levels - Input needed  (Read 5345 times)

Offline TwT

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Re: Pollen chemical levels - Input needed
« Reply #20 on: January 25, 2009, 11:22:33 am »
I always thought the reason for banning DDT was it because it could be found in the ground, water, plants, and concentrated in fish and when consumed by people and animals it is stored for years in fat cells, I think it was a high risk cause for Breast cancer if I remember right.
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Offline slaphead

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Re: Pollen chemical levels - Input needed
« Reply #21 on: January 25, 2009, 02:33:49 pm »
The science on the toxicities of DDT is solid.  More worrying and not well recognized is the concept and application of GRAS - Generally Recognized As Safe - which is used by the FDA in the agricultural product approval process.

A GRAS designation typically exists in one of three forms:

   1. Self-affirmed. The manufacturer of this chemical or substance had performed all necessary research, including the formation of an expert panel to review safety concerns, and is prepared to use these findings to defend its product's GRAS status.
   2. FDA-pending. The manufacturer has performed all the aforementioned due diligence, and submitted to the Food & Drug Administration for GRAS approval.
   3. No comment. The FDA has reviewed a product's GRAS claim and responded with "no comment"; i.e., no further challenges on the product's GRAS status. 

(above definitions are taken from Wikipedia but are accurate).

To acheive threshold #1 the manufacturer hires a panel of experts to review the data for their product.  This is obviously open to conflicts of interest and abuse.
Line item #2 is moribund, the FDA has admitted it no longer has the resources to review GRAS applications and has in fact not reviewed any since the late 90s.  The process now moves to #3 by default and the manufacturer is free to release the product onto the market.

This means the only thing standing between you and any new rubbish being sprayed on your food is the honesty of the manufacturers and their panel of experts.  As Wall Street has so aptly demonstrated we must never, ever rely on industries to self regulate themselves if they could have a profound effect on the health of our citizens, economy or environment.

My apologies if I just scared the heck out of any of you.  Better that you know so you can protect yourselves and your families.  Personally we grow as much of the food we eat as possible using organic methods and pay the extra to support local organic farmers when buying those things we can not grow.  The addition of bees to our urban "farm" is a natural progression in these efforts to protect our kids.

SH

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Offline tlynn

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Re: Pollen chemical levels - Input needed
« Reply #22 on: January 25, 2009, 05:30:28 pm »
Be careful when you fall into the ends justify the means scenarios. It tends to lead towards more power and more headaches.  Around here there are certain areas that can no longer put in traditional in the ground septic tanks, but are forced in 10s of thousands of dollars above ground systems, can't cut down trees on their own property,  can't move/remove rock walls from their property, etc, etc all because the environmentalist have acquired so much power.

Do you mean like the Patriot Act?  Like giving billions of our dollars in bailouts to banks?  Like torturing other human beings?  You can make that argument anywhere.  Are some laws/statutes/ordinances over the top?  Absolutely.  Is the responsibility for enacting such legislation confined to tree hugging liberals?  Absolutely not.


Offline BjornBee

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Re: Pollen chemical levels - Input needed
« Reply #23 on: January 27, 2009, 08:33:08 am »
who did the testing?  was it a university or a private laboratory?

I had a university do the testing.
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