It’s the silver anniversary for the USDA’s Pesticide Data Program, which marks 25 years with results from samples collected in 2015. It’s a comforting report because it shows American-grown fruits and vegetables are safe because pesticide levels are kept below levels permitted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which has the most stringent restrictions…
FDA testing finds weed killer residue in honey, instant oatmeal
Testing for glyphosate residue at a U.S. Food and Drug Administration laboratory in Atlanta has found up to 1.67 parts per million (ppm) in certain instant oatmeal cereals and up to 121 nanograms per gram (ng/g) in samples of honey.
Glyphosate is a widely used and controversial herbicide and the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup.…
Farmers and ranchers get their privacy back
Privacy was the winner in a Court of Appeals case a few days ago in the 8th U.S. Circuit with a unanimous ruling against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 
A three-judge panel ruled against EPA’s practice of collecting private information from farmers and ranchers and then turning it over to environmental activists and others who…
Water not up to EPA standards brings pork sausage recall
Catawissa, PA-based Bunge’s Meats recalled an undetermined amount of pork sausage products on Thursday that were produced with water that did not meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) drinking water standards, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). 
The various pork sausage items were produced between Feb. 24 and…
Recent events highlight need for safe water for food production
Water is an essential component of many types of food products. Processors, manufacturers, and packers use water to clean, cool and even transport foods during production (in flumes for example). Water is, of course, also used to make ice and beverages of many types. 
Cantaloupe are sometimes washed before being packed…
USDA says pesticide levels in produce, other foods not a threat
Just as in the Sherlock Holmes story “Silver Blaze,” there is significance to the non-barking dogs when it comes to a major data dump by a government agency. There’s been scant reaction to USDA’s release Monday of its annual Pesticide Data Program report. The report again confirms that pesticide residues are not a food…
EPA May Ban Insecticide Over Water Quality Issues, Not Food
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says there are no risks to humans from exposure to the common insecticide chlorpyrifos from food, but the agency has nonetheless asked for public comment on a proposal to revoke all food residue tolerances for the insecticide, which is mostly used on fruits, vegetable and nut crops. The proposed …
Colorado Marijuana Users Legally Challenge Grower Over Pesticide
A Denver marijuana grower is the target of the first product liability lawsuit brought by consumers since Colorado became the first state to allow recreational pot use. The lawsuit against LivWell Co., which sells the marijuana it grows for both medical and recreational use through nine retail stores, was brought by two customers who claim…
Letter From the Editor: ‘Super’ Weeds and the C-Word
A couple of weeks ago, when I found myself putting a few thousand miles on a new truck in the upper Midwest, I forgot to take enough music along to cover all that distance. That left no choice but to turn to the AM radio, where there are three options: religious, public and farm. I…
Lawsuit Alleges High Arsenic Levels in Some California Wines
A lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court claims that some California wines tested for inorganic arsenic contain higher-than-allowable levels. The complaint lists four individual plaintiffs and names as defendants Trader Joe’s, which sells some of the wines that were tested, and about two dozen California wineries, including some well-known names such as…