Shocking Study: 40% of children’s food products contain harmful pesticides
A recent American study revealed that nearly 40% of children’s food products sold in stores contain insecticides harmful to children’s growth.
Researchers, in the study conducted by the non-profit American Environmental Working Group (EWG), stated that out of 73 sampled products, about 22 categories contained at least one insecticide, many of which showed multiple pesticides.
According to the British newspaper “The Guardian,” the study looked at products from Beech-Nut, Gerber, and Parent’s Choice, although it did not specifically identify which products from these companies contained pesticide residues.
Sydney Evans, Senior Scientific Analyst at the Environmental Working Group and co-author of the study, commented, “Infants and young children are particularly exposed to the health risks posed by pesticides in food, and food is the primary way most children are exposed to pesticides.”
Among the pesticides discovered by the researchers, acetamiprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide that harms bees and humans, and captan, often associated with cancer.
They also found fludioxonil in 5 products, a commonly used product in fruits, vegetables, and grains, believed to harm fetal growth, cause changes in immune system cells, and disrupt hormones.
Other pesticides found were linked to damage to the nervous and reproductive systems, with very little overall toxicity data for four pesticides identified in the study.
Apple-based products were most likely to contain high levels of pesticide residues, and berries, pears, and strawberries were also among the products that typically contain high levels of chemicals.
