Monday, December 06, 2004

Food security worsened steadily after 1999

Each year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates how many American households are "food insecure" and hungry. The most recent annual report is dated October, but it was actually released after the Presidential election in November. The upbeat abstract says 89 percent of American households were "food secure" in 2003, which was not significantly worse than the previous year. But some historical perspective would help here. The new report's 35 references do not include this 2002 USDA report about progress toward the official federal target of 6 percent food insecurity by the year 2010. The old report was happy about rapid progress through 1999. Unfortunately, food insecurity has increased every single year since 1999. Here is a better chart, consistent with the 2002 USDA report, illustrating recent "progress" toward reducing food insecurity in the United States.

1 comment:

Roostea said...

The FDA and the USDA protect our food supply – or do they?

The DOE announced that vegetative Bacillus pumilus has achieved increased radiation resistance.

The EPA is asking for an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of the Bacillus pumilus strain QST 2808 in or on food commodities when applied/used in accordance with label directions.

Some Bacillus polysaccharides cross react with antisera from other genera of bacteria including human pathogens. For example, B. mycoides with Streptococcus pneumoniae type III; B. pumilus with Neisseria meningitidis group A; B.alveli with Haemophilus influenzae type B.

If your child has been treated for meningitis or septicaemia and then eat Bacillus pumilus contaminated food they might die.

The EPA is looking for an exemption only for Bacillus strain QST 2808, they will remain vigilant against 1033, 1043, 1060, 27, 354, 355, 361, 492, 766, 1794, 2893, 5549, 8786, 13835.

AgraQuest, Inc submitted the petition under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).

AgraQuest makes the ‘organic’ fungicide ‘Biotune’ which contains Alkylbenzene sulfonate, alkyl sulfate and polyoxyethylene sorbitol ester.

Warnings for use it include washing hands before eating, drinking, chewing gum, using tobacco or using the toilet, not applying directly to water or to areas where surface water is present, or to intertidal areas below the mean high water mark, avoid contaminating water when disposing of equipment washwaters and not applying when weather conditions favor drift or runoff from treated areas.

Do you trust that company with monitoring contamination on your food?

I don’t and I don’t trust the EPA either.



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