Return
to the "POINTER VIEW"Sept. 27, 2002
Return
to the "POINTER VIEW"
Sept.
27, 2002
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A weekly pet tip or other bit of information
Part II
While the food supply in the United States is probably the safest in the world, there’s always room for improvement. Food-borne illness and agricultural pests are still issues that threaten the safety and wholesomeness of our food supply. Three issues that have come to the forefront in recent years are the use of animal antibiotics and hormones, pesticides, and food irradiation.
Animal antibiotics and hormones are used to ward off disease and improve the growth of food animals. In order to ensure that residues do not find their way to your dinner plate, federally approved withdrawal times are mandated. Farmers may not use these substances within a prescribed period before the animal goes to market.
Pesticides have been used on crops for years. Small amounts of pesticide residue often show up on the fruits and vegetables you buy. Washing and peeling the skin before eating these items usually is adequate enough to remove this residue. Purchasing organically grown foods is also helpful.
Food irradiation is intended to destroy harmful bacteria in food by subjecting it to ionizing radiation from a radioactive source. At low doses, food does not become radioactive. Limited federal approval currently exists for food irradiation.
