How worried should you be about pesticide residue on produce?
Yesterday, we spoke with a veteran food scientist who said not to be alarmed. Today, chlorpyrifos is the topic of conversation. It's a widely-used pesticide sold by Dow Chemical.
In late April, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt denied a petition that had been under consideration since 2007 to ban the pesticide from use on food crops. That represents a change of direction for the EPA.
After recent research showed that even small amounts of it can impair the mental development of young children, the EPA issued a revised assessment of the pesticide, in Nov. 2016, saying that it "shows risks from dietary exposure."
So, why did the EPA change course? And how dangerous is this pesticide?
Laura Andreko, professor at Georgetown University's School of Nursing and Health Studies and director of the Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health and the Environment, joined Stateside today to answer those questions.
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