Environmental Health Center

EnvironMinute Health Scripts

We depend on the cops on the beat to protect us from physical harm. But a different sort of patrol makes sure the foods we buy are safe to eat. We'll join that surveillance team on today's EnvironMinute. [:11]

The amount of pesticides that end up in the food you eat is basically determined by two federal agencies, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration. All pesticides must be registered with the EPA, and it must decide if the benefits of a pesticide outweigh its accompanying risks. If it is used, federal law requires the EPA to establish tolerance levels to govern how much of the pesticide remains in or on food. And the FDA enforces those limits. Together, these agencies make up the pesticide patrol — on the beat to make sure that Americans don't suffer from pesticide overload. [:35]

The EnvironMinute is produced in cooperation with the National Safety Council and made possible by the Teresa and H. John Heinz III Foundation. [:10]

Finger Lakes Productions, Inc.