"Spitting cotton?" Maybe more than you know...
Did you know that 60% of the cotton plant will end up in the food you and children eat, or the milk they drink? Only 40% is used for the fiber; the rest goes for seed oil and other byproducts. In the US alone, half a million tons of cottonseed oil are used annually as an ingredient in processed foods, such as snack foods and salad dressings. Another 3 million tons of raw cottonseed are fed to beef and dairy cattle who may consume "gin trash" in their feed. If you eat beef, you may be eating cotton.
Should we care? Yes. Cotton is the most intensively sprayed field crop in the world, accounting for more than 25% of the pesticides used in the US. The Green Guide issue mentioned on page 1 points out that chemicals that are banned for use on food crops are used on cotton. Cottonseed oil is rarely tested for pesticide residues, so your potato chips and salad dressings may be full of the toxic defoliant tribuphos (DEF). Besides, 61% of last year's cotton crop was genetically engineered, which is a concern to those who want to eat as naturally as they can. Genetically engineered foods are not required to be labeled as such. Good substitutions? I'm glad we made a commitment a long time ago to use organic Rice Dream instead of milk. Raw nuts are a healthier snack than chips. Try making a simple salad dressing with an oil, e.g., avocado, and an acid, e.g., a lemon or tomato, or both, in any ratio that pleases your tastebuds. A recent favorite of ours is fresh-squeezed orange juice with raspberry vinegar, a little grapeseed oil, and a pinch of Celtic sea salt. We like it on a wild rice salad with either organic grapes or organic raisins, whole raw pecans, and thinly sliced green onions.
+++
ph: (507)645-7202 fax: (507)645-2594
e-mail: carolcover@letsbewellinc.com or dcover@letsbewellinc.com
Email the webmaster at adazacom@yahoo.com |