When it comes to government regulatory agencies established to protect the consumer from harmful foods, chemicals and dyes/coloring how do U.S. standards compare with other nations? With so many factors used to evaluate”safety standards,” can we agree that the government should use scientific evidence supporting the HIGHEST STANDARDS (most stringent) limiting the selection of POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS products, chemicals and dyes/coloring to protect the consumer? In other words, when in doubt, BAN THE SUBSTANCE!
This is not the case. Are you aware that different standards exist for different nations around the world?
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For example, did you know:
“the use of lead-based interior paints was banned in France, Belgium and Austria in 1909. Much of Europe followed suit before 1940. It took the U.S. until 1978 to make this move, even though health experts had, for decades, recognized the potentially acute — even deadly — and irreversible hazards of lead exposure.”¹
“Atrazine, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says is estimated to be one of the most heavily used herbicides in the U.S., was banned in Europe in 2003 due to concerns about its dangers as a water pollutant.”² This product (as of 2016) remains one of the most heavily used herbicides in the United States.
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration places no restrictions on the use of formaldehyde or formaldehyde-releasing ingredients in cosmetics or personal care products. Yet formaldehyde-releasing agents are banned from these products in Japan and Sweden while their levels — and that of formaldehyde — are limited elsewhere in Europe.”³
“In the United States, children can drink fruit juice beverages made with Red Dye No. 40 and eat macaroni and cheese colored with Yellow Dye No. 5 and No. 6. Yet in the U.K., these artificial colorings have been taken off the market due to health concerns, while in the rest of Europe, products that contain them must carry labels warning of the dyes’ potential adverse effect on children’s attention and behavior”4
These are just four examples of substances that have been evaluated and determined safe for use or consumption in the United States, YET questionable or unsafe in other nations. Since both sides can’t be right, why would any nation choose a policy supporting (potential) risks DECREASING consumer safety? Since the United States has a history of reversing its policies regarding the safety and efficacy of drugs, chemicals, and dyes/coloring, why do these consumer agencies continue to allow these dangerous substances to cause harm for decades before finally reversing their decision and banning further use or mandating warning labels?
THIS 1957 PICTURE REPRESENTS THE (“SAFE AND “HEALTHY“) CHEMICAL SPRAYING OF DDT DIRECTLY ON CHILDREN AS A WEAPON TO COMBAT MOSQUITOES.
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The United States offers many benefits and opportunities to the citizens residing in this wonderful nation. This, however, doesn’t mean we should blindly accept federal and state policies because our government assures us they are in our best interest. We must remain vigilant regarding healthcare policies and consumer safety policies and vehemently challenge ANY non transparent policy. When government regulatory agencies favor Big Industry growth over consumer safety standards we must begin voicing our objections by refusing to purchase these products and substances.
If our agencies claim that arsenic, formaldehyde, red/yellow and blue dyes, pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics, etc… are all safe, BUT, WE CHOOSE TO AVOID THEM, what health consequences are we potentially exposing ourselves to?
NONE!
Now, let’s assume these agencies are INCORRECT with their claims that arsenic, formaldehyde, red/yellow and blue dyes, pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics, etc… are all safe AND WE CONSUME THESE PRODUCTS, what health consequences are we potentially exposing ourselves to?
CANCER?, ALZTHEIMER’S DISEASE?, AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE?, LIVER DISEASE?, GASTROINTESTINAL DISEASE?, ETC…
What do our government agencies have to lose if they’re wrong?
What do YOU and I have to lose IF THEY’RE WRONG?
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(Footnotes 1-4) http://ensia.com/features/banned-in-europe-safe-in-the-u-s/
All About Healthy Choices 
I have a family member who raised her children for several years in a place where there was so much lead exposure in the house and neighborhood that she was advised by physicians treating her two small children to dust the entire house every day with a heavily absorbent rag, mop all floors once a week and never, ever open the windows, even on the hottest days. She was eventually able to relocate, but what long term damage was done? She now suffers with fibromyalgia and some other mystery ailment they have yet to identify, but which causes her daily, almost unbearable pain. Pain that makes it impossible for her to work and her quality of life has been drastically reduced. I’ve often wondered if it was the prolonged lead exposure that contributed to these diseases.
Substances like lead are deadly, but worse yet is the misery suffered before they kill you!
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The doctors can’t determine the exact cause of your friend’s condition, however, they would have been able to rule out lead poisoning/toxicity if our “protective” gov’t agencies had banned the substance when Belgium, France and Austria had back in 1909.
There is a conflict of interest between our regulatory agency’s responsibilities and the interests of BIG INDUSTRY including the health industry, pharmaceutical industry and agriculture industry. This conflict permits decades of dangerous exposure to various substances before banning policies are considered. Our naivety and ambivalence is required for these organizations to achieve their unethical and immoral achievements.
By sharing my messages in a respectful and (hopefully) thoughtful manner I’m attempting to create greater awareness and concern to inspire people to become MORE ACTIVE and more willing to open their minds to information that contradicts time tested “TRUTHS.”
A democracy claims to be a state governed BY ITS PEOPLE through elected representation. Do we really hold our elected officials accountable as stewards representing our interests? Until we open our eyes to these TRUTHS and are willing to SACRIFICE our time and effort to achieving a society capable of BALANCING our ECONOMIC NEEDS with our POLITICAL and SOCIAL NEEDS, our complaints will remain nothing more than vapor expelled from our mouths.
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Yet another very interesting post! You are certainly asking all the right questions! If you haven’t seen them yet, you may want to watch the dvds “Food, Inc.”, “King Corn” and “Generation Rx.” Many of these dvds explore issues with nonorganic foods and the agencies that are supposedly in place for our “protection.” There is a definite conflict of interest between the FDA and food producers in the US. These are not pleasant dvds to watch for they are certainly needed eye openers. Also…from an enviormental prospective on what we are doing to our health, watch the dvd “Plastic Paradise.”
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Thank you for your DVD recommendations (I have only seen Food, Inc.) because everyone reading these comments will now have the opportunity to experience and learn from these movies you share.
People need to be able to walk away from exposure to new knowledge with a better understanding of the complexities in life. Biases (on all sides) creates distrust. As intelligent INDIVIDUALS, it is our job to learn, think, and determine for ourselves the TRUTH we intend to follow. I wish for everyone to find a TRUTH that protects their lives and the lives of their fellow man; that helps them grow in heart and soul; that teaches compassion, understanding and acceptance; that provides great wealth measured by self value and commitment to enriching the environment and the lives that inhabit this planet.
This is the purpose of my blog site. I share my knowledge and my TRUTH as objectively as possible. I do this to inspire others to THINK and TAKE ACTION in whatever manner THEY believe is best. Ambivalent ACCEPTANCE and FOLLOWING the pack has caused great hardship and has lead us down a detrimental path. I hope people find the courage and support to stand on their own two feet. The impossible becomes POSSIBLE as we become willing to take that “leap!”
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I’ll be interested to know what you think if you watch the other DVDs.
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Really stops and makes you think. Thank you for pointing this out to us.
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The more people are willing to see the truth and reality in front of them the better the chances for participation and POSITIVE CHANGES. Complacency and ambivalence are two important obstacles we need to overcome.
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This is an important topic and we are supposed to be ahead of other countries, but we are behind in so many.
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Agreed.
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Reblogged this on Advocate for Mental and Invisible Illnesses and commented:
This is important, please read. Thanks Dr. John for taking the time to do the research.
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My pleasure, Tessa. Thank you for sharing!
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Wow so eye opening!
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Making people aware of non transparent “truths” are often eye opening. How this information impacts people’s lives determines the real value.
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Reblogged this on O LADO ESCURO DA LUA.
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Thank you so much for sharing my message with your readers.
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Very thought provoking article Jonathan and I appreciate the perspective you offer. As you know, I tend to dwell probably a little too much on all the areas our government goes wrong and health and safety regulatory affairs are no exception.
I will be honest and say I think there is a lot of bad science out there that is being exploited not only by big industries but also by government officials who have no qualms towards enacting bad policy as long is it increases their own power and could give a hoot if it actually does any good.
So yes, good safety policy backed by science is desperately needed, but so is getting rid of bad regulations that get in the way of safety and innovation, but stay on the books for eons, because that’s what government policies do.
Our government has grown too large and powerful not to be captured by business and political interests and unfortunately I don’t see this changing any time soon.
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We may not like the speed of CHANGE, but we can’t be any less determined or persistent in pursuing these important goals to safeguard American lives. Ultimately, the elite will underestimate the ability of society to organize in a manner to achieve these positive changes. There will always be a certain level of compromise required. This (unfortunately) is a necessary “evil” to achieve “forward motion” in government and healthcare policy changes.
Apathy and complacency among citizens adds to the difficulty when it comes to incentivizing our representatives to stand up for their constituencies. They would rather fulfill obligations to major financial campaign donors that helped them get elected. Never the less, there comes a point in people’s lives where they simply have “had enough.” Our current presidential election is a good example. Whether you like or dislike Donald Trump, he has played on the emotions (successfully) of the American people without experience in politics, without a clear understanding of foreign policy and without a great deal of support from his own party. Yet, without these typical requirements necessary to achieve the level of party nomination for president, he remains a viable and extremely competitive opponent to Hillary Clinton. This is just another example of growing awareness in public power and it’s maturing organizational skills pushing back at a system desperately attempting to maintain status quo. This mandate for CHANGE continues to gain traction and will ultimately reach a point of fruition. It really shouldn’t be surprising; if you think about it, our country was founded on this principle!
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Very good points there Jonathan on how people are sick (literally and figuratively) of the same old corruption and ineffectiveness of our politicians. Change is in the air I guess, and yes indeed our country was certainly founded on this!
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The people will rise again and replace tyrannical policies with policies that restore confidence and fairness for all people. The big difference is that this rising will consist of obese diabetics with high blood pressure and gastrointestinal disorders because they are NOT FOLLOWING good ideas found on my blog site! 😀 Please excuse my sudden lapse of intended humor. 🙂
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Lol! Sudden lapses if intended humor are just what the doctor ordered around here..! 😉
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Powerful and eye opening. I didn’t realize how far behind we are. Big government is too bulky to do its job efficiently.
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More and more people have to be exposed to these realities. It takes strong emotions to alter a person’s thinking that has been developed to accept deceptive policies as altruistic practices. It takes courage and self confidence to confront any BIG INDUSTRY’S unethical and immoral behavior and self impose a lifestyle that avoids their damaging effects. As each individual begins to apply this practice to their own lives, it ultimately forces big industry to comply with the NEW DEMANDS of it population. This creates a better more meaningful relationship between Big Industry and the population it serves.
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Hopefully, as more and more people become aware of these realities, they will decide for themselves, “enough is enough.” Eventually people will come to realize they have more power and control of their lives than they currently accept. Continuing to pay companies for products and pharmaceuticals designed to create great wealth for the manufacturer at the (eventual) expense of the consumer will no longer be tolerated. The Epipen controversy is a prime example. Raising the cost from approximately $50 to $500+ will create another “thorn prick” to the consumer’s emotional frustration.
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Greed is the bottom line if you ask me….way to many greedy people in high places…..good post…kat
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Greed is one thing… greed at the expense of human life and suffering exceeds the limits of acceptable behavior. The more people understand this reality, the less likely they will be willing to participate.
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I agree….but it seems no matter what we all talk about the end result is always money, and the one making it….sad – I agree….
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I definitely don’t take government guidelines at face value. It’s a shame they aren’t reliable!!!
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In general people are unaware that conflicts of interest exist between SOCIETY, government, agriculture, pharmaceutical and healthcare. Sharing these realities with credible evidence (hopefully) will create gradual change that produce better outcomes for all parties.
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Unaware and blinking disbelief the government would not have its constituents’ best interests at heart.
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Unfortunately, at this time in history, I believe you’re absolutely correct.
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Excellent post Jonathan as always !!!
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Thank you so much Lynne 🙂
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