Although the Environmental Protection Agency tries to regulate the amount of pesticides in food, the residue can still have ill effects for some people. In addition to being sprayed on fruits and vegetables, pesticides are also used on grains fed to cattle, chickens, and other livestock. These chemicals may lodge in the animals' tissues and milk, which are ingested by humans. To reduce pesticide contamination, peel and wash all fruits and vegetables. Use a vegetable scrub brush on foods whose outer peel you're going to eat. Another way to limit your exposure is to purchase organic food. Even though the U-S doesn't ban the use of pesticides in agriculture, it does have the highest standards concerning their use, so you may want to limit or avoid consuming produce brought in from other countries.
