Filling My Plate With Fear

The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s new MyPlate initiative recommends that consumers “make half your plate fruits and vegetables.” This practical and simple message, if followed, should result in significant health benefits for consumers. Unfortunately, unfounded yet highly publicized warnings for consumers to avoid conventionally produced fruits and vegetables due to the presence of pesticide residues may serve to undermine the MyPlate message while increasing consumer fear and guilt.

On the same d…