Conventional Food Grown in Sewage Sludge

Are you eating food grown in human waste?  Sounds disgusting, doesn’t it?  Our attention to this issue came from an article in Natural News today that Whole Foods was going to stop selling food grown in sewage sludge. What?  At first we thought, Whole Foods, which has had its share of scandals these past few years, was selling food grown in human waste? Then we found out that this is a fairly common practice with conventionally grown produce.

What is Sewage Sludge?

Just for the record, we had never heard of this practice before so we had to do a little research.  Sewage sludge is exactly what the name suggests.  Everything that goes into our nation’s wastewater system is used as sewage sludge.  This includes whatever you and every person in the country flushes down the toilet, as well whatever industrial corporations or even hospitals are getting rid of. Scary thought, isn’t it?

Our government is simply brilliant, in a twisted sort of way.  They had a problem. How was the nation going to get rid of millions of tons of toxic sewage sludge?  The answer?  Sell it to the farmers as fertilizer for their crops of course. This bright idea ranks up there along side putting poisonous fluoride into the nation’s water supply.

From the Toilet to Your Dinner Table

Wastewater and storm water enter the sewage system and get treated around the country at various wastewater plants.  The solids are separated from the liquids and are processed.  The remaining sludge which may include heavy metals, radioactive material, viruses, bacteria, drug residues and industrial compounds is spread over the crops.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) only monitors 9 of the thousands of pathogens commonly found in the sludge.  They rarely inspect the sewage plants or farms that use sludge fertilizer.

There are no labeling or disclosure requirements for food grown in sewage sludge.   Even some mainstream companies such as Heinz and Del Monte won’t use sewage sludge fertilizer for their products.  You know how bad sludge fertilizer has to be if these companies prohibit their use.  But, how many companies do allow it?

Sewage sludge is not allowed to be used in food that is certified organic.  Another reason to grow your own food or eat organic.

More information can be found at Center for Food Safety.

To your Health!

Peter Gillham