Dr. Mercola's Comments:

According to the article above, there are acceptable levels of maggots found in US canned tomato juice, up to two whole maggots
per 100 grams, before the FDA sees a problem and gets involved. Up to 45 percent of a company's ketchup samples can contain
mold before the FDA cares. And if you're eating raisins, you better be on the lookout for flies and fly eggs, because they're
also allowed in small amounts according to the FDA rules.

These aren't even as bad as the acceptable levels of mammalian feces allowed in peanuts or sesame seeds (up to 5 mg per 100
mg). Folks, that means rats are crawling around in your processed peanuts and sesame seeds and leaving behind feces that end up
in your food.

Processed Food Manufacturing Requires Leeway with "Defects"

The problem here isn't so much the pests in the field, or "defects" as the FDA calls insect and animal invaders (along with
invader feces). In fact, a few bugs on your food from the fields probably means your produce has been grown organically,
and is
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>
not saturated in pesticides as is so common today

with Monsanto's pesticide resistant genetically modified crops that are sprayed with double or possibly many multiples more
of normal pesticide levels because they are
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>
genetically altered to resist pesticide

.

And some strains of GE (genetically engineered) corn and soybeans produce their own pesticide internally,
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>
which can actually turn your gut into a pesticide factory

!

No, the real problem here is food storage and processed food production. Because let's face it, processed food is not fresh
food. It sits around in storage facilities to the point of potatoes rotting before they're transformed into salty, oily
potato chips and to the point of mold overtaking the tomatoes waiting to be canned or pureed into sauces or juices.

And while these whole, fresh foods wait around to be processed, the flies and the rats get to them and leave eggs and hair
and feces behind.

As the article above points out, most people would say the acceptable level or mammalian feces or fly eggs in your food is
zero.

But not according to the FDA! I encourage you to read the entire list of acceptable "defects" that the FDA allows into your
processed food in the article above, and then try eating some processed food without thinking about how many rats have
walked across your peanut butter or how many pus pockets are in your frozen fish (from the acceptable number of parasites
that have burrowed deep inside the fish flesh, and while this last example isn't necessarily a "processed food" problem, an acceptable number of "pus pockets" in fish really is quite disgusting).

Isn't it?

Processed Food is Not Fresh Food, and Labels May Deceive You

The food labels found today on everything that's canned, packed, packaged or wrapped fall into a realm of "anything goes".
While the FDA does check food labels, they only check to see whether or not the Nutrition Facts panel is present, rather
than whether or not it is true and accurate, and of course the label will never mention the "acceptable" number of rat
hairs that may be found in the food.

Beyond this, the FDA also does not look for deceptive "0 trans-fat" claims (when serving sizes are so small they escape the
need to label these dangerous fats) and they don't do anything about misleading "made with real fruit" (used to describe
added-sugar fruit pastes) or "all natural" statements.

The FDA also doesn't check very often for mammalian feces, rat hairs or fly eggs in your food. When they do check it's
usually a small batch, and in the case of tomato ketchup a full 45 percent of samples are allowed to contain mold
before the FDA considers action necessary. Does this mean we can assume that 44 percent of all tomato ketchup contains some
traces of mold? It wouldn't surprise me, given the

track record of processed food companies caring about your health

.

Folks, you shouldn't be eating French fries anyway, but if you're putting processed tomato ketchup on your fries you can
add mold to the list of problematic ingredients in those fries.

And let's not forget about acrylamide.

Acrylamide, Your Baked and Fried Food Nerve Poison

Acrylamide was once believed to be only a product of industrial waste; it was not until 2002 that it was discovered to be
almost everywhere in the human diet. It is a tasteless, invisible chemical byproduct formed when foods -- particularly
high-carbohydrate foods -- are fried or baked at high temperatures.

The chemical is present in 40 percent of the caloric intake of most Americans (in the form of fried and baked processed
food), although French fries and potato chips contain the highest concentrations.

So why is acrylamide a problem?

High-level exposure to acrylamide has caused cancer in lab animals and neurological problems in workers handling the
substance. Avoiding acrylamide comes down to avoiding fried and baked carbohydrates, like potato chips, French fries, pork
rinds and all manner of backed and fried snack products.

But What About "All Natural" Labels on Processed Foods?

What does an "all natural" label really mean when it comes to processed food?

Zero. Zilch. Nada. Zip.

The natural food label on a processed food has no standard definition and really no meaning at all. The term is only
regulated on meat and poultry, for which an item labeled natural may not contain any artificial flavors, colors or chemical
preservatives . But in the processed food arena, a "natural" product can be virtually anything -- genetically modified, full
of pesticides, made with corn syrup, additives, preservatives and artificial ingredients.

It is because of this very vagueness that

7-Up is able to claim it's "100% natural"

and is still within its legal rights. It's also due to this misleading label that many consumers are fooled into buying
foods labeled as "natural" in the belief that these foods are better for your health, when in reality these processed foods
are more or less complete junk and are most likely filled with "acceptable levels" of fly eggs and rat feces.

But you can expect that food manufacturers will continue to use the "All Natural" label claims for as long as possible.
Products labeled as "natural" or "sustainable" account for $50 billion in sales annually, or 8 percent of total retail
grocery sales, so don't expect them to disappear from your grocery store anytime soon.

Now, you may be asking how an "USDA Organic" label is any assurance there won't be feces or fly eggs in your food? That's a
fair question and I'll just point out that USDA Organic farmers (

and many small, local organic farms working without certification

) must use different standards when growing their vegetables.

These standards include never using:

• 
  Pesticides
  


• 
  Synthetic Fertilizers
  


• 
  Sewage sludge
  


• 
  Genetically modified organisms
  


• 
  Ionizing radiation
  

So first of all, you are avoiding those unwanted and unhealthy things when you buy organic. Beyond this advantage, I would
advise you to wash your fresh produce to remove any bugs or dirt that may have traveled from the field to your kitchen.

A properly washed organic fruit or vegetable
presents the most nutritious and least harmful food item you can put into your mouth, and

is certainly better for you in so many ways

than any processed food or

conventionally grown fruits and vegetables

available at your grocery store.

How to Choose High-Quality Foods for You and Your Family

Processed foods containing cheap, chemical-laden ingredients (and bugs and feces) will eventually take their toll on your
body, and you'll pay for your dietary choices with both your quality of life and your pocketbook when you get ill.

As I'm fond of reminding you, 90 percent of the money Americans spend on food is spent on processed foods, which is a
disaster for your health even if you're buying "natural" processed foods. And these processed foods are filled
with acceptable levels of bugs, eggs and feces besides all of the nutritionally void ingredients as well.

When it comes to raisins, whether organic or conventional (especially golden raisins according to the article above) your
best bet is to carefully inspect those raisins for flies or fly eggs!

Of course, most raisins are perfectly fine, but a quick visual inspection of that handful of raisins might save you from a
surprise in your mouth!

And again, how healthy can you really be if you're routinely ingesting pesticides, Antibiotics , hormone-disrupting
chemicals, genetically modified organisms, chemical additives, colors and preservatives , and an untold amount of other
chemically-derived byproducts and toxins that are routinely found in processed foods, regardless of a label on the package
that may say "All Natural"?

First and foremost, you'll want to avoid these processed foods by purchasing items that have no labels at all … namely
fresh vegetables, preferably organic and locally grown. Grass-fed, organic meats and

raw dairy products

are also staples your family can safely invest in.

Next, whether you're shopping at a supermarket or a farmer's market, here are the signs of a high-quality, healthy food:

By educating yourself on what 'healthy food' really is, you'll easily avoid the myriad of processed foods on the market,
allowing you to put your family's food money toward purchases that will not only satisfy your appetites but also nourish
your health.

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