Can eating affect health?

Reportage of 90 min. broadcast on France 3 Wednesday 16 February 2011

Directed by Eric Guerret

Journalist Isabelle Saporta is conducting the investigation and five renowned scientists analyze the toxicity of these commodities. The investigation begins with blood of the journalist and reveals a range of undesirable substances (heavy metals, pesticides, lead, arsenic, DDT…) that we also all in the blood, According to toxicologist André Picot.

How is it that each of us has as many toxic elements in the body and comes they ? In order to answer this question, four foods are analyzed among those most consumed by the French : Apples, bread, the pork and salmon.

A lengthy investigation of 16 month, that took place both in the field and in laboratories, to better decipher what we have on our plates. The investigation is made in Norway salmon farms farms (which reminds us of the story “Assiette tous risques”), in the orchards of Angoulême, in the Paris Moulins, in an artisan Baker and an industrial pig farm near Angers.

We thus learn a variety of useful information that sometimes surprising that some examples :

Apples :

The apples are processed after each rain, either 26 time total on average and contain, in the sample taken, 5 different residues. A fruit, or vegetable, on two contains pesticide residues and one in ten contains toxic dosess according to the fraud prevention (DGCCRF).

Salmon :

With the genetic selection, the growth of the salmon is currently ten times faster that there 10 years. Dishes cooked with this fish are manufactured with all waste (remains of the heads, tails, etc.) Shell China and Ukraine and returned in Europe. Companies can choose the color of high salmon, He just need to force-feed the fish with chemical dyes.

Bread :

Flour, for making bread, is not only contaminated by pesticide residues, due to the treatment of the wheat in the fields, but also by the insecticides which are used to store grain in silos ! Nous apprenons qu’il y a plus de pesticides dans le pain complet que dans le pain blanc et que le pain en “kit”, used in supermarkets and in a large number of bakers, is full of additives.

The meat :

Half of the antibiotics consumed in France are given to pigs and residue controls, in the meat for slaughter, do that visually !

The quality of the meat has decreased because cows eat more grass therefore causing a decrease in Omega 3 yet indispensable to their body and, in the final analysis, to our.

The consequences of our food, which became chemical after years 50, as cancer and obesity there are also mentioned.

So far the story stops this sad observation, It also offers solutions showing us that alternatives exist to better consume. It is thus better, for example, eat organic, give cattle flax (natural intake of Omega 3), limit its meat consumption, manger des petits poissons moins “toxiques”, etc.

Isabelle Saporta has also published a book deepening the themes of the story, “Le livre noir de l’agriculture”, subtitled “Comment on assassine nos paysans, notre santé et l’environnement”.

If you want to (Re)see the report (part 1) :

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Photo credits : The images and videos are from the documentary “Manger peut-il nuire à la santé ?” and therefore their property, all rights their are reserved.