My dentist is a very well read and smart man. He and I often talk bees and human environmental toxins, since we share a passion for these things. Recently, at my regular cleaning visit, he handed me a very useful tool.

It was a PLU code guideline for reading food labels which determines whether what we buy is genetically modified, organic or produced with chemical fertilizers, fungicides or herbicides. Here’s what I found out (EWG/Environmental Working Group analyzed pesticide residue testing data from the USDA):

1. A four-digit code beginning with a 3 or 4 means the produce is probably conventionally grown. The last digits of the code represent the kind of the fruit or vegetable you are buying. For example, bananas are always labeled with the code 4011
2. If there are five numbers, and the first is “8”, then the product is genetically modified. The label on genetically modified banana (GE–genetically engineered of GMO) would contain the numbers 84011
3. A five digit number that starts with a 9 means the item is organic. Organic bananas are labeled with 94011

If we think our bees are in trouble from pesticides and herbicides, consider the following:

In a groundbreaking 40 year study, Dr.Stephanie Seneff, Senior Research Scientist of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology gathered data, publishing over 170 peer reviewed articles, showing a consistent correlation between glyphosate (a key ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, universally used in agriculture and backyards)—and the rise in autism.

Today, 1 in 68 children have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the U.S., a rate that’s increased 30 percent since 2012, according to a March 2014 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

….Dr. Seneff spoke about the alignment between the side effects of glyphosate toxicity and autism, noting that they closely “mimic” one another…since Monsanto’s Roundup became a flagship weedkiller in 1990, the number of kids with ASD has soared from 1 in 5,000 to 1 in 68.

Dr. Seneff also made an alarming prediction regarding the recent spike in ASD: “At today’s rate, by 2025, one in two children will be autistic.” (https://dailyhealthpost.com/glyphosate-autism-link/)

I’m not sure what else to say. The statistics are alarming. We (meaning humankind) and bees are in trouble.

Spread the news. Share this post with Moms. Women are known to vote with their pocketbooks. We can change the tide with our dollars. Economic choices make a difference. Companies notice when public opinion and consumer demands shift their profits.

We can do it.