
Chlorpyrifos is one of the most toxic agricultural chemicals. But the last administration stopped a move to ban its use. Now a U.S. court steps in to give the EPA a directive, and a very short timeframe to act.

How Toxic is Chlorpyrifos and Who is at Risk?
Dow Chemical patented chlorpyrifos as a pesticide in 1966. It is an organophosphate chemical. Farmers, groundskeepers, and exterminators have used it for 65 years. (To go straight to what you can do to protect yourself and influence the EPA’s decision, scroll down to “How Can You Protect Your Loved Ones from Toxic Chemicals?”)
It kills insects by inhibiting the essential enzyme activity that enables the messages that travel through nerve cells. Chlorpyrifos drifts through the air and poisons the lungs of people exposed to it. It also spreads its poison to people by clinging to fruits and vegetables and grass.
Tragically, it has proven to cause developmental damage even with a small exposure in fetuses and small children. Acute exposure can cause neuromuscular symptoms, seizures, lung failure, paralysis, and death. It is also toxic to bees and crustaceans.
How Do You Get Exposed to Chlorpyrifos?
Despite this toxicity, farmers, exterminators, and grounds keepers in the U.S. have used chlorpyrifos to control pests on
- corn
- soybeans
- fruit and nut trees
- Brussel sprouts
- cranberries
- broccoli and cauliflower
- golf courses
- turf
- termite control
- roach and ant traps
What Other Countries Have Banned It?
Many countries banned this toxin. And yet, the U.S. has continued using it to the present day. Here is the timeline.
- Singapore in 2009
- South Africa in 2010
- Denmark 2012
- European Union 2020
Why Hasn’t the U.S. Banned Chlorpyrifos?
Dow Chemical has lobbied hard for many years to keep chlorpyrifos on the market in the United States. The company asserts it is safe for use. And yet, the EPA has not been able to find a safe threshold of exposure. In fact, Dow paid a $2 million fine to the State of New York for claiming its product was safe. Here’s a quick timeline.
- 1989 OSHA set a maximum exposure level but it was later reversed by the U.S. Court of Appeals.
- 2000 The industry reached an agreement with the EPA to voluntarily restrict the use of chlorpyrifos near children.
- 2003 Dow Chemical paid a fine to NY State for claiming the chemical was safe.
- 2007 The Pesticide Action Network and Natural Resource Defense Council appealed to the EPA to ban chlorpyrifos.
- 2015 A U.S. Court of Appeals told the EPA to ban chlorpyrifo, stating the EPA had failed to show the chemical met legal safety requirements.
- 2016 The EPA decided to ban the chemical despite Dow Chemical’s persistent claims that it is safe and critical to growers.
- 2017 The Trump Administration’s Sec. of Agriculture Scott Pruit revoked the EPA ban. Pruitt claimed he had not met with Dow Chemical executives prior to revoking the ban. But it was later revealed he had met with them dozens of times and specifically told them he would revoke the ban.
- 2017 California adds chlorpyrifos to its Prop 65 list of toxic chemicals and set minimum exposure levels at .025PPB. The American Academy of Pediatrics protests the Administrations lack of movement on the ban, stating the chemical’s well-established danger to children.
- 2018 The U.S. Court of Appeals told the EPA to ban chlorpyrifos within 60 days but the ruling was appealed by the Trump Administration.
- 2020 California banned chlorpyrifos. Thailand bans the use of chlorpyrifos and paraquat and moves to ban imported foods grown by farmers using these chemcals. The US and Brazil appeal to the WTA to force Thailand to reverse its ban. it completely within 60 days.
Who’s to Blame for the Poisoning of America?
The history of chlorpyrifos is a lesson in the danger to people and our planet of taking on one toxic chemical at a time. Dow Chemical introduced chlorpyrifos to the market over 55 years ago. It’s been poisoning fetuses, children, and adults ever since. As far back as 1989 the U.S. government showed public concern over the chemical as seen in the OSHA exposure limits. And twenty years ago the industry publicly admitted it was toxic to children by agreeing to usage restrictions.
Yet, lawsuit after lawsuit, research evidence be damned, court orders disregarded, the EPA failed to protect the people and country it is chartered to protect. And, yes, the delay of the ban over the last five years is due to direct and malicious actions of the Trump Administration. But a handful of other Administrations — Republican and Democrat — could have banned this poison years ago and did not.
What Can We Learn about Glyphosate from the Chlorpyrifos Story?
The lesson is clear. We cannot achieve a cleaner world fighting one chemical at a time. As much as we know some chemicals like glyphosate and chlorpyrifos are perhaps more toxic or pervasive than some others, we cannot cherry pick the handful of worst offenders and try to pick them off one by one. There simply isn’t enough time (unless you think a standard of 50 or more years from introduction to ban to be your measure of success). We must get to the core of the problem.
- Companies must prove chemicals are safe before they are allowed to introduce them on the market.
- Consumers should have a right to know if there is toxic residue on their food.
- Because of their position between farms and consumers, brands, suppliers, and distributors should be the intermediary that requires testing from the farms. They also should test their final product for toxic residue and provide complete transparency to consumers. Finally, that transparency to consumers has to be provided in an actionable format — at a time when they are making purchasing or eating decisions. Consumers should not have to contact a customer service person to request the information.
How Can You Protect Your Loved Ones from Toxic Chemicals?
- Buy organic whenever possible but especially produce that you eat that cannot be peeled.
- Soak your produce in a solution of water with a bit of apple cider vinegar or baking soda or both.
- Buy from companies you trust. Avoid cheap food. Cheap can mean the farmer used a lot of chemicals to increase their yield so they can keep prices low.
- Ask brands you love to test their food and make the results publicly available.
- Contact the EPA and ask them to ban chlorpyrifos and to require chemical companies to prove their products are safe before they can be used. Consider tweeting them at https://twitter.com/epa.
Does ZEGO Test for Chlorpyrifos?
Yes! We do and have since we introduced our purity testing back in 2018. You can see our results on our pesticide panels for each product on our Food Safety tab on our website, or by scanning the QR code on any of our packages. This is exactly the type of testing and transparency all brands should commit to. Why? Because if consumers aren’t informed about the prevalence of toxic residue in our agriculture system and on their food, they won’t have the information and inspiration to demand better. And, better is what we have to strive for every day.
Some of the information in this blog came from Wikipedia, which has extensive information on the history and toxicity of this chemical.
Colleen Kavanagh is the founder and CEO of ZEGO, a company that seeks to inspire changes in the food system so it better nourishes all people and our planet. She spent 20 years working to better nourish low-income children through improved public policies and programs, working for Congressman George Miller in Washington, DC and various anti-hunger nonprofits. She founded the nonprofit www.abettercourse.org. In 2013, she decided the only way to better nourish the most vulnerable is to leverage consumer demand through the marketplace to regenerating the food system and protect the most vulnerable. And that, lead to her starting ZEGO.
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Organic Gluten Free Oats (14oz bag)$7.99 — or subscribe and save 10%
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Organic Plant Based Protein Powder (15oz bag)$29.99 — or subscribe and save 10%
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Organic Gluten-Free Muesli: Nut Free Cinnamon Twist (13oz)$9.99 — or subscribe and save 10%
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Organic Muesli: Apple Cranberry (13oz)$9.99 — or subscribe and save 10%
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Just Fruit Bar: Raspberry$21.99 — or subscribe and save 10%
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Just Fruit Bar: Pear$19.99 — or subscribe and save 10%
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Just Fruit Bar: Cherry$19.99 — or subscribe and save 10%
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Organic MixIns Chocolate Chip 7oz 1 bag$9.99 — or subscribe and save 10%
Want the perfect no fuss treat for this July 4th celebration??? Look no further than ZEGO Just Fruit Bars. Make them extra fun by drizzling with chocolate or dipping them into a gluten + dairy free fruit dip. Don't worry we've got a recipe for that:
Ingredients:
1 Cup Coconut Cream (chilled)
2 TBSP Honey or Maple Syrup
1/2 TSP Vanilla Extract
Pinch of sea salt
Method:
Whip the coconut cream until it's fluffy then add all remaining ingredients and whip again. Serve with your favorite flavor of ZEGOs Just Fruit Bar and wait for the compliments to roll in. . .
We've landed in the Lone Star State! You can now find ZEGO in the oatmeal section @sprouts Farmers Markets in Dallas, Austin, and Houston!!
Where do you want to be able to buy ZEGO?! Tell us in the comments β¬οΈ
That's why we at ZEGO are passionate about our testing and why we give you the results right at your finger tips with a scannable QR code on all of our packaging!
You can see our tests on the Food Purity tab on our website. Reach out to other companies and show them what we are doing and ask them to purity verify the products they make that you rely on.
Have a question about our purity testing? DM us or check out our website linked in bio.
Looking for a good and informative podcast on the herbicide glyphosate, its impact on your body and the earth?
In this episode of The Doctor's Farmacy Podcast, Mark Hyman
talks with three experts on glyphosate and how it can negatively impact your health.
— Dr. Stephanie Seneff a senior Research Scientist at MIT,
— Ken Cook the Co-Founder of the Environmental Working Group, and
— Dr Zach Bush, an internal medicine physician and expert on the gut microbiome.
What a lineup!
At ZEGO we know how tough it is to find foods that are free of these harmful pesticides. That's why we developed our Purity Verified Label and testing protocols, which cover glyphosate and over 500 other pesticides!
ZEGO is committed to making clean food that is purely delicious, nutritious, and safe for everyone.
Check out our website's purity page (linked in bio) to learn more!
New post! Want to know more about toxic residue in food?
Access the full juicy Heal Thy Self video w Colleen & Dr G!
Show notes below. Link in profile.
Show Notes Toxins in Food
– 25:53 Introduction Interview
– 26:50 Are companies required to test their products for pesticide and heavy metal residue?
– 27:30 Heavy metals in baby food.
– 28:14 Investors.
– 28:30 What types of food are most at risk of having toxic residue?
– 29:05 How consumers avoid foods with toxic residue?
– 30:30 How we can get brands to compete to be the purest brand on the market.
– 32:50 We can turn around this situation quickly, unlike the decades it took for action on asbestos, cigarettes, and lead.
– 33:00 Call to Action: WE ARE THE CHANGE
– 33:15 How many brands are selling food that has high levels of pesticide and heavy metal residue?
– 35:00 Highlight on baby food, plant protein, pea protein.
– 38:10 Consumers should have the right to know if there is toxic residue in their food.
– 38:57 Industry is shifting to cleaner processes for making pea protein.
– 39:50 Other ways to get whole food protein post-workout.
– 40:22 Naturally processed whole food plant protein powders like sacha inchi seed protein are cleaner.
– 45:50 Why Colleen stopped working with Congress to bring better food to people and started a food company. The story of the brown rice krispie treat.
– 48:50 School lunches and advocating for better meals.
– 50:10 We need to nurture the planet β consumers need to ASK for better food. Companies should be proud to provide you clean food.
– 51:24 Companies are slowly shifting to purity β itβs the right time for consumers to push for faster change.
– 52:00 ZEGOβs purity verification & transparency system.
– 52:52 Change happens at the pace of trust, trust comes with transparency
– 53:00 Whatβs going on with toxins in oats? Glyphosate, Paraquat
– 55:35 Transparency will hold growers and processors accountable and give consumers the information they need to be healthier.
– 56:35 We need to democratize the clean food movement so everyone gets clean food and everyone is empowered.
– 57:45 Act now! We are the change. Hereβs how.
– 59:25 Zego is a brand born out of a mission.
Muesli Smoothie!
You read that right! You can make delicious, protein-packed smoothies using our Apple Cranberry or Cinnamon Twist Muesli.
Start with your favorite milk of choice, add some frozen banana, Mix-Ins flavor of choice, and a couple scoops of either muesli flavor! Thicken with nut or seed butter as needed.
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Try some at home for 20% off through the month of June! Checkout with promo JUNEMU20!
Let us know in the comments if you're going to try out a muesli smoothie!
Have you ever had our delicious organic Muesli for breakfast?
It's so quick and easy! You can enjoy it as
– cold cereal
– mixed with yogurt
– an ingredient in your smoothies
– hot oatmeal
– overnight oats
– protein snack balls or
– as a base for yummy cookiesπͺ! (see our website for recipes)
For the month of June we are offering 20% off on all muesli! Just make sure you use JUNEMU20 at checkout!
Both our Apple Cranberry π or Cinnamon Twist flavors are nut freeπ₯, purity protocol gluten free, and purity verified for glyphosate and over 500 toxins.
Tell us in the comments if you've ever had Muesli before and what's your favorite way to make it!
Do you know about the ZEGO purity verified badge!?
It means that we tested these products for over 500 toxins like glyphosate, other pesticides, heavy metals, allergens, and gluten.
You see, we are committed to making clean food that is purely delicious, nutritious, and accessible to everyone, even people with restricted diets.
We deliver Peace of Mind to you in every delicious bite! ποΈπ»π±
For more info about our food purity protocols visit the link in our bio!
We packed our bags, and set out for a new adventure. We liked the Sprouts in Birmingham so much, we've decided to stay awhile! πππ»ββοΈ
Look for ZEGO in the Oatmeal section of Sprouts nationwide starting May 23rd!
Where would you like ZEGO to be stocked next? Let us know in the comments or DM us! β¬
Jokes aside, knowing why you eat what you eat is important. It's much easier to follow an eating plan that is healthy for you and the planet if you you have a mission statement of sorts for it.
What's you're eating mission statement? We asked some of our friends and team members, and here's what they said:
– I want my eating patterns and choices to nourish mother earth.
– I want to show respect and love to animals in what I choose to eat.
– I want my food choices to build my long-term health.
– I want to change the course of my chronic disease through better food choices.
– I want to change from emotional eating to supporting my emotions through healthy eating.
Post your personal mission statement below! ππ€π»
Frustrated by all the expose reports about high heavy metals and pesticide levels in plant protein powder?
Our PURE PLANT PROTEIN WILL BRING YOU JOY!
ZEGO's Pure Plant Protein is a whole food superfood protein supplement that hasn't been processed with chemicals or industrial enzymes like the other proteins are. We also Purity Verified it for :
— glyphosate
— 500+ toxins
— heavy metals
— gluten
and it's free of the top 14 most common allergens!
It's so versatile you can add it in your baking, protein balls, smoothies and even soup, and like @just.ingredients said, you can't even tell it's in there!
Tell us in the comments what you would make first with a bag of our Pure Plant Protein?!
PPS, Our adaptation of @just.ingredient's pumpkin bread recipe is on our website!
We love this useful tip from Vitamin D researcher Linda Benskin, PhD, RN.
Bank your sun this summer so you can build up a healthy amount of Vitamin D from mother nature while you can. You'll benefit this summer and all next winter too.
You see, your body stores a few months of Vitamin D. You can pull from those reserves on those less sunny days, days you can't get outside, and winter months when the sun is too low for you to get the right types of rays.
You'll need to skip the sunscreen for 30 minutes a day between 10am-2pm. If you are out longer than 30 minutes, you'll continue to benefit but at a much lower rate.
And remember, don't get burned! A little pink may be okay but those burns that take a day or two to go away are a no-no.
Mellow Overnight Oats
Keep your mornings mellow by having your breakfast waiting for you in the fridge!
This recipe is a great base. Add some fun color contrast with berries or chia seeds ππ«π±
— Bananas
— Cashews
— Coconut yogurt
— ZEGO Double Protein Oats
— ZEGO Pure Protein Powder (for one serving, we add 2 tsp)
— Coconut flakes
Be sure to mix the yogurt and Double Protein Oats well.
Though we layered the ingredients for this photo, mix them all together for a true pudding consistency!
Wondering if ZEGO products are safe for your allergies? Here's what you need to know:
β All Bagged Products: Top 14 allergen free, and gluten free/corn free facility.
β All Bars: Top 9 allergen free and gluten free facility.
Eat with the peace of mind that your food is safe for you!
Have more questions about whether ZEGO is safe for your specific allergies? Drop us a comment below or connect with us in the DMs!
Tell us in the comments which allergy your watching out for?
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For more information on what else we're testing for including toxins, pesticides, and more click the link in our bio! π
Itβs amazing how a beautiful smoothie can boost your spirits along with your immune system. π€©
And this one is LOADED with antioxidants, vitamins, electrolytes and minerals from its beautiful ingredients. π€€π
INGREDIENTS
-1C milk or substitute of your choice
-1/4C coconut water
-1-2T ZEGO Pure Plant Protein
-1 banana
-1C frozen blueberries
-2T avocado
-1T coconut oil
-1t ground flax
-1/2t cinnamon
-1t vanilla
-a few ice cubes
-1t maple syrup if you like
METHOD
1. Blend it all until smooth and share with a friend!
Thank you to Haley @thedolcehunter for creating it and sharing it with us. π
If you haven't tried our Superfood Plant Protein you can get it on sale now for only $9.99! (That's $20 savings!) π€
Use code MAYPRO20 at check out! π
Check the link in our bio for the full recipe!
Have you tried Salmon with Savory Oats, yet?!π π
This yummy combo is such a refreshing, light, and easy meal for those busy days this Spring when you want delicious ease to enable your evening activities ππ»ββοΈππ½ββοΈπ¨
We added some of our favorite fresh greens and sprinkled on some Furikake (dried seaweed and sesame seasoning) to make this lunch really shine π€€
HOW TO:
– Sautee a chopped onion with some salt. Add a 1/2 tsp of dried thyme or other herb of choice.
– Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Stir in oats and simmer 10 minutes.
– Assemble in bowl: Savory oats on one side, sprouts or other greens on the other. Top with prepared fish of choice (we used a smoked salmon filet).
– Sprinkle with Furikake or other seasoning of choice.
What is your favorite way to enjoy savory oats? Let us know in the comments! β¬
MAY β¨ SALE β¨ $9.99 β¨ ZEGO'S PURE PLANT PROTEIN
Need a few reasons to ditch your current protein powder and upgrade to a superior one? πͺ β
What about saving 67% on the price??
That's right, add a bag of our Sacha inchi Plant Protein to your cart and pay only $9.99 (regular price $29.99).
(Use code MAYPRO20 at checkout!)
Limited availability — ORDER BEFORE WE RUN OUT!
π β₯
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Your protein powder says it has 20g of protein in it. But how much are you actually able to digest?β
Plant proteins are not 100% digestible as protein because they are low in one or more of the 9 essential amino acids. And, processing the protein to isolate it from the other nutrients in the food decreases your ability to absorb all the protein on the label.
So what does it mean if the label says you are getting 20g of protein from your powder? Here is some info on how much you may actually be absorbing. <<SAVE & SHARE THIS POST>>
π Rice and Hemp protein have the lowest digestible amino acid scores (known as PDKAAS) of .45 and .65 each. That means 20g on the label turns into 9-13g of digestible protein (and less bc they are isolates, keep reading).
πΎ Soy and pea have high amino acid scores but are "isolates," which decreases their digestibility by 20-40%, leaving you with about 11-15g to use of the 20g grams on the label.
π± ZEGO's Sacha inchi seed protein has an 87% PDKAAS score AND you digest 20-40% more than isolate proteins giving you 17g of whole food protein out of 20g.
How can you increase the amount of protein you digest from plants? Combine them together!
— Eat some seeds or nuts within a few hours of having your plant protein, since they have some ample amounts of some of the amino acids other plants are low in.
— Mix in a tablespoon of yogurt if you can eat dairy.
— Add a teaspoon of nutritional yeast. You likely won't even taste it and the extra aminos will complete any missing in your plant protein! π΄
Check out our blog, (linked in bio) to find out more!
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Who else needs a new, easy, and healthy breakfast? ππ»ββοΈ ππ½ββοΈ
Have you ever tried Muesli? π
Muesli is a Swedish breakfast that combines oats, seeds, and fruit to create a fast, tasty, healthier alternative to boxed cereal.
Our Cinnamon Twist Muesli makes a fantastic cold cereal, hot oatmeal, or overnight oats and is packed with nutrition. Mix with yogurt, make delicious cookies and scones, or combine into protein balls.
Start your day stress free with ZEGO Muesli! π€ β
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π₯³ππCan we get a HUGE HAPPY BIRTHDAY for ZEGO's Founder, Colleen?! πππ₯³
We are so happy to celebrate Colleen's Birthday with all our ZEGO family and friends, so you can get 15% off everything when you shop ZEGO today! β₯
π Use code COLNBD15 at checkout for 15% off for today only π
Colleen recently was interviewed on what ZEGO's mission is and what she wants the future for all consumers to look like:
"What I'm envisioning in the future is that every product you see in the store will have a QR code that you can scan to see whether there was any measurable allergen content in that batch of product, as well as heavy metals and the major pesticides that we're concerned about.
Even if you only had a dollar to spend on a can of soup, you would be able to pick up four different brands and scan those QR codes to pick the cleanest one. That's my vision of the future. I want to work on the whole food system rather than just the very top of the pyramid. That's when we get a cleaner planet."
If you'd like to learn more about her and our story you can read the full interview with the link in our bio!
#glyphosatefree #cleanfood #healthyfood #healthyeating #pesticides #healthysnacks #birthday #eatmoreplants #health #clean #glutenfreelifestyle #allergyfriendly #glyphosate #wellness #top8free #nutfree #dairyfree #peanutfree #glutenfree #toxinfree #toxinfreeliving #healthylifestyle #purity #oatspiration #organic #poweredbyplants #purityprotocoloats #poweredbyzego
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