School Board to Ask for Fewer Pesticides
Spurred by a recent report about apples contaminated by the chemical Alar, the Los Angeles Board of Education has agreed to ask its food suppliers and growers to reduce pesticide use and to provide tips to parents on how to protect their families from dangerous chemicals used to treat food.
Proposed by board members Roberta Weintraub and Julie Korenstein, the motion cited a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council, a New York environmental group, that told of the risks to young children of pesticides used on various food items, including apples. Publicity about the report led the district to temporarily ban apples and apple products from school cafeterias last month.
The motion also pledged that the board “shall attempt to find sources of food that minimize the toxic hazard to children.” It was adopted 5 to 0, with board member Alan Gershman absent and Rita Walters not voting.
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