That's Toxic Cotton You're Eating

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That's toxic cotton you're eating

Countryside & Small Stock Journal

January 1, 2003 by Ronnie Cummins

Few people realize that 60% of a cotton crop, by weight, enters the food chain in the form of cottonseed oil which is used widely in processed foods, and as cottonseed feed for cows, ending up in meat and dairy products. Cotton is comprised of fiber and seed: 40% fiber to 60% seed by weight. Once separated in the gin, the fibers go to textile mills, while the seed and various ginning by-products often find their way untreated into the feed of dairy and beef cattle. The pesticide residues from these cottonseeds concentrate in the fatty tissues of these animals, and in turn are passed on in meat and dairy products to consumers. Cottonseed, which is rich in oil and high in protein, is also a common ingredient in cookies, potato chips, salad dressings, baked goods, and other processed foods.