How can you detoxify your food?
It seems like a funny question to ask.
Here at MIRA Safety, we're typically focused on preparing for the BIG disasters.
From nuclear explosions to terrorist attacks, pandemics, and industrial accidents—our gear is engineered to protect you and keep you in the fight through some of the most dangerous CBRN threats in the history of humanity.
But what about the threats that hit closer to home?
What about the everyday exposure to chemicals and toxins in our "safe" environment? The pesticides and bacteria in our food?
(Image source: Image courtesy of University of Hawaii)
These threats might not seem so intimidating. Most of us go about our lives without thinking twice about them. As a result, they're far more pervasive than a major CBRN disaster. Exposure to these kinds of threats is often minimal. But they can accumulate over months, years, and decades—sometimes with devastating consequences.
So today, we're giving you an in-depth review of some of the most common and overlooked threats that frequently make their way into your diet. Largely pesticides and bacteria, these threats can have many health consequences, from digestive discomfort to cancer and even death.
Fortunately, a revolutionary new solution can make this daily exposure risk a thing of the past. And we'll be covering that as well …
Table of Contents
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01
Everyday Poison
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02
Top Pesticide Threat #1: Glyphosate, Monsanto's Favorite Pesticide
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03
Top Pesticide Threat #2: Atrazine, Banned in 35 Countries
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04
Top Pesticide Threat #3: Paraquat and its Mountain of Lawsuits
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05
Common Bacterial Threats
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06
DTX-1 Food Detoxifier: The Perfect Solution for Safer Eating
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07
Practical Cleansing at the Microscopic Level
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08
Keeping Your Family Safe
Everyday Poison
Food poisoning has always been a threat—but contamination cases have soared since 2000. We're practically desensitized to seeing it in the news after repeated E. Coli outbreaks in fresh produce, bad canned food, and even worse. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says that 48 million people fall ill each year due to foodborne illness.
Across America, it's estimated there are more than 800 outbreaks of foodborne illness each year.
There's also the threat of pesticides in our favorite foods.
Recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) studies found that some of the most popular produce items—from leafy greens like spinach and kale to bell peppers and strawberries—tested positive for carcinogenic pesticides. One single sample was shown to contain a jaw-dropping 21 different pesticides.
For anyone who's ever experienced a bad case of food poisoning, it's all a bit much.
But it's crucial to understand these compounds. To know what you're up against, where to expect the highest concentrations, and what you can do to avoid eating contaminated food.
Let's start with the top 3 pesticide threats currently making their way into the American diet.
Top Pesticide Threat #1: Glyphosate, Monsanto's Favorite Pesticide
Glyphosate is the most widely used pesticide in the country—though most Americans know it by its brand name of "Roundup."
(Image source: Image courtesy of University of Roundup.com)
This pesticide has been popular for decades thanks to its impressive effectiveness, affordability, and wide range of applications for which it can be used. It's a nonselective herbicide that attacks plants at the root and cuts off the production of critical proteins the plant needs for survival.
If you've used Roundup, you'll know that a little goes a long way. But back in 1996, Monsanto developed new "terminator" seeds genetically immune to Glyphosate's weed-killing properties. That allowed farmers to practically douse their fields in the pesticide since it wouldn't kill their new crop. As a result, over 280 million pounds of Glyphosate are used yearly.
It's not just Roundup, either. In total, 750 different American products include Glyphosate as an ingredient. When random food samples were tested, approximately 90% were found to have Glyphosate in them.
In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) identified Glyphosate as a "probable cancer-causing herbicide." It's been linked in studies to cases of non-Hodgkins lymphoma and shown to destroy and disrupt the natural habitat of animals like the Florida manatee.
As a result, ten countries have banned Glyphosate, including Germany, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia. But for the moment, the EPA won't acknowledge it as a threat.
Glyphosate is commonly found in GMO products, corn, sugar, beer, cooking oils, baked goods, cereal, and processed snack bars.
Top Pesticide Threat #2: Atrazine, Banned in 35 Countries
Atrazine is America's second most widely used pesticide. It comes as a powder, emulsion, or granulated product and is highly water-soluble. As a result, it's cheap, efficient, and easy to use, contributing to its massive popularity.
Atrazine is sprayed across 60% of America's cornfields … 75% of our sorghum crop—and a whopping 90% of our sugar cane. The pesticide industry estimates it saves consumers upwards of $6.2 billion in grocery expenses yearly.
But there's a catch …
Since atrazine is so water-soluble and since it's so widely used, it will often seep into local water supplies. A study from The New York Times indicated that 33 million Americans had been exposed to substantial amounts of pesticides. It has a half-life of up to nearly one year; if it seeps into the water table, atrazine can persist for up to 2 years.
All this water contamination is a problem because it could potentially cause cancer.
Studies remain inconclusive, but atrazine is an endocrine disruptor—a member of a class of compounds called "triazines, " proven to cause cancer in laboratory rats. It's also known to chemically castrate frogs even in minuscule doses, profoundly disrupting their populations in the wild.
Unsurprisingly, the company producing atrazine (Syngenta) insists it's harmless to humans. But the compound has effectively been banned in 35 countries throughout the European Union. The EPA currently classifies it as "moderately toxic," and over 70 million pounds of the pesticide are still used yearly.
Most commonly found in water, green onions, watermelon, cucumber, and catfish.
Top Pesticide Threat #3: Paraquat and its Mountain of Lawsuits
Unlike the other pesticides we've covered so far, Paraquat is universally acknowledged to be a hazardous chemical unsafe for human contact.
Paraquat was initially introduced and sold under the brand name Gramoxone back in 1962. It became famous thanks to its wide range of applications, the fact that it works quickly, and the fact that it doesn't tend to wash off the plant after rain.
(Image source: Image courtesy of University of Tim Miles Law Group)
The risks of working with Paraquat are well-known among farmers. It takes just a tablespoon to kill a grown adult, and there isn't any known antidote for it. On average, 1-2 deaths yearly result from unintentional exposure to the chemical.
At the moment, there are thousands of active lawsuits involving those who have been injured or affected by Paraquat. Everything from wrongful death cases to class action lawsuits—with some plaintiffs even alleging a link between Paraquat and Parkinson's disease.
Due to the inherent dangers of working with this herbicide, farmers are generally more careful about how, when, and where they apply it. You're less likely to be affected unless you work with it directly.
The EPA is likewise strict in its guidance on how and where to use Paraquat, insisting that it should never be used close to schools, parks, golf courses, gardens, or playgrounds. But mistakes can still happen, as evidenced by the mountain of lawsuits involving the herbicide. Thus, it's always possible that some amount of Paraquat residue may be on the food you eat.
But harsh pesticides aren't the only health threats on your dinner table.
3 Most Common Foodborne Bacterial & Viral Threats
Most people immediately associate the concept of food poisoning with the bacteria E. coli since it's arguably the most common (and one of the least dangerous) form of foodborne illness.
E. coli is a bacteria that lives in the gut of most mammals, facilitating easy digestion before eventually leaving the intestines by waste product (feces). Cross-contamination can occur when this waste product contaminates the water supply, and then that water is sprayed onto the produce we eat.
Caption: E. Coli (Image source: Image courtesy of University of ResearchGate)
Leafy greens, like spinach or lettuce, are often consumed and rarely washed as well as they should be. As a result, E. coli bacteria can be consumed in quantities large enough to cause consequences. Typically the result is a few days of diarrhea and severe stomach pain, with the vast majority of folks feeling better after just a few days.
Norovirus is another widespread cause of foodborne illness.
Often associated with raw food ranging from fresh produce to seafood and oysters, norovirus generally results from poor hygiene practices. It's prevalent in closed environments, like on a cruise ship, where food preparation is highly fast-paced and conducted in tight quarters. Those conditions can be perfect for spreading the virus and infections to mount.
After incubating for 12-48 hours, norovirus can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, and cramps. Like E. coli, norovirus cases rarely end with severe consequences—but they're also so common that you're seldom more than a few weeks away from one.
Finally, there are Listeria or Listeria monocytogenes. This bacterium naturally lives in soil, water, and manure. Cross-contamination with any of these three sources (without proper hygiene) can lead to infections known as listeriosis.
Listeriosis has a much longer incubation time than other foodborne bacteria and viruses. Cases can last 2-3 weeks, with some reported illnesses lasting as long as 70 days!
The infection begins the same way as so many other types of food poisoning. It will cause diarrhea, fever, headache, and muscle aches. But in severe cases, the symptoms can be far worse—including delirium, seizures, meningitis, or even miscarriage.
The current case fatality rate for listeriosis in the United States is 20%, so you should seek medical care immediately if you think you might be suffering.
Fortunately, there are proactive measures you can take to protect your family from these foodborne illnesses.
DTX-1 Food Detoxifier: The Perfect Solution for Safer Eating
The new MIRA Safety DTX-1 Food Detoxifier is a next-generation appliance that can cleanse your food of toxins, bacteria, pesticides, and other everyday threats that don't belong in your family's regular diet.
It doesn't require any soap or cleaning solution and doesn't introduce harsh chemicals to your food. Instead, it combines ultrasonic cleaning with rapid oxidation to clean your fruits, vegetables, and meats 20 times more efficiently than washing them by hand.
Charge up the DTX-1, then submerge the lower fins into a water container with the food you want cleaned. Use the touchscreen to select your desired cleaning mode, and the Detoxifier will do the rest. The ultrasonic cleaning action will lift away even the smallest particles from your food in a few minutes. At the same time, active oxygen molecules penetrate and oxidize your food from the inside out and kill harmful bacteria.
The DTX-1 won't alter the taste or consistency of your food. But it will purge unwanted toxins you'd rarely reach cleaning by hand. Best of all, the process is totally automated. So you can set your produce or meats up to detoxify, then continue preparing the rest of your meal.
This detoxification benefits raw meat and fish you've just brought back from the grocery store. Because not only will it neutralize any unpleasant odors that might linger in your fridge, but it can also kill bacteria that would otherwise speed up the aging process—ultimately saving you a fortune in spoiled groceries.
And it can clean more than just your food as well …
The same oxidizing/ultrasonic cleaning action can also detoxify your flatware and silverware—making them clean and sparkling, and it can deep clean your cutting boards and refrigerator shelving. The same goes for your small everyday carry items like keys, watches, and glasses.
t can even deodorize your favorite pair of sneakers or get pesky pet odors out of your sheets and blankets. Do hands smell like garlic after cooking? Just submerge them in the water with an active detoxifier, and the scent will disappear in minutes.
The DTX-1 comes loaded with presets for each of these different items. Select your item. Then the DTX-1 will set the appropriate time and get to work.
And aside from charging the integrated battery, operating the DTX-1 over its five-year lifecycle is zero cost.
Here's how it works …
Practical Cleansing at the Microscopic Level
Once your DTX-1 Food Detoxifier is fully-charged, with the fins submerged in water and the correct cleansing mode selected, the ultrasonic cleaning begins immediately.
Blasting the water with high-frequency soundwaves at ~40kHz, the DTX-1 creates "cavitation" inside the cleaning vessel. That means the ultrasonic energy is agitating the water, creating microscopic bubbles throughout the water. These bubbles implode almost immediately, and the force of that implosion can dislodge even the most minuscule contaminants that are otherwise trapped on the surface of your food.
Ultrasonic cleaning is so effective yet gentle that it's perfect for cleaning almost anything—from food products to metals, ceramics, plastics, and glass. It's ideal for scrubbing out those hard-to-reach spots, like the bridge on your eyeglasses or the clasp on a metal wristwatch. It can wipe out dirt, grime, and fine particulates; all it needs to do its job is the universal solvent (water).
The addition of active oxidation sets the DTX-1 apart from other ultrasonic cleaners.
Oxygen molecules can be a potent disinfectant. And the principle of oxidation is widely used in everything from water purifiers to industrial-grade cleaning gear.
So while the ultrasonic waves scrub the surface of your food, The DTX-1 also jets a stream of active oxygen molecules into the cleaning vessel, penetrating it and killing everything from viruses and bacteria to mold and protozoa on contact. Incidentally, it also kills the odor-producing bacteria that can make your clothing and other items stink.
These cutting-edge cleaning technologies are proven, highly efficient, and highly effective. The DTX-1 is simply bringing them together and putting them to the best use possible.
Keeping Your Family Safe
There's no perfect answer to keeping your friends and family safe.
But now you can take some of the uncertainty out of the question. Combining ultrasonic cleaning with rapid oxidation, it's a massive leap forward in home cleanliness and healthy eating. Remarkable to think that even with all our appliances, most Americans still clean their fruits and vegetables by hand in a process that hasn't changed for thousands of years. Until now.
With the DTX-1 Detoxifier, you can automatically clean your food 20 times more effectively. That means your family can enjoy a healthier diet loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables—with the peace of mind that you're giving them the best nutrition possible.
The DTX-1 is excellent for everyday use … and ensures your diet remains safe and edible through a natural disaster or even a CBRN event. All you need is electricity to keep it charged and a container of water to do the cleaning.