Today (and every day) I'm thankful for the EPA's regulation of pesticides.
Pests kill crops, which means that pests kill people. A million people died in the Irish Potato Famine. Humans have therefore developed pesticides to kill pests and protect human health.
You want to be careful when you're applying biocides to food. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) therefore regulates the use of pesticides. Before a company can introduce a pesticide into the food supply, they send an application to EPA, who reviews it to make sure it's safe for humans.
The biggest threat to food safety right now is, unquestionably, bacterial contamination of fruits and vegetables. We know that eating more fruits and vegetables is good for your chronic health, but the fact remains that you're taking your life into your hands every time you place a raw fruit or vegetable in your mouth. We need interventions to reduce the risk of pathogens on these foods, not just to improve food safety, but also to increase our confidence in eating foods that are good for our longterm health. EPA is responsible for making sure these interventions are safe, and I am thankful.
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