Comment from Elliott BLASS

The proposed rule is harmful to the health of consumers unless there is a designated portion of the imported crop that is certified 'organic'. absent a valid certification from a recognized organic agricultural authority, the imported crop will be dense with the toxic materials used to prevent infestation. Apricots are in the top five fruits that maintain excessively high levels of the detoxification agents that are sprayed to protect the apricot yield. these toxins are going to be widespread owing to the market being flooded with the imported Spanish fruit, driving the price for apricots down and making them accessible to a public that is starved for produce. In short, the idea of enhancing fruit and vegetable availability is both good for business and for health, i.e. making more fruit availability at a lower price. However, importing apricots that have been sprayed in order to achieve acceptable levels of decontamination is a bad idea, unless methods can be devised to achieve this goal through means that will prove toxic to consumers. Elliott Blass Emeritus Professor Psychology and Neuroscience University of Massachusetts