After finding DDT in backyard chicken eggs, this led us to discover that some persistent legacy pesticides aren’t monitored by USDA organic standards. So it’s possible that animal products like eggs, butter, yogurt, milk & lunchmeat could have trace amounts of DDT from legacy soil contamination. We simply won’t know unless we test. So Mamavation started testing natural and organic products to ensure safety. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like best & worst collagen, best & worst cookware, & best & worst air purifiers, now join us for the DDT test results of an iconic organic brand of yogurt–Stonyfield.
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DDT is Incredibly Toxic & Has Been Banned Since 1972
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) is an insecticide and belongs to a class of pesticides known as organochlorides. DDT is a synthetic chemical compound that doesn’t occur in nature and is a colorless, crystalline solid.
DDT has been banned since 1972 because of human health and environmental concerns, especially having been blamed for killing off the iconic American Bald Eagle population. Exposure to DDT was found to thin eggshells so they would crack and kill the baby eagles. Since DDT was banned in 1972, the American Bald Eagle population has sprung back.
Today people are mostly exposed to DDT as an accidental contaminant from soil exposure or from food. Because DDT takes a very long time to break down in the soil, it’s found all over the United States.
DDT can build up in the fatty tissues of animals and accumulate over time. Therefore, this bioaccumulation can show up in animal products that contain high amounts of fat like butter, eggs, milk, meat, and cheese.
And now because the USDA organic standards do not include testing the soil for DDT, I’m testing animal products like butter, eggs, cream, milk, yogurt & lunchmeat to ensure my family isn’t exposed anymore to DDT and I’m sharing that information with you here.
I Found DDT in My Soil & Backyard Eggs & It Led Me to Discover That Organic Isn’t Testing Soil Either
Earlier in the summer of 2020, I participated in a study with the Detox Project looking at levels of pesticide residue in American hair.
My results dumbfounded me because there was DDT found in my hair.
That led me to test the soil on my property and my backyard eggs where I technically discovered DDE (a breakdown product of DDT) which after some research I realized came from a walnut grove over 70 years ago. So the DDT they used on my property over 70 years ago was ending up in my hair.
Through research, I discovered that USDA Organic certification does not mandate testing of the soil beforehand to ensure animals like cows are not impacted by DDT breaking down in the soil.
Results of Stonyfield Organic Yogurt for DDT
Using method gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS ) Stonyfield Organic Yogurt was tested in a lab certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in October 2020 and the results were all non-detect, meaning if there is DDT in the yogurt, it’s lower than the detection level of 0.010 ppb.
- Chlorpyrifos < 0.010ppb –Non-Detect
- DDD-pp+DDT-op < 0.010ppb — Non-Detect
- DDE-p,p < 0.010ppb — Non-Detect
- DDT (Sum) * < 0.010ppb — Non-Detect
- DDT-p,p < 0.010ppb — Non-Detect
This is good news for Stonyfield Organic Yogurt fans because what I tested does not contain DDT!
Other Brands Mamavation Has Tested
Mamavation has tested other food brands & products for contaminants like DDT, PFAS, Phthalates, glyphosate, and more. Click here and scroll to the bottom to see all the tests we have been involved in.
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