Like most extension faculty who deal with crop production I often find myself defending the use of various fertilizers and agricultural chemicals. Some natural toxins are far more potent than applied chemicals. The work of Dr. Bruce Ames, an expert at the University of California at Berkeley, was quoted in parts of the article. Everyone is concerned about the quality of their food items and benefits little from additional toxins applied for pest control. The intent of the article was to point out that nature, in its own way, has developed internal protective mechanisms that can be as toxic to man as the materials man has created.
All plants produce toxins to protect themselves against fungi, insect and animal predators.
It is probable that almost every plant product in the supermarket contains natural carcinogens. An examination of the menu reveals some interesting points. The shrimp in the salad, like other seafood, are rich in nutrients and minerals. One is arsenic. The remainder of the salad contains psoralens, glucosinolates, tomatine, quercetin, glycoside and dihydrazines.