When even a very low risk such as a pesticide residue is forced on us, we may be less willing to accept it. We don't understand it. It's just a common fungus killer. But strange names or hazards sound riskier than familiar ones. We can't control it.
Farmers decide which pesticides to spray on our food.
Government agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the EPA control or monitor the chemicals. But whenever someone else is in charge, the risk seems more of a threat. The downside is dreadful. Dreaded diseases, such as cancer, cause people to perceive the risk as greater. Yet the cancer risk for people who abuse alcohol is much higher than the risk from eating non-organic foods.