Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) announced a settlement with a grocery store chain to ban synthetic pesticides from being sprayed on organic produce.
Paxton touted the victory as a win for the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement, spearheaded by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which strongly opposes pesticides in U.S.-grown produce.
In the settlement, announced by Paxton on Tuesday, the grocery store parent company, Albertsons Safeway, must stop misting organic produce with synthetic pesticides in all of its Texas grocery stores.
Albertsons is the parent company of over 10 grocery store chains, including Albertsons Market, Randall’s, Tom Thumb, United Supermarkets, Market Street, United Express, Market Street Express, and Amigos.
Paxton alleged that pesticides were being used on Agriculture Department-certified organic produce without consumers’ knowledge and opened an investigation into the matter in January.
According to Paxton’s report, the pesticide, a chlorine-based compound containing hypochlorous acid, was sprayed on organic produce in stores around Texas to control bacteria and extend shelf life.
Under the agreement, Albertsons-owned chains in the Lone Star State will stop using the treatment on organic produce and require a potable water rinse after any pesticide treatment.
“Consumers paying premium prices for organic products reasonably expect those items to be free from these types of synthetic chemical treatments,” the news release from Paton’s office said. “Many consumers were unaware that, despite the certified organic label, pesticides had been used.”
Paxton called the settlement a victory for consumers seeking pesticide-free organic products.
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“This is a huge win for Texans seeking to avoid synthetic pesticides when purchasing organic produce,” Paxton said. “I commend Albertsons for reversing its course of action and signing this historic agreement to help ensure transparency for Texans by requiring its stores to stop the misting of pesticides on organic produce.”
The Texas attorney general added that he would “continue to use every tool available to help Make America Healthy Again.”