Majority of Canadians are Concerned about Pesticide Residue on Fruit and Vegetables

    Canadian Cancer Society Releases Poll Results

    TORONTO, Nov. 12 /CNW/ - Sixty per cent of Canadians are concerned about
pesticide residue on fruit and vegetables, according to poll results released
by the Canadian Cancer Society. Starting today, the Society is hosting a
two-day conference exploring the connection between pesticides and cancer.
    "Now, more than ever, Canadians are concerned about the food they eat and
how it affects their health, including cancer risk," says Heather Logan,
Senior Director, Cancer Control Policy and Information, Canadian Cancer
Society. "The conference is about protecting the health of Canadians by using
the best information available to move forward."
    The Society has brought together leading international experts to focus
discussions on non-cosmetic use of pesticides, including agricultural use.
"This conference is an important step in setting the agenda for future
research and action on behalf of Canadians," says Logan.Poll results also show:

     -  Almost half of respondents said pesticides should be used
        carefully to balance the health benefits of having fruit and
        vegetables available with the potential harm from the chemicals.
     -  80 per cent carefully wash all fruit and vegetables before consuming
        to reduce their exposure to pesticide residue. Twenty-four per cent
        said they purchase products that have not been exposed to chemicals
        when they can.
     -  55 per cent believe that they do not receive enough information about
        the use of pesticides to make informed choices about the food they
        buy.
     -  74 per cent said they would support stronger federal government
        regulations aimed at reducing the initial use of pesticides in food
        production.About the conference
    Exploring the Connection: A State of the Science Conference on Pesticides
and Cancer is a two-day conference (November 12 and 13) organized by the
Canadian Cancer Society. The conference is taking place at the Marriott
Toronto Bloor Yorkville Hotel.Experts at the conference will discuss:
        -  the state of the science about non-cosmetic use of pesticides and
           cancer
        -  precautionary policies that could help reduce our exposure to
           pesticides
        -  what future research needs to be done
        -  what opportunities for action exist"The Society is committed to working with Canadians, governments, public
health agencies and the agricultural community to try and find out more about
this important health issue," says Paul Lapierre, VP, Public Affairs and
Cancer Control, Canadian Cancer Society.

    The Canadian Cancer Society is a national community based organization
whose mission is the eradication of cancer and the enhancement of the quality
of life of people living with cancer. When you want to know more about cancer,
visit our website at www.cancer.ca or call our toll-free bilingual Cancer
Information Service at 1 888 939-3333.

    Innovative Research surveyed approximately 1,166 Canadians online in its
national Canada 20/20 Panel from November 6 to 10, 2008. People who are part
of the panel are recruited from a wide variety of sources to reflect the age,
gender, region and language characteristics of the country as a whole. Each
survey is administered to a series of randomly selected samples from the panel
and weighted to ensure the sample's composition reflects the actual Canadian
population according to Census data. An unweighted probability sample of this
size, with a 100 per cent response rate, would have an estimated margin of
error of +/- 2.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

    Poll results are available for media on request.

For further information: Alexa Giorgi, Bilingual Communications
Specialist, [phone], Cell: [phone]