You follow a good diet. Not too much (if any) red meat and plenty of fruit and veggies. The only problem is that thanks to a US Government initiative you now have to start looking much harder into where those healthy goodies are coming from.

As you may or may not be aware about half of the energy in the US is still generated by coal fired plants, and these plants are a major source of environmental pollution. One of the nastiest by-products of the energy creation process is FGD gypsum (flue gas desulfurization gypsum).The substance is a synthetic form of the mineral gypsum, and it also contains mercury, arsenic, lead, and other heavy metals. It is created by by power plant "scrubbers" that remove acid-rain-causing sulfur dioxide from plant emissions. Great for the environment, but what to do with this excess waste?

 The FDA and the EPA are encouraging farmers to use as fertilizer for their crops. According to the EPA the levels of heavy metals like arsenic are not high enough to be dangerous to human health--but how can we be so sure? A spill of large amounts of the substance from a coal ash pond in Knoxville, Tennessee, last year killed fish and damaged homes--so who knows what harm could be caused by accumulation of the substance in the soil over time?

The use of FGD gypsum in farming is not new, it began about six years ago. Even some organic farmers have used the stuff, as it is not a petroleum based product (which is a no-no in organic farming circles).
 

This subject highlights a good reason why you should not only buy organic produce but find fruits and vegetables that are locally grown. If you can meet a farmer face to face you can discuss his farming methods with him and be assured that what you are consuming meets your expectations for food safety.