RE: Https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/basics/starting-compost-pile.htm

Question

This site is in need of a qualified Microbiologist & Food Scientist who can edit and contribute to any of the articles that potentially impact human health. For the sake of public safety, I strongly suggest you edit all composting instructions on this site to include a WARNING along with instructions on how to ensure that a compost pile doesn’t become a breeding ground for mold, hence a toxic nightmare with people using their compost to fertilize and contaminate their food with disabling and deadly mycotoxin. I wish I could refer you to a good website to investigate this subject, but as a former Quality Assurance Manager in the USA, I can tell you that our regulations & oversight are in desperate need of attention and that our food supply is not safe (as demonstrated by our epidemic rates of cancer, along with other environmentally driven diseases). The food supply contamination with poisons our EPA and FDA overlook such as mycotoxin are driving factors that contribute to poor health, disability, and death in the USA (and globally wherever we sell our food products). Not only is any instruction on composting that lacks information on how to ensure your compost is mycotoxin-free (more difficult to break down than mold, so mold avoidance is insufficient prevention) is not only incomplete, but a threat to human health. Many so-called “mystery” illnesses are not so mysterious and often times caused by insufficient safety regulations (food, air, water, soil). The site needs a consultant from someone who actually understands mold, the optimal environment it grows in, when/how it produces mycotoxin, the conditions required to both prevent and kill mold, the conditions required to completely break down mycotoxin and render it to a safe and nontoxic product. If any nation’s regulatory agencies were up to par, companies wouldn’t be able to sell a composter without a big warning label pointing to the risk of mold along with thorough instructions on how to properly use the composter to ensure you doesn’t poison you and your family. The resultant loss of health and even life (mycotoxin is a carcinogen) is no small matter. I hope you’ll take this matter as seriously as the potential consequences warrant and seek a qualified microbiologist to help tweak any of the composting articles on this site. Composting is great IF done safely, but people do need to be educated about just how wrong things can go if the proper precautions aren’t implemented. Please look into correcting this as the use of fertilizers and synthetic chemicals is extremely dangerous as well, as is demonstrated by our epidemic cancer rates.

Answer 1

You might consider taking this to the appropriate channels- Such as these regulatory agencies that you mention. We cannot control them.

Other than that, as a microbiologist, I can assure you that proper composting is safe (even going so far as to boost one's innate immune system) and contracting diseases from gardening practices will be much more difficult than catching one from improper cleaning, cooking, or hygiene.

Synthetic chemicals are your enemy, here.

Answer 2

Thank you for sharing your concerns. I will forward your information to our editor.