By now most of us have probably heard of the study published in Science about PCB levels found in farmed salmon, sparking a wide-reaching public debate between environmentalists, and the government, salmon farmers, and salmon sellers about the safety of farmed fish.

The levels found by the study are well within government guidelines, and the fish farmers and sellers generally agree that it’s safe to eat. In fact, as a recent Globe and Mail article (“Fallout over salmon feared,” Jan. 10) notes, many advocates of farmed salmon go on to point out that all kinds of foods have PCB contamination in them, and that this is really an attack on fish farming-an issue steeped in environmental controversy.

Whether or not you agree with fish farming, whether you trust the opinions of growers and sellers, or whether you trust the research; this entire debate overlooks a much more fundamental question: Why should we accept any level of toxic contamination in our food?

The question is neither complicated, nor shocking; we have been systematically turning our planet into a sewer for decades-centuries, actually. But leaving all the “tree-hugger” lamentations aside, it’s a simple matter of health, economics, and choice.

You might say that we don’t know for sure that such low levels of PCB’s are cancer causing-it’s never been proven. Tobacco companies said for years that science could not show conclusively that their products damaged the health of their customers.

But it’s not about scientific proof-or if it is, the burden of proof is on the wrong side. Fine, science may not be able to prove conclusively that low levels of toxic contamination will eventually hurt me; but it can’t prove that it won’t either. All I know is that these things were not in the food my great, great grandparents ate, and that I don’t want them in my food either.

The same thing goes for genetically modified foods, factory farm meat, pesticide laden produce, and all the various other “innovations” of the late twentieth century designed to increase productivity, efficiency, and of course, profit.

This is not to say that every farmer or grocer out there is greedy or cares nothing for the health of consumers-but there are a lot of people involved with a lot of agendas, plus a whole a lot of science and technology which may take generations to learn the effects of.

Bottom line, I really don’t know what all this stuff may eventually do to me. Food producers and vendors take note: As a consumer, the cleanest foods I can find-free of chemicals or artificial tampering-are the ones that will get my money.

I’m not a Luddite, but I also have great difficulty trusting other people’s judgment when it comes to my health, particularly in a world largely driven by the almighty dollar.