I’m the executive chef of a local restaurant with 21 years in the restaurant industry and take pride in serving delicious, wholesome and – above all – safe food.

A recent letter to the editor said that water fluoridation was good for community health. I don’t believe that anything could be further from the truth and think that people should understand just what would be added to their water.

If Spokane fluoridates, it would most likely add fluorosilicic acid (FSA), an industrial by-product from the phosphate fertilizer industry. Many fluoridating cities import this from China.

As hard as it may be to believe, FSA is so corrosive that it must be disposed of in a hazardous waste facility or used for industry if it’s not sold to cities for fluoridation. It’s a matter of public record that it may contain lead, arsenic and other heavy metals. The EPA has determined that there are no safe levels of lead and arsenic – both can cause brain damage.

In my restaurant, I use water for cooking, soups, coffee and tea, and cleaning. I would be facing a dilemma. I would most likely have to spend thousands of dollars for a filtering system to keep the fluoride out or live with the reality that the food I’m serving could very well be harming the health of my customers. Also staying hydrated in a hot kitchen is crucial for my team.

This isn’t right. Please, Spokane City Council members, put an end to this move to fluoridate now.

Jacob Ford
Spokane

*Original letter online at https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/jun/24/fluoridation-complicates-restaurants/