Shannon Illingworth, Founder of GP Solutions, Starts "Know the Grow"

Organization focuses on education and awareness of dangers in U.S. food chain

CORONA, Calif., Nov. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GP Solutions, Inc (Ticker: GWPD), announced that company founder, Shannon Illingworth, has founded an organization named, "Know the Grow." The organization will focus on educating the public and increasing awareness about the dangers of pesticides, harmful chemicals, and contaminants in the U.S. food chain.

According the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), food can become contaminated at many points in the food chain, from production to distribution to retail. For example, fields can be irrigated with tainted water, so fruits and vegetables can be contaminated before harvest.

Additionally, "fresh produce can be contaminated if it is loaded into a truck that was not cleaned after transporting animals or animal products," the CDC reports.

Moreover, it can be difficult to remove contamination once it occurs. The CBC warns that many germs grow quickly at room temperature and that heating or even boiling does not always make food safe "because some germs produce toxins that are not destroyed by heat."

The American Institute of Chemical Engineers, (AIChE), says over the past few decades, "there has been an increase in the prevalence of outbreaks of human pathogens in fresh fruits and vegetables." Furthermore, "outbreaks of foodborne illness caused by contaminated produce can have severe health effects on young children, the elderly, and the immune-compromised population."

Most people believe that organic foods are safe, but according to the Mayo Clinic, "just because a product says it's organic or has organic ingredients doesn't mean it's a healthier choice." The organization says that organic food can often harbor contaminants, such as "plant waste left on fields (green manure), and farm animals' manure."

Furthermore, Mayo Clinic reports that organic produce may contain pesticides, some of which are approved for organic farming, or due to airborne pesticides from conventional farms. And notably, "the overall risk of contamination of organic foods with bacteria is the same as conventional foods."

Because of these problems with our food system, Shannon Illingworth decided to form an organization dedicated to educating the public and raising awareness about the hidden dangers within our food chain.

Illingworth is the Founder of GP Solutions, and the inventor of "GrowPods" – controlled environment farms that allow cultivation of a variety of fruits and vegetables without pesticides, herbicides, harmful chemicals, or risk of pathogenic contamination.

"After my daughter was born with spinal meningitis, we had to be extremely careful about the food we gave her, and make certain that she was not ingesting any harmful ingredients, toxins, or pathogens," he said.

To his dismay, it was almost impossible to find this type of clean food, as even organic products allow a wide array of chemicals and contaminants.

"I realized that our food system is geared heavily toward production and profits, and not health," he said.

Illingworth said his goal now is to increase awareness about the layers of food contamination within our system, and to encourage people to understand where and how their food was grown.

"Most people think that their food is safe, and that organic food is clean, or that washing is sufficient to remove any harmful chemicals," he said. "But this is simply not true, and this misconception can be very detrimental to your family's health."

For more information on Know the Grow, visit: www.knowthegrow.org.

For information on GP Solutions, visit: www.growpodsolutions, or call: (951) 549-9490.

This release includes predictions or information considered "forward-looking" within securities laws. These statements represent Company's current judgments but are subject to uncertainties that could cause results to differ. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on these statements, which reflect management's opinions only as of the date of this release. The Company is not obligated to revise any statements in light of new information or events.

SOURCE GP Solutions