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pesticides on Rico reeds

Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2025-10-18 09:42

Well some of you may remember me. I worked at Rico for 15 year as Quality Control and a reed designer. Rico once washed the reeds with hot water at 160 degrees"F" using baking soda, which killed any bugs on the tubes. I worked closely with famous people such as Mitchell Lurie. Rico made 25 million reeds a year.

Sadly, Rico didn't tell me they stopped washing the reeds and went to PESTICIDES. Some of the reeds were sprayed up to 3 times using illegal pesticides for humans. These include Benzene, Methyl Bromide, Phostoxen and several other pesticides. I wasn't feeling well, suffering from headaches, vomiting, fibromyalgia, muscle pain, lack of sleep, and joint pain. I was in top shape as I was a top Air Force musician, went through Basic Training, all of that.

Long story short I had the reeds tested and my blood tested as well. When the finding came back that the reeds and my blood had the exact same pesticides in them I had to walk away from a high paying job and I never recovered from the damage to my body.

TODAY - I won a huge lawsuit against Rico, however we all know Rico sold the company. So the State of California took over the case.

I won't answer any questions regarding D'Adario but the laws in the USA state that all agraculture entering the USA must be fumagated. So, they use pesticides but what kind and do they wash the cane? All of this matters.

I worry about kids to adults. I would suggest that everyone, sax and clarinet players call or write and ask this company how they prepare their reeds and if they use pesticides.

Again, I won't reply to anyone. I won the lawsuit today, that's all that matters and I promised to let everyone know. BE SAFE MY FRIENDS! Cheers! Bob

Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces

Yamaha Artist 2015

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Re: pesticides on Rico reeds

Author: Ed
Date: 2025-10-18 16:31

I would assume their organic reeds do not have this issue

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Re: pesticides on Rico reeds

Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2025-10-18 16:58

Hey Bob!

Fun to see you again. I always wondered if/how/what happened in the lawsuit...didn't realize it had still been going on.

Fuzzy
;^)>>>

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Re: pesticides on Rico reeds

Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2025-10-18 17:21

Thanks for the update, Bob. Good to read posts from you again.

I wonder what it costs to have things chemically tested. Probably it depends, and there's different tests depending on whatever you're looking for. Ching-ching.

A couple times I've found "stuff" in packaged food. One time it was a cherry-sized dollop of orange glop in a snack-pack of peanuts. It looked like machine grease to me. I went through a process of contacting the company and mailing them the unopened package. They eventually sent me an apology, a statement saying it wasn't anything dangerous (without specifying what it was,) and a free box of a dozen assorted snacks.

It's hard to trust companies in this regard.

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