Remember when eating fruits and vegetables was actually the healthy thing to do? I'm really starting to miss those days. Because another food safety report is out today to scare you out of shopping, this time from the folks over at the Environmental Working Group.
I keep thinking the move toward organic in the market would have forced regular produce sellers to step up their game. It's the lesson of supply and demand, right? Consumers are demanding organic, so the supply should be adjusted. But the EWG is saying no way: our favorite eats are still loaded down with pesticides. If anything, it looks like things have actually gotten worse -- they had to up their "buy organic" produce list from the Dirty Dozen to the Dirty Dozen Plus. Just check out the highlights on what to avoid:
Green Beans: One of two veggies added to the "Dirty Dozen" list of produce the EWG has always recommended you buy from an organic grower, green beans were found to be "commonly contaminated" with a type of insecticide that's dangerous to the nervous system.
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Kale & Collard Greens: These were also added to the Dirty Dozen list, making it the Dirty Dozen Plus ... for the same reason as green beans.
Apples: Experts have long suggested these should be purchased from organic growers, so you'd think apple growers would be trying to fight off the challenge, right? Wrong. The new report claims 98 percent of conventional apples have detectable levels of pesticides.
Nectarines: There wasn't a single nectarine in the sample pile that didn't have some kind of pesticide residue.
Lettuce: Mmm, want some pesticide with your salad? The report claims there were 78 different pesticides on lettuce samples.
Blueberries: The report shows domestic blueberries were positive for 42 different pesticide residues. Eww!
Grapes: They may be tiny, but grape samples came in with a whopping 64 different kinds of chemicals.
Celery: On a single sample, the EWG says there were 13 different pesticides.
Strawberries: The same thing that happened with a single sample of celery occurred when researchers checked a single strawberry sample: 13 different pesticides.
That's just a smattering of the list -- you can check the EWG for their new "Dirty Dozen Plus" if you want to know what they recommend buying from the organic shelves -- but I have to say the fact that these pesticides continue to show up scares me more than the chemicals themselves! It means that the companies don't really care what we shoppers have to say.
Don't we live in a consumer-driven society? Shouldn't growers be listening to our demands for healthy food?
What do you think of the findings of this report? Will it change the way you shop for fruits and vegetables?
Image via srqpix/Flickr
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Comments 38
Organic does not always mean BETTER. I do not buy organic and I am a vegan. I wash all of our fruits and veggies before I even put them in our fridge. I don't understand why people are trying to "scare" others into doing things like buy a certain brand or stop eating this or that.
Hum, organic food is like Hybrid/electric cars. Good for the environment and you, not so good for the pocket book. It's so unaffordable that I don't even bother. I've eaten unorganic fruits/veggies all my llife so why is it just now becoming this "big" issue. Not an issue, wash your fruits and veggies really well and you'll be okay.
How are you washing your fruits and veg these days?
Or you could, you know, wash your fruit and vegetables when you get home. A revolutionary concept, I know. Seriously, has the world lost their common sense in the "organic" craze? Not everything made in a lab will hurt you, and not everything in nature is helpful. Besides, the regulations for what's considered "organic" in this country are a joke and I'm not paying $6 for an apple.
Organic carrots .89 cents. Organic celery .89 cents. Organic cherry tomatoes 1.99. Freaking huge trough of organic spinach 4.99. Cute little organic cucumbers...a weeks worth 1.99.
Now quit whining about organic prices and go eat a salad. Seriously, half of the people whining about organic costs probably don't even KNOW the cost of organic food. You just assume it's pricey.
I hate the argument of "Organic is too expensive. I'm all for it but it costs too much...blah blah blah." If you want to see changes, make changes not excuses. So you can't afford everything organic, buy organic when it is on the dirty dozen list. Plant a garden, join a co-op, don't just cop out. I live on a very tight budget, but to me organic and healthy foods are a priority so I make it work. Sometimes that means clipping coupons or going to two different stores. My family is worth it.
Food is our family's second expense after rent.....We choose to eat well. I know that buying organic can be expensive, but the medical bills will be more if I don't take care of my family. So, it's about priorities and choices. We don't eat out much. We don't buy unecessary stuff, we don't have cable nor satelite. We cut other expenses so we can afford to eat better. Organice produce, free range and organic poultry, grass fed beef, etc, etc.
But even if you buy organice you should always wash your produce (common sense). If I can afford to buy a produce wash, I use vinegar with water, which by the way I use it as my house cleaner along with baking soda. Living and using natural products have proved to be better, healthier and less expensive. And I'm not just taking. This is a change I made more than 6 years ago. It's possible to live and eat well.
wash it is my only option cant afford organic