Why You Should Always Wash Your Produce

Are the Foods You’re Eating Contaminated by Pesticides?

If you’re concerned about pesticides and your food, there’s some new information that you should know. Some of the most popular fruits and vegetables you eat every day are the most contaminated with pesticides, according to reports conducted by the Environmental Working Group, and Consumers Union. What are they?

Foods that were found with the highest pesticide levels were: Apples, Peaches, Pears, Potatoes, Spinach, Strawberries, Grapes, Cherries, Nectarines, Celery, Bell Peppers, and Raspberries.

The produce with the lowest pesticide levels were: Avocados, Sweet Corn, Broccoli, Bananas, Mangos, Papaya, Sweet Peas, Pineapples, Kiwi, Onions, Cauliflower, and Asparagus.

A 2003 study conducted by Seattle scientists and published in Environmental Health found that school children eating conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables are more likely to exceed EPA safety thresholds for organophosphate pesticides than children eating organic produce.

What can you do? To reduce your exposure to pesticides, always wash your produce, and buy organic whenever possible. What are the advantages of buying organic produce?
Organic foods have been found to contain more nutritional value and more antioxidants than conventionally grown foods, according to University of California, Davis scientists. Organic foods were found to have high levels of vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, and iron.

What’s the difference between organic and conventionally grown foods? Organic foods are grown in safe soil, and have no additives, or irradiated genetically modified organisms. Organic foods must be separated from conventional foods (in storage containers) so there is no contact with chemicals or pesticides. For more information, go to www.foodnews.org, or www.consumersunion.org.