Organic, Free-range, Hormone free, etc

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I have been interested in the effects of pesticides, antibiotics and hormones in our environments since I was in college (20 years ago). There is no definitive information that 'dirty' food is necessarily bad for you, but many experts quoted in articles take a why risk it stance on the issue.

Recently a group called the Environmental Working Group published a list of fruits and vegetables (F & V) which were the dirtiest and the cleanest in terms of surface pesticides. They make recommendations on which F & V to buy organic (those which are generally eaten with skin on dominate this list) and which F & V can be bought non-organic without much worry (usually those foods we peel before eating).

Eviro. Working Group - they have guidelines for how much tuna is safe to eat, which cosmetics are safer to use, etc. I just found this site and am still learning what's there.

Here's the produce list (1 is the worst in terms of pesticides and 45 is the best). Another repeated refrain I hear is that it is more important to eat any produce than to forgo the good stuff because they aren't organic. And, washing the rinds of the produce we peel is important so that it doesn't transfer to the fleshy bits we eat.

Quote:

The Full List: 43 Fruits & Veggies

RANK

FRUIT OR VEGGIE

SCORE

1 (worst) Peaches 100 (highest pesticide load)

2 Apples 96

3 Sweet Bell Peppers 86

4 Celery 85

5 Nectarines 84

6 Strawberries 83

7 Cherries 75

8 Lettuce 69

9 Grapes - Imported 68

10 Pears 65

11 Spinach 60

12 Potatoes 58

13 Carrots 57

14 Green Beans 55

15 Hot Peppers 53

16 Cucumbers 52

17 Raspberries 47

18 Plums 46

19 Oranges 46

20 Grapes-Domestic 46

21 Cauliflower 39

22 Tangerine 38

23 Mushrooms 37

24 Cantaloupe 34

25 Lemon 31

26 Honeydew Melon 31

27 Grapefruit 31

28 Winter Squash 31

29 Tomatoes 30

30 Sweet Potatoes 30

31 Watermelon 25

32 Blueberries 24

33 Papaya 21

34 Eggplant 19

35 Broccoli 18

36 Cabbage 17

37 Bananas 16

38 Kiwi 14

39 Asparagus 11

40 Sweet Peas-Frozen 11

41 Mango 9

42 Pineapples 7

43 Sweet Corn-Frozen 2

44 Avocado 1

45 (best) Onions 1 (lowest pesticide load)

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OH LORD...we're all going to die. The more I learn the more depressed I am...what is so wrong with ignorance? Do I really want to know? It is good to know...I wash it all anyway...ugh..just so much to remember. We actually go to a farm and get our milk now...it is organic - pasteurized but not homogenized....so I have to shake it up before I pour or you get the thick cream on the top...I tried to grow my own veggies the last couple of years...but my garden has gone belly up because of the massive drought we are in.

Thanks for posting the list...makes me more careful...always good to be reminded!

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Ignorance is fine if you choose it.

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Must be something strange going on somewhere, when you see little 10-11 year old girls with plenty of facial hair. Cool

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peaches? i'm as good as dead. been eating them every day at work for a few weeks now.

guess i have to die of something though. might as well be peaches.

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dagmaraka wrote:

peaches? i'm as good as dead. been eating them every day at work for a few weeks now.

guess i have to die of something though. might as well be peaches.

Wash them well, not just for pesticides, but to get rid of germs from all the people who squeezed them before you. Think how many times you pick up a piece of fruit and either put it in a bag or put it back on the pile, think of the dozens of people that do the same thing all day long. Wash, wash, wash.

I think just being aware of the good and bad makes you a better consumer which makes for a positive influence overall. Buy fresh, local and organic when you can. Avoid fruits out of season, especially those grown in South America. Seasonal fruits grown in the USA have a fraction of the pesticides of fruits grown in places like Chile for the winter market. We will never have total control, but we do make an impact on the food industry just by making choices on how to spend our money.

Recent changes in what can be called "organic" have added to the problem of knowing what to buy. The words Tyson Organic will always be an oxymoron to me, but there are also plenty of good companies out there to spend your money with. I have a list of books somewhere about this topic, if I can find it I will post it.

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We depend on those chilean grapes in the winter...it's almost the only kind of fruit my boys will eat in the winter. I would appreciate any information you can post. I guess I need to know more...Since I have kids now I guess the least I can do is take care of them! :wink:

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book mark

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Go local as much as you can.

Go seasonal as much as you can.

Don't trust anything referring to organic/free-range unless you can check it out yourself. It's very much a self-labelling market out there. Be very wary of Whole Paycheque.

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mismi40 wrote:

We depend on those chilean grapes in the winter...it's almost the only kind of fruit my boys will eat in the winter. I would appreciate any information you can post. I guess I need to know more...Since I have kids now I guess the least I can do is take care of them! :wink:

Just type "pesticides, grapes, chile" into any search engine. I got more hits than I have time to look into. Here's a sample:

Quote:

Grapes are tasty, but provide few vitamins or carotenoids. Complementing this slim nutritional profile, grapes from Chile add a load of cancer causing and endocrine disrupting fungicides. The solution for grape lovers is simple: eat U.S. grown grapes in season and avoid grapes from January through April, when grapes from Chile dominate the market.

Source

South American countries are killing their environment and their people using pesticides that were outlawed in the USA 40+ years ago. You're not doing the world, or your children, a favor by supporting this shameful commerce. . Washing does not remove all the residue because the produce is sprayed at every stage of development, thus creating layers of pesticides. Agricultural workers in Chile have one of the highest cancer rates due to these practices - do you really want to support that? Plus produce coming in from these countries is sprayed again in US docks to keep out alien pests.

Teach your children about the importance of eating in season, make a game of it (if they are old enough). They should know apples mean autumn and good tomatoes mean summer. I hate it when kids come to my farmette and ask if I grow oranges (I live in NY) or if the rabbits lay eggs (blame it on Easter and the Cadbury bunny). Children know nothing about the natural world because we insulate them from it. (Just a little personal rant while I have your attention).

By the way, if you are having trouble growing a garden in drought I suggest you get a book called: Gardening When it Counts by Steve Solomon. It has excellent advice on growing food without much water use.

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Had no idea. I just assumed that they were okay if I washed them good. Thanks for the info. Also about the garden...

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For those of you who won't give up crops like grapes from Chile....... there is a bay to at least get rid of most bacteria on her fruit - (just read it, but where.....wanders off to find source......).

I couldn't find the source, but the solution was a vinegar-water mix. Some recipes say 50/50, some say you can use less vinegar. Generally, you can soak produce in it, or spray it with the solution. Let them sit two minutes and then rinse well.

Another recipe calls for baking soda, lemon juice and water - same method.

The vinegar method killed 98% of the bacteria on the fruit tested (source unknown as of yet).

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Like Dag, peaches are it, for me, and I'm not quitting. Okay, I'll take to washing them, but I'm not peeling them.

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How about buying them organic?

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Quote:

Vinegar, lemon, baking soda, etc cleaning recipes:

Natural Vinegar Cleaning Recipe

Uses:

Vinegar naturally cleans like an all-purpose cleaner. Mix a solution of 1 part water to 1 part vinegar in a new store bought spray bottle and you have a solution that will clean most areas of your home. Vinegar is a great natural cleaning product as well as a disinfectant and deodorizer. Always test on an inconspicuous area. It is safe to use on most surfaces and has the added bonus of being incredibly cheap. Improperly diluted vinegar is acidic and can eat away at tile grout. Never use vinegar on marble surfaces. Don't worry about your home smelling like vinegar. The smell disappears when it dries. Here are some uses for vinegar in the rooms of your house. Use it in the

1. Bathroom - Clean the bathtub, toilet, sink, and countertops. Use pure vinegar in the toilet bowl to get rid of rings. Flush the toilet to allow the water level to go down. Pour the undiluted vinegar around the inside of the rim. Scrub down the bowl. Mop the flour in the bathroom with a vinegar/water solution. The substance will also eat away the soap scum and hard water stains on your fixtures and tile. Make sure it is safe to use with your tile.
2. Kitchen- Clean the stovetop, appliances, countertops, and floor.
3. Laundry Room- Use vinegar as a natural fabric softener. This can be especially helpful for families who have sensitive skin. Add ½ cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle in place of store bought fabric softener. Vinegar has the added benefit of breaking down laundry detergent more effectively. (A plus when you have a family member whose skin detects every trace of detergent.)

Natural Lemon Juice Cleaning Recipe

Uses:

Lemon juice is another natural substance that can be used to clean your home. Lemon juice can be used to dissolve soap scum and hard water deposits. Lemon is a great substance to clean and shine brass and copper. Lemon juice can be mixed with vinegar and or baking soda to make cleaning pastes. Cut a lemon in half and sprinkle baking soda on the cut section. Use the lemon to scrub dishes, surfaces, and stains. Mix 1 cup olive oil with ½ cup lemon juice and you have a furniture polish for your hardwood furniture.

Put a whole lemon peel through the garbage disposal. It freshens the drain and the kitchen. Orange peels can be used with the same results.
Natural Baking Soda Cleaning Recipe

Uses:

Baking soda can be used to scrub surfaces in much the same way as commercial abrasive cleansers. Baking soda is great as a deodorizer. Place a box in the refrigerator and freezer to absorb odors. Put it anywhere you need deodorizing action. Try these three kitchen ingredients as natural cleaning products in your home.
More Natural Cleaning Recipe's
Things You Can Substitute!
(from Earth Easy)

There are many inexpensive, easy-to-use natural cleaning alternatives which can be used safely in place of commercial household cleaning products. Here's nine ordinary, environmentally safe products which can be used alone or in combination for a wealth of household cleaning applications.

Baking Soda - cleans, deodorizes, softens water, scours.

Soap - unscented soap in liquid form, flakes, powders or bars is biodegradable and will clean just about anything. Avoid using soaps which contain petroleum distillates.

Borax - cleans, deodorizes, disinfects, softens water, cleans wallpaper, painted walls and floors.

White Vinegar - cuts grease, removes mildew, odors, some stains and wax build-up.

Washing Soda - or SAL Soda is sodium carbonate decahydrate, a mineral. Washing soda cuts grease, removes stains, softens water, cleans wall, tiles, sinks and tubs. Use care, as washing soda can irritate mucous membranes. Do not use on aluminum.

Isopropyl Alcohol - is an excellent disinfectant. (It has been suggested to replace this with ethanol or 100 proof alcohol in solution with water. There is some indication that isopropyl alcohol buildup contributes to illness in the body. See http://drclark.ch/g)

Cornstarch - can be used to clean windows, polish furniture, shampoo carpets and rugs.

link

more recipes: link#2

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any of the above recipes can be made to smell better by adding a few drops of essential oils (tea tree, lemon, lavender, etc). Or citrus peels can be steeped in vinegar for a couple of weeks.

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Ok. Good. I can ask you who are in the know about a company called Europe's Best.

I've been wondering how good this fruit actually is for me. It comes in bags and is frozen.

I looked on the back and most of fruits I buy from them say "product of Chile". Is this bad?

It has me wondering, alright. Looked at their website and that wasn't much help. They say that their fruit comes from various places around the world, is frozen immedietly, packed, and sent to me.

I eat a lot of it lately so thanks if you know anything.

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mushypancakes - I've never heard of that brand. The list on the first page has 2 frozen items and they are on the clean end of the spectrum. Maybe there are less preservatives needed when produce is frozen immediately and shipped that way. As other posters have said, buy local and in season and you'll generally be better off. Even if that means you aren't eating very much fruit in the winter. Sounds like your product would be fairly unregulated even if someone was wanting to try to.

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Oh ok. Thanks, littlek, that helps. Kinda figured. Crying or Very sad

It's so easy for smoothies and dessert, and affordable. That's the appeal. Though in general, I try to get what I can that I absolutely know where it comes from and what they are doing to produce it.

I'm very glad to hear that mangos are further on the list! Heaven.

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Organic, Free-range, Hormone free, etc

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