If I could eat organic everything I would! Now you can find just about anything made organically - wine, coffee, cleaning products and I believe they are better...but they come at a cost. And sometimes I just can afford to buy it, especially when a small container of blueberries costs $5 or red bell peppers are $5.99 a pound. So I came across a list that helps me in choosing for us what foods MUST be organic, and ones they are not as risky and high in pesticide, fungicide and herbicide levels. Now when I go shopping, I'm better informed on what, although pricier, needs to organic and what I can pass on...at least for now.
• Apples
• Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Cherries
• Imported Grapes
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Potatoes
• Red Raspberries
• Spinach
• Strawberries
12 "cleanest non-organic foods"
• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Corn (sweet) AVOID: Probably Genetically Modified
• Kiwi
• Mangos
• Onions
• Papaya
• Pineapples
• Peas (sweet)
Here is a great summary from TheDailyGreen.com about why we should eat organic and how the Dirty 12 list was compiled. Watch the slideshow on their website for more info on each fruit or vegetable listed. Also, check out Whatsonmyfood.org "a project of the Pesticide Action Network that makes the same USDA pesticide residue testing data available in an easy-to-use database".
The benefits of eating organic food go straight to the farm, where no pesticides and chemical fertilizers are used to grow the organic produce shipped to grocers. That means workers and farm neighbors aren't exposed to potentially harmful chemicals, it means less fossil fuel converted into fertilizers and it means healthier soil that should sustain crops for generations to come.
For individuals, organic food also has benefits. Eating organic means avoiding the pesticide residue left on foods, and it may even mean more nutritious varietals, though research into that subject has yielded mixed results. While there are few if any proven health impacts from consuming trace quantities of pesticides on foods, a growing number of people take the precaution of avoiding exposure just in case, particularly in the cases of pregnant women (growing babies are exposed to most of the chemicals that mom consume) and the parents of young children.
But organic food can cost more, meaning many families are loathe to shell out the extra cash for organic produce on every shopping trip. That's what makes the Environmental Working Group's annual list of the dirty dozen foods so useful. The group analyzes Department of Agriculture data about pesticide residue and ranks foods based on how much or little pesticide residue they have. The group estimates that individuals can reduce their exposure by 80% if they switch to organic when buying these 12 foods.
The USDA and farm and food industry representatives are quick to remind consumers that the government sets allowable pesticide residue limits it deems safe, and the produce for sale in your grocery store should meet those standards. Watchdogs like Environmental Working Group see those limits as too liberal, and see the dirty dozen list as a teaching tool to educate consumers about the benefits of organic food.
Sources:
http://www.organic.org/articles/showarticle/article-206
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