Another blogging friend to the rescue and I delve into one of my eleven texts required for the CEcD exam. Thank you Inger!
A decade ago, the non-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) unveiled its first Shoppers Guide™ to Pesticides in Produce. The revolutionary list ranked pesticide residues in common fruits and vegetables, forever changing grocery shopping for pesticide-wary consumers. Now updated annually, the new 2014 list was unveiled last week.
The EWG list provides a ranking of 48 common fruits and vegetables based on volume and variety of pesticide residue. Apples came out the worst — especially concerning if you consider the quantities of apples and apple juice consumed by children–and avocados were rated the best. The worst 12 items on the list are dubbed the “Dirty Dozen™” and the best 15 are designated the “Clean Fifteen™.”
The EWG explains that this guide arose out of the concern “that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has failed to tell Americans … that they have a right to know about the risks of pesticide exposure and ways they can reduce pesticides in their diets. “
Why You Should Care About Pesticide Residue
Pesticide exposure should be on the radar for every health conscious person. According to the EPA, “laboratory studies show that pesticides can cause health problems, such as birth defects, nerve damage, cancer, and other effects that might occur over a long period of time. However, these effects depend on how toxic the pesticide is and how much of it is consumed. Some pesticides also pose unique health risks to children.”
With this information, should people avoid fruits and vegetables?
The EWG advises you to “eat your fruits and vegetables! The health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks of pesticide exposure. Use EWG’s Shopper’s Guide™ to reduce your exposures as much as possible, but eating conventionally grown produce is better than not eating fruits and vegetables at all.”
How can knowing the Dirty Dozen™ and Clean Fifteen™ help me?
One way people can use this information is to help stretch their food dollar. If your budget is tight, you might buy conventional onions to save money and splurge on the organic strawberries, since strawberries are more likely to have residues.
This can also be helpful when dining out. If offered a choice of vegetables, you may select a side of cauliflower (on the Clean Fifteen™) rather than the creamed spinach (Dirty Dozen™).
I already buy organic–should I stop now for the Clean Fifteen™?
Some Clean Fifteen™ items may still contain residues, so that is one factor to weigh, but my motivation for buying organic goes beyond my own health. I also like to support organic farmers and to consider the environmental impact of conventional farming. So I still chose organic as much as possible.
But for those times when organic isn’t available, convenient or affordable, I use the EWG list as my guide to healthier living.