Chemical pesticides on fruit and veggies is a hot news topic! Daily, we are confronted with messages that encourage us to have a healthy lifestyle, and to stay healthy by increasing our consumption of fruit and vegetables. The unexpected appearance of eye-catching headlines about the danger of chemical pesticides on our fruit and vegetables can cause unwelcome stress. Chemical pesticide worries have added complexity to the simple task of grocery shopping. It can be a stressful decision on whether to pay a higher price for an organic food label. Is it worth the additional cost, to reduce your stress about the dangers in our food supply? This blog describes the current controversy related to chemical pesticides and food consumption stress.
Chemical Pesticide Report
The spring season brings the visual stimulation of colorful fruit and vegetables on display. Meanwhile, health enthusiasts anxiously await the publication of the Dirty Dozen list, produced by “EWG Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce”. The availability of this list is often announced with blazing headlines. The guide lists the fruit and veggies identified as having chemical pesticide residue.
This year, USDA researchers found a total of 178 different pesticides and pesticide breakdown products on the sample products analyzed. Strawberries were the most contaminated sample, with 20 different pesticides. “Nearly all the samples of strawberries, spinach, peaches, nectarines, cherries and apples tested positive for residues of at least one pesticide.”
Meanwhile, the EWG Clean Fifteen list of produce that is least likely to contain pesticides includes sweet corn, avocados, pineapples, cabbage, frozen peas, papayas, asparagus, mangoes, eggplant and cauliflower, melon and cantaloupe. Very low or no trace of pesticides was found on these items.
Exposure Risks
Researchers are concerned that pesticides can affect not only insects but can also create adverse conditions in humans. Exposing babies, infants and young children to even low levels of chemical pesticide may be problematic. The negative effect of certain pesticides on the nervous system is a source of increased concern because of the association with the increased incidence of neurodegenerative disorders. It is common for US farmers to use pesticides that other countries have banned. For example, parquet, a pesticide used in the US to kill weeds has been banned in Europe, and China plans to phase out its use by 2020.
Washing Food
Most consumers are surprised to learn that chemical pesticide residues can remain on fruit and vegetables even after washing. The Environmental Protection Agency EPA has not provided guidance for the best method to remove pesticides from fruit and vegetables. It states that the food supply is safe even with low levels of pesticide. Their archived information notes that claims that any product can clean fruit and vegetables by “chemicalapplications by immersion, flooding, or spraying can achieve a ‘sanitization’ effect, especially under homeowner conditions, is debatable.”
Chemical Pesticides Bottom line
Buying organic products is not defined as being pesticide-free. It is a false myth that organic farming is different from conventional farming. Both use pesticides, but the organic farmers are regulated to use least toxic agents to reduce their environmental impact. The National Organic Standards Board Reviews the toxicity of all pesticides used.
picking your veggies
The EWG Dirty 15 list was created to inform shoppers of produce identified with the lowest levels of pesticides, to enable a smarter shopping experience. Not everyone can buy organic, so this list was created to help consumers to identify conventionally-grown produce with fewer pesticides, to reduce your stress of shopping for produce.
Buying fruit and vegetables can be stressful when buyers are faced with the looming threat of chemical pesticides. So, just do your best to wash these items. Unfortunately, there are various cleaning techniques on the internet with no scientific data to support their efficacy in removing pesticide residues. The information from EWG suggests that it is best to purchase fruit and vegetables that are known to have low levels of chemical pesticide. Do your best to stay healthy and stress-free!