The number of products being recalled seems to be skyrocketing. Last week there was contamination in orange juice. In the past we have had recalls on peanut butter, pet foods, chicken wings, and alfalfa sprouts to name just a handful of food products. Organic grapes and lettuce were recalled this past year.
"Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives." source
In spite of the organic grapes and lettuce recall, buying organic food is a way to keep contamination at bay. In addition we are supporting organic farming, which means the soil will be healthier, farm workers are safer and you have a better chance that your food isn’t contaminated with pesticide residues. It may not be 100% foolproof but most people agree that there are some foods that you should buy which have been grown organically.
The United States Department of Agriculture has come up with a list with which others agree of the fruits and vegetables that were found to contain the most pesticide residues
Apples now top the list of the worst offenders, and strawberries were found to contain 13 types of pesticide residues. You should also save your pennies for organic celery, strawberries, spinach, peaches (even though they have a skin), imported nectarines, imported grapes, sweet bell peppers, imported grapes, kale, blueberries, and potatoes.
The fruits and vegetables you do not have to worry as much about are sweet corn, avocado, pineapple, peas, mango, eggplant, asparagus, onions, cantaloupe from the United States, kiwi, watermelon, cabbage, sweet potatoes, grapefruit, and mushrooms. You can see that many of these items have a thick skin.
Make sure to wash your fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water. This will help remove some chemical residues in your non-organic food as well as taking off dirt and bacteria. Not all pesticides can be removed by washing. Peeling can remove some residues, but you may miss out on nutrients in the peel. Eating products with thick skins such as bananas and coconuts might prove helpful; however, we did have a cantaloupe recall recently.
You can find organic food at:
- 775 Washington Street, Hanover, MA
- 899 Boylston Street, Boston, MA
- 137 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA
All stores can be found here.
- 170 Great Road, Bedford, MA
- 575 Worcester Road, Framingham, MA
- 255 Hartford Avenue, Bellingham, MA
All stores can be found here.
Related articles:
Trader Joe's and Whole Foods names healthiest grocery stores
Pesticide free: Where to buy green flowers in Boston
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