Selective organic shopping
Posted: 12.12.2008 at 8:26 PM
BACKGROUND: Purchasing organic foods has become more common among consumers. In fact, nearly two-thirds of American shoppers have bought an organic product in the last year. Those organic products can be pricey. They often cost between 50 percent and 100 percent more than their conventional counterparts.


SELECTIVE ORGANICS: Some fruits and vegetables contain higher levels of pesticides than others. For instance, fruits with thick peels often contain fewer pesticides than those with thin peels. For cash-strapped shoppers, buying organic versions of only the heavily-sprayed foods is an option. The Environmental Working Group, a non-profit organization, recently issued a new list outlining the fruits and vegetables with the most and the least pesticides. The list is based on tests conducted by the USDA and the FDA.


WORST FOODS: The top 10 fruits and vegetables that contain the most pesticides include:

  1. Peaches (worst)

  2. Apples

  3. Sweet Bell Peppers

  4. Celery

  5. Nectarines

  6. Strawberries

  7. Cherries

  8. Lettuce

  9. Grapes (Imported)

  10. Pears


BEST FOODS: The top 10 fruits and vegetables that contain the least amount of pesticides include:

  1. Onions (best)

  2. Avocados

  3. Sweet Corn (Frozen)

  4. Pineapples

  5. Mangos

  6. Sweet Peas (Frozen)

  7. Asparagus

  8. Kiwi

  9. Bananas

  10. Cabbage

Columbia dietitian Melinda Hemmelgarn says the gold standard is to buy locally grown organic produce.  She says even foods that are not heavily sprayed expose the farm workers to dangerous chemicals.  Hemmelgarn also warns it's not enough to wash off the pesticides, in some cases the chemicals become systemic getting into the root of the plant.