To everyone that has read about the “dirty dozen” list and is now confused and conflicted about buying the more affordable and accessible fruits and veggies, this blog is for you.  Keep in mind that the “dirty dozen” list is designed to make you worry and be fearful.  After all, fear is a very powerful motivator and the list authors attempt to increase safety fears to motivate and influence consumers’ produce buying decisions.

So here are some facts about the “dirty dozen” list that underscore you can consume either conventional or organic produce with confidence.  Both are safe and the right choice is to eat more every day.

• Arbitrary Methodology: According to Dr. Carl Winter, toxicologist, University of California, Davis.  “This year’s EWG list is produced using the same arbitrary methodology the EWG has used in the past.  Most importantly, the EWG focuses upon the presence (or absence) of pesticide residues in its methodology and public statements rather than on the actual amounts of pesticides detected, which are extremely low.  To accurately assess consumer risks from pesticides, one needs to consider three major factors – 1) the amount of residue on the foods, 2) the amount of food consumed, and 3) the toxicity of the pesticides.  The methodology used by EWG ignores all three.”
• Meet Organic Standard: Did you know that the vast majority of conventionally grown produce tested by United States Department of Agriculture could qualify to be labeled “organic,” specific to their residue levels? It’s true. The USDA allows organic produce to have residues that are “less than 5% of EPA tolerances” and the majority of residues found on conventionally grown produce are below this level.  This nicely illustrates how low residues are, if present at all.
• You Can Eat A Lot of Kale:  If you are concerned about residues on kale you would have to eat a lot more each day to see any health effects.  In fact, a man would have to eat 26,061 servings in a day, a woman 18,615 servings, a teenager 14,892 servings and a child 7,746 servings in a day and they still would not have any health effects from residues.  This is according to an analysis by toxicologists with the University of California’s Personal Chemical Exposure Program.

And, some final advice for parents from Dr. Winter:  “Parents should continue to feed their children lots of fruits and vegetables regardless of whether they are produced organically or conventionally.  There is no legitimate evidence demonstrating that consuming conventional fruits and vegetables is of harm but plenty of evidence showing that reducing consumption of fruits and vegetables is harmful.  Parents should not feel guilty for feeding their children healthy conventional fruits and vegetables.”

Read, learn, choose but eat more organic and conventional fruits and veggies every day for better health and a longer life.

Photo credit:  Women’s Health