In an increasingly
health-conscious society, buzz words about healthy eating are rampant, and
consumers are being constantly overwhelmed with information about what kinds of
foods are healthier and why. This is definitely the case when it comes to
organic. Today, organic options are not only found at specialty stores such as Whole
Foods or Trader Joe’s; they can now be found in your local ShopRite or Acme.
But while much of
the hype around organic is about nutritional value, organic produce actually
has not been shown to be that much better for you. Rather, the real concerns
when it comes to organic versus conventional food are two main safety issues:
chemical contamination and bacterial contamination.
Focusing on
chemical contamination, countless studies have shown that exposure to pesticide
residue was more than five times higher in conventional food than
in organic food (38 percent versus 7 percent), and the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention reports that there are traces of 29 different pesticides
in the average American’s body. While the long-term health risks of pesticides
remain unclear and controversial, a recent Consumer Reports survey of
1,050 people found that pesticides are a concern for 85 percent of Americans. And
let’s be honest, we’ve only recently begun to understand and experience the
tragic effects of DDT (one of the first pesticides) on the
environment and on humans, which have included breast and other cancers, male
infertility, miscarriages and low birth weight, developmental delay, and liver
damage.
While health is of
course a concern, the average consumer is also worried about how to stretch a
tight grocery budget. According to Consumer
Reports, the price of organic
produce can be on average 49 percent more than non-organic options, which
really add up by the time you get to the register.
So what is a smart, health-conscious shopper on a budget
to do?
Well, when it comes
to produce specifically, not all non-organic options pose as much of a threat
to consumers. If you can’t afford to go full organic, experts suggest choosing
organic for the foods containing the highest amount of chemical residue, and choosing
conventional foods for those with the least residue. Foods that absorb the
least amount of residue are generally those with thick skins that are not
consumed, such as onions, avocados, and bananas.
When it comes to chemical
and pesticide exposure, certain fruits and vegetables have a reputation for
being more egregious offenders. Every year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG)
singles out produce with the highest pesticide loads for its Dirty Dozen™ list.
In being a more health-conscious, but strategic shopper, refer to the Dirty
Dozen™ list for items you should always try to buy organic, and go the
non-organic route for the other items that didn’t make the list. See the
graphic below for a full list of the Dirty Dozen™ to
help guide you in your organic shopping journeys!

(Image courtesy of Environmental Working Group)
For which foods did
you make the switch to organic? Share on
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Sources: Consumer Reports, Columbia University
Medical Center, Environmental Working Group
Blog written by Vanessa Ramalho/Robard Corporation