Scientists measure it. Mothers debate it. Others dismiss it. But
whatever the danger of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and
fertilizers, many U.S. consumers have already made up their minds.
They buy organic, especially if the foods they eat most often are
the ones that tend to be most heavily treated. These include:
1. Apples
A is for apple — and a lot of pesticides. According to
the Food and Drug Administration, more pesticides (a whopping 36)
are found on apples than on any other fruit or vegetable. In one
test, as many as seven chemicals were found on a single apple.
No organic? Peel your apples, and look for apples from New Zealand
(it's noted on the little produce stickers), which are treated
with half as many pesticides as those grown Stateside.
2. Baby Foods
"An infant's immune, nervous, and detoxification
system is less developed than an adult's and more vulnerable to
the effects of pesticides," says Elson M. Haas, M.D., author of
The Staying Healthy Shopper's Guide (Celestial Arts, $10,
www.amazon.com). The green beans, peaches, and
apples that go into baby food (and all over your kitchen floor)
tend to be treated with chemicals. Organic brands like Earth's
Best are available.
No organic? Make your own purees by tossing
organic fruits and vegetables into the blender.
3. Butter and Milk
The grains that dairy cows eat are heavily
treated with chemicals, which have a residual, though still
notable, presence in milk and dairy products. (Milk may also
contain bovine growth hormone and antibiotics.)
4. Cantaloupe
Cantaloupes often contain five of the
longest-lasting chemicals, one of which is dieldrin, an
exceedingly toxic and carcinogenic insecticide. Though it was
banned in 1974, residues still persist in soils and are taken up
through the cantaloupe's roots and absorbed into the edible
portion.
No organic? Thoroughly wash the outside of the melon,
since a knife can drag exterior residues through the flesh as you
slice it.
5. Cucumbers
In a survey of 42 common vegetables, cucumbers were
ranked second in cancer risk and 12th in "most contaminated food"
by the Environmental Working Group, a respected public-interest
group.
No organic? Peel the cucumbers, since the waxes used to
make the skin shiny also tend to hold chemicals.
6. Grapes
Because grapes ripen quickly, tend to mold, and attract
insects, growers hit them with multiple applications of various
chemicals. The worst are Chilean grapes, which are treated with as
many as 17 of them. (Ninety percent of the grapes eaten in the
United States from January to April are Chilean.)
No organic? Buy
grapes grown domestically; they are treated with fewer chemicals.
7. Green Beans
The Environmental Protection Agency has more than
60 pesticides registered for use on green beans.
No organic? Choose fresh beans over canned or frozen. Wash them well.
8. Spinach
In a certain cartoon, spinach makes muscles. In real
life, the chemicals used to treat it may cause cancer or interfere
with hormone production.
No organic? Vigilantly wash each leaf
separately under running water.
9. Strawberries
Strawberries are one of the most contaminated of
all produce items in the United States.
No organic? Choose local
berries over long-distance ones (there's less spraying). The
package should say where they're from, or the supermarket's
produce manager should know.
10. Winter Squash
Like cantaloupes and cucumbers, winter squash has
a propensity to absorb dieldrin from the soil into its edible
parts.
No organic? Buy Mexican. The soil in Mexico is largely
uncontaminated by dieldrin.
