Safest and Riskiest Fruits and Vegetables

For those of you who are concerned about food safety, yet cringe at the cost of organic produce, here is another piece of information for why buying local and organic is good for you. It’s research done by the Environmental Working Group on the chemical load carried by various fruits and vegetables.

Safest conventionally grown produce (lowest pesticide load)

Note: Onions were lowest with a score of 1, the melon the highest with a score of 30 on a scale of 1-100.

Least safe conventionally grown produce (highest pesticide load)

Note: Peaches were the worst with a score of 100; pears the lowest with a score of 63. For all of these fruits and vegetables, tests were conducted after they were washed and peeled.

Anita Doyle, Green Irene Eco-consultant
earthlygoods.minneapolis@greenirene.com

http://greenirene.com/EarthlyGoodsMinneapolis

Organic Cotton in Short Supply

Because it’s grown without pesticides, organic cotton is considered preferable to the conventional kind.

Certified organic cotton is in short supply, representing less than 1% of total production. Some companies use just a tiny percentage of it in their garments or use uncertified organics. To be certified organic, cotton must grow in soil that has been chemical free for three years, the U.S. Agriculture Department says. Dyes used to color the fabric may contain toxic substances, though.

Ask manufacturers, or check their Web sites, to see if their cotton is certified organic, what portion of it is organic and what kind of dye was used. The label won’t necessarily say.