Concerned about stretching your dollar to get the best fresh food picks for your family? Some simple favorites like apples might or might not be a good choice. Conventional apples now top the list of the most contaminated produce, according to the United States Department of Agriculture's and Food and Drug Administration's data, as analyzed by the Environmental Working Group.
The EWG's new edition of the Shopper's Guide to Pesticides is out, with a Dirty Dozen list and a list of the cleanest conventional produce. A new herb appearing on the list is cilantro, because of unapproved pesticides showing up on some samples. The information can help consumers decide which organic produce they'd like to try in order to limit pesticide exposure.
The EWG says this is about more than washing and peeling our fresh foods, because those things were done for most of the testing. The nonprofit watchdog group offers the Dirty Dozen list in an effort to raise consumer awareness. Of course, health experts consistently affirm that we all need a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables.
Tomorrow on FlourSackMama.com, why some organic farmers believe so strongly in growing without pesticides. And Wednesday, going beyond organic labels...