The “Dirty Dozen” – When should you definitely buy Organic?
I am sure that by now you have heard of the “Dirty Dozen”, not the classic 1967 film, but the list of the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables. If not I will shed some light on your shopping habits.
We hear a lot about buying and eating Organic, but why? What are the reasons? What is Organic?
First What is Organic Food?
A simple definition of Organic foods, organic produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones.
So Why should we purchase Organic?
1. If you are reading my blog posts chances are you care about the environment. Organic means it is grown using sustainable practices and doesn’t cause as much pollution as conventional farming does. It improves the soil quality and maintains the biodiversity of the area. Buying local at Farmers market or from a local Farm Stand is also a great way to help the environment and support the local organic farming community.
Most communities have local Farmers markets
Which brings me to Organic Farming, what is it?
Organic Farming is a process of properly farming the land to build & maintain healthy soil through traditional methods of crop rotation, planting cover crops, releasing beneficial insects, and composting.
What does this mean?
Organic Farming is not just a return to traditional farming. Biology has contributed precise methods of non-toxic pest & disease control. Farm machinery allows organic farming on a large scale to meet the growing demand for organic food.
2. You may also be concerned about your health. Organic foods do not have chemical pesticide residues on them, do not contain GMO’s and organic meat and dairy products won’t contain extra growth hormones or antibiotics. Because organic beef is not given feed containing animal products, it is also less likely to cause mad cow disease.
Not only are Organic foods healthier, but in most case they are also tastier, especially when bought fresh!
I know that buying and eating organic can be more expensive so if you are on a budget but still want to take care of your health it would be nice to know which fruits and vegetables are bad and which ones are safe when not organic. So the Environmental Work Group (EWG) came up with a list we know as the “Dirty Dozen”.
This is a list of fruits and vegetables that are highest in pesticides, they also give us the top fifteen that are lowest in pesticides and safest when not organic known as the “Clean Fifteen”.
The dirty dozen, the 12 items on the left should be purchased Organic when ever possible, these fruits and vegetables dubbed the “Dirty Dozen,” have been found to contain 47 to 67 pesticides per serving. These foods are believed to be most susceptible because they have soft skin that tends to absorb more pesticides.
For a pdf copy of the Environmental Work Groups to carry with you Download guide as PDF
The EWG also has a list of 53 commonly used fruits and vegetables in order of most pesticides found to the least.
For more complete information on all things Organic download this new pamphlet about organic food created by the University of Minnesota: What is Organic Food and Why Should I Care?
Concerned about pesticides and want to learn more see Whats on my food.org
For you health…. for the environment…. for the future…. buy and eat organic when possible, especially when dealing with the “Dirty Dozen”
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Category: Ask the Go Green Guy
About the Author (Author Profile)
Creator/Host of Go Green America TV
Jeff (Jf) Davis aka The Go Green Guy is from Maine
Moved to LA to follow his passion as an actor
these days he is still acting, lives in LA with his wife and two boys
an writes about Green Living for his website Go Green America TV
that will soon be a TV show!!
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Excellent article. You can’t replace your health, nor put a price on it. If people can go into a grocery store and just remember two produce items to insist on organic – if that’s all you can afford. An easy trick – make it your mantra – apples n strawberries, apples n strawberries! It’s a start!
Thanks for the info! I very much look forward to your TV show!
Thank you Joan
Great suggestion!