Dirty Dozen - Buy these organic if possible

Ms. Haiku

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13737389/page/2/

tybird

Are there no editors at MSNBC???? Grapes from "Chili".....oh my God...spell check strikes again.....I guess that be grapes for chili recipes or is that grapes from Chile???

hippiemom

Thanks, Ms. Haiku! Good stuff to know! I prefer to buy all organic fruits and vegetables when I can, because organic farming is better for the land, and I prefer natural over chemical fertilizers, but this list can help you prioritize if you need to cut down your grocery bill, or decide which fruits and vegetables to eat if no organic produce is available.

The “Dirty Dozen”: Must-buy organic foods

Fruits
* Apples
* Cherries
* Grapes, imported (Chili)
* Nectarines
* Peaches
* Pears
* Raspberries
* Strawberries

Vegetables
* Bell peppers
* Celery
* Potatoes
* Spinach

The U.S. Department of Agriculture found that even after washing, some fruits and vegetables consistently carry much higher levels of pesticide residue than others. Based on an analysis of more than 100,000 U.S. government pesticide test results, researchers at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a research and advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., have developed the “dirty dozen” fruits and vegetables, above, that they say you should always buy organic, if possible, because their conventionally grown counterparts tend to be laden with pesticides. They cost about 50 percent more — but are well worth the money.

Other organic foods worth considering:
* Milk
* Beef
* Poultry

Reduce the risk of exposure to the agent believed to cause mad cow disease and minimize exposure to other potential toxins in non-organic feed. These foods contain no hormones, and antibiotics — which have been linked to increased antibacterial resistance in humans — have not been added to the food. They often cost 100 percent more than conventional products.

No need to go organic with these foods:

Fruits
* Bananas
* Kiwi
* Mangos
* Papaya
* Pineapples

Vegetables
* Asparagus
* Avocado
* Broccoli
* Cauliflower
* Corn
* Onions
* Peas

These products generally do not contain pesticide residue.

Seafood
Wild or farmed fish can be labeled organic, despite the presence of contaminants such as mercury and PCBs. No USDA organic certification standards for seafood — producers are allowed to make their own organic claims.

Cosmetics
Having “organic” or “natural” in its name doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safer. Only 11 percent of ingredients found in personal-care products, organic or not, have ever been screened for safety.

Ahnimus

I like GE crops.

RolandTD20Kdrummer

Thanks for this.

El_Kabong

hippiemom wrote:

Seafood
Wild or farmed fish can be labeled organic, despite the presence of contaminants such as mercury and PCBs. No USDA organic certification standards for seafood — producers are allowed to make their own organic claims.

Cosmetics
Having “organic” or “natural” in its name doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safer. Only 11 percent of ingredients found in personal-care products, organic or not, have ever been screened for safety.

yeah, that's wonderful

hippiemom

Ahnimus wrote:

I like GE crops.

This post reminds me .... for those of you that DON'T like genetically engineered crops, you should only buy organic corn, even though it's on the list of "safe" non-organics posted above. If your corn is not specifically labeled "organic" or "non-GMO," it almost certainly is a genetically engineered crop. The same thing goes for any product containing soy.

DriftingByTheStorm

hippiemom wrote:

This post reminds me .... for those of you that DON'T like genetically engineered crops, you should only buy organic corn, even though it's on the list of "safe" non-organics posted above. If your corn is not specifically labeled "organic" or "non-GMO," it almost certainly is a genetically engineered crop. The same thing goes for any product containing soy.

i actually don't have a problem with EATING GMO shit ... it's the fact that they GROW it, i can't stand.

You know those companies have actually employed tactics to SUE LOCAL FARMERS around the world for "STEALING" their crops, when the indigenous local crops of farmers are ending up "INFECTED" with GMO genes due to pollination from wind ...

GMO crops are RUINING "REAL" indigenous and localized strains around the world.

And farmers the world under are going broke because of bad trade agreements and subsidized international crop sales ...

hmm.
i could go on and on. but i give up.