Sunday, July 6, 2008

EcoMoms: June/July 2008




Doing our part for a healthier planet in Janesville, Wisconsin

Did you know?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has determined that even after washing, certain fruits and vegetables consistently contain significantly higher amounts of pesticides than others.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has created a list of these pesticide-heavy produce items, which they call the “Dirty Dozen.” (see Table 1) The worst fruits are peaches, apples, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, grapes, and pears. The worst vegetables are sweet bell peppers, celery, lettuce, spinach, and potatoes.

What moms can do:

IDEA #1: When you buy a “dirty dozen” item, buy organic. When the Consumer’s Union studied data from over 26,000 crop samples taken by the USDA, they found that overall 73% of conventionally-grown produce had pesticide residues. For five crops (apples, peaches, pears, strawberries, and celery) over 90% had residues. Organically-grown samples, by contrast, had a much lower rate of pesticide residues, at 23 percent. Not only that, but conventionally-grown produce showed residue from multiple pesticides in 46% of samples. Multiple residues were found in only 7% of organic samples. That residues occur at all in organic food is likely explained by drift, when sprays blow in from nearby non-organic farms, or by lingering pesticides in the soil from previous use.

IDEA #2: If organic choices are unavailable or unaffordable, choose the least contaminated produce items and avoid the most contaminated ones altogether. According to the EWG, you can reduce your pesticide exposure by almost 90 percent just by avoiding the “dirty dozen”.

IDEA #3: Look for local. Locally-grown food is less likely to have been treated with post-harvest pesticides. Shop the Janesville Farmer’s Market to support our local farmers and reduce your family’s exposure. Additionally, it is best to avoid conventional produce imported from other countries, as it is not subject to USDA rules and regulations.


Why it’s important:

• Eating the twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables will expose the average person to about 14 pesticides per day. Eating the least contaminated options will result in exposure to less than 2 pesticides per day.

• One-year-olds eat three times as many fresh peaches as adults per pound of body weight, and more than four times as many apples and pears. Thus, their exposure to myriad pesticides occurs at a much higher rate.

• Pregnant women should take special care to reduce their pesticide exposure. Many pesticides cross the placenta and expose the developing fetus.


Table 1.
“DIRTY DOZEN”

Peaches
Apples
Sweet bell peppers
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Lettuce
Grapes
Pears
Spinach
Potatoes

CLEANEST 12

Onions
Avocado
Sweet Corn
Pineapples
Mango
Sweet Peas
Asparagus
Kiwi
Bananas
Cabbage
Broccoli
Eggplant



This EcoMOMs tip was brought to you by Dana Petersen Murphy, mom to Sabriel. You can contact me at dpmurphy@photokiva.com.