Many new bakeries in BP, but not ONE Organic Produce store;(

amother

Chocolate

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 10:00 am

Lots of BP people spend load$ on luxury clothing, furniture, and homes, but dont insist on safer produce, for health.

http://time.com/5554573/kale-d.....ides/

March 20, 2019

Each year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes its Dirty Dozen list, which ranks the 12 pieces of produce that contain the highest amounts of pesticide residues.

This year, one of the dirtiest fruits and vegetables turns out to be kale, occupying the third spot on the EWG’s list of most contaminated. Strawberries top the list, followed by spinach. (The full 2019 Dirty Dozen list, ranked from most contaminated to least, include strawberries, spinach, kale, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery and potatoes.)

The list is compiled from the results of regular testing done by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on pesticide residues. This year, the tests showed that more than 92% of conventionally grown kale samples harbored at least two pesticide residues. Some contained as many as 18.

The USDA and FDA alternate testing among nearly four dozen fruits and vegetables every year and do not test the same ones annually. Nor do the agencies look for the same pesticides in each round of tests. The last time kale was tested was in 2009, when it ranked eighth on the EWG’s Dirty Dozen list.

“The fact that the agencies don’t test each produce item every year is problematic,” says Nneka Leiba, director of healthy living science at EWG. “And more importantly, the fact that the USDA and FDA aren’t testing for all the pesticides used in fruits and vegetables is a huge problem.” The last time kale was tested, for example, it contained residues of imidacloprid, a nicotine substitute that is toxic to many insects, but the pesticide was not included in the most recent testing. The chemical is considered non-toxic to people but can cause breathing and intestinal problems if inhaled in excessive quantities.

Kale and spinach contained 10% to 80% more pesticide residues by weight than any other fruit or vegetable. Alexis Temkin, a toxicologist at EWG, says these crops may be heavily contaminated because they grow close to the ground, where they are more likely to be exposed to bugs — and therefore to be targets for pesticides. Strawberries, another highly contaminated fruit, also grow low to the ground. The delicate leaves of kale and spinach also make them good candidates for spraying, since any infestation can damage the leaves and decrease the chances of being sold.

EWG highlights pesticide residues because some studies have linked exposure to the chemicals to health issues, including problems with fertility and brain development, and even cancer. The latest report on kale found traces of Dacthal, which the Environmental Protection Agency classified as a possible human carcinogen. Dacthal was banned in Europe in 2009.

The findings make the case for choosing organically grown fruits and vegetables, since research has shown that organic produce has fewer pesticide residues than conventional. If organic options are inaccessible or too expensive, you may want to consider choosing produce with lower amounts of pesticide residues. The EWG also lists the least contaminated fruits and vegetables — called the Clean Fifteen — and they include mostly produce with protective rinds or peels such as avocados, pineapples, sweet corn and eggplants. According to the government tests, fewer than 1% of avocados and sweet corn samples contained pesticide residue. Nearly all of the Clean Fifteen products contained less than four pesticides. (The full 2019 Clean Fifteen list, ranked from least to more contaminated, include avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, frozen sweet peas, onions, papayas, eggplants, asparagus, kiwis, cabbages, cauliflower, cantaloupes, broccoli, mushrooms and honeydew melons.)

A representative for the Alliance for Food and Farming, which represents both conventional and organic farmers, says that “residues are so low on conventionally grown produce, if present at all,” noting that concerns about pesticides should not dissuade people from consuming fresh fruits and vegetables.

EWG experts say there is little evidence that the use of pesticides on fruits and vegetables has declined over the years. In fact, says Temkin, there are hints that more pesticides may be sprayed on crops today. When kale was last tested, there were two types of residues on average detected on samples of the leafy green, and that average more than doubled to 5.5 in the latest report. “We see consistency with the foods continuously on the Dirty Dozen list,” she says.

While she is encouraged that the USDA and FDA conduct such testing for pesticides, she and others at EWG hope more people become educated about the prevalence of pesticide residue on their food, and the potential dangers of exposure to these chemicals. No national registry of the pesticides used on fruit and vegetable crops exist, so it’s not even clear which pesticides growers are spraying. Only California requires pesticides used on crops grown in the state be registered, so that the effects of human exposure can be noted. “Data supports the fact that pesticides can have adverse health effects, especially for children, so reducing pesticide residue in the diet is a good way to reduce exposure and lower those risks,” says Temkin.

ectomorph

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 10:05 am

For one, independent testing has shown that a lot of organic produce has a lot of chemicals on it.

amother

Aubergine

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 10:07 am

I guess people have different priorities than you do and would rather spend their money in other ways... sorry

ra_mom

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 10:14 am

We don't need it except for maybe the dirty dozen which we should probably just avoid. Organic is an illusion and wasting our money on it doesn't protect us.

happymom123

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 10:20 am

Many types of produce are infested with bugs if they're organic. I wouldn't buy organic kale or strawberries because of the bugs.

amother

Aquamarine

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 10:35 am

ra_mom wrote:

We don't need it except for maybe the dirty dozen which we should probably just avoid. Organic is an illusion and wasting our money on it doesn't protect us.

Organic is an illusion? ? Say what? ? Can't Believe It

ectomorph

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 10:48 am

amother wrote:

Organic is an illusion? ? Say what? ? Can't Believe It

someone linked some excellent articles above

amother

Chocolate

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 11:00 am

OP here. I think all experts agree that while organic produce may have dangerous chemicals , they have way less than non organic produce, especially the Dirty Dozen, and in the very top, Kale and Spinach, are considered by nutrition experts to be extremely nutrient rich foods.

amother

White

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 11:07 am

amother wrote:

OP here. I think all experts agree that while organic produce may have dangerous chemicals , they have way less than non organic produce, especially the Dirty Dozen, most of which are considered by nutrition experts to be extremely nutrient rich foods.

I don't think experts agree that they have "way less", they agree that it has somewhat less to varying degrees.

Regardless, this runs along the same lines as everything else. Every individual has their own opinion of this. But bottom line, in order for a business to be successful they have to consider their client base. Organic is more expensive that regular produce, so the struggling and middle class families will most likely go for the cheaper option. And you'll have a good portion of the well to do families who don't believe as you do. A limited client base like this is not to enticing for any potential business owner.

amother

Gray

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 11:08 am

Cake is cheaper then organic vegetables so people are more likely to buy the cake then the veggies. Sorry organic is a fad!

amother

Lemon

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 11:57 am

amother wrote:

Organic kale and spinach are almost impossible to truly clean from bugs.

I have one friend who eats it for health reasons but was told only if she blends it until there are no pieces remaining.

mommish613

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 12:05 pm

There are a lot of kashrus problems with organic produce. I assume this is why there is no such store specializing in it in the heart of boro park.

nchr

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 12:27 pm

ectomorph wrote:

someone linked some excellent articles above

In addition, organic farming has horrific adverse impacts on the environment.

OP if you want organic produce, there are plenty of companies that deliver.

amother

Chocolate

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 1:05 pm

nchr wrote:

OP if you want organic produce, there are plenty of companies that deliver.

Organic Circle delivers for a $50 minimum order. I dont buy THAT much produce at a time. I only buy the "Dirty Dozen" in Organic stores, and Spinach and Kale (for smoothies, etc) are about $3 a bunch.

solo

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 1:09 pm

https://www.forbes.com/sites/s.....069c3

ra_mom

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 1:09 pm

Whole Foods via Prime Now delivers free with $35 minimum. And there are other items they sell besides produce that can put toward that minimum.

amother

Chocolate

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 1:17 pm

solo wrote:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2016/03/19/why-I-dont-buy-organic-and-why-you-might-want-to-either/?fbclid=IwAR0egY4PIUzHMMrrGLZd9lJkSu4srWf0WSmWNNqG3DdatdkkcOGGu4-DF2Q#24005a6069c3

So are people who go out of their way to buy Organic Produce, especially when buying Kale and Spinach, idiot robots, and talking nonsense into themselves?

amother

Royalblue

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 1:29 pm

amother wrote:

So are people who go out of their way to buy Organic Produce, especially when buying Kale and Spinach, idiot robots, and talking nonsense into themselves?

Buying into hype.

amother

Dodgerblue

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 1:32 pm

amother wrote:

There are orders where you get the throw away organics for a monthly fee (misshapen pears, double bananas, etc.). You can get a group of friends together.

Last edited by amother on Fri, Dec 04 2020, 3:13 am; edited 1 time in total