Strawberries Top The Dirty Dozen List
A recent CNN article states:
“Strawberries again top 2018’s ‘Dirty Dozen’ fruits and veggies”
It goes on to say:
Spinach is the second dirtiest item on the “Dirty Dozen” list, followed by (in order of contamination) nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, potatoes and sweet bell peppers. Each of these foods tested positive for pesticide residues and contained higher concentrations of pesticides than other produce.
Should We Be Worried About Conventional Produce?
For a start, this is information from the US. The practices there are different from Europe and they allow substances to be used which are not allowed in Europe.
But the real elephant in the room is this:
Why are we focused on the pesticides in fruit and vegetables only?
Why are we not coming out with a list of the most contaminated fish, chicken, eggs, milk or meat?
You see, the highest concentrations of pesticides occur higher up in the food chain.
Why is this?
Because cattle are eating food that has been treated with pesticide. Then that pesticide gathers in the tissue of the animal. It becomes super concentrated.
But you don’t hear people worrying about the pesticides in the meat they eat?
Meat Has The Highest Pesticide Concentration Of All Food Groups
Vegetarian women were found to have lower levels of pesticides in their breast milk than the average meat-eating woman.
Here is a video about this fact:
A little story…
I had a friend one time who I offered some Strawberries to. He asked if they were organic and seemed very hesitant to eat them if they were not.
In my mind, I wondered if he ever asked the Indian takeaway that he frequented whether all of their food was organic. Or the processed microwave meals he ate, or the 2 litre bottle of Pepsi.
People hold fruit to a higher level of scrutiny than other foods
Why exactly is this? Probably because people are not addicted to fruit. They are not desperate to eat it, but really they should be.
Personally, I don’t worry about the pesticides in fruit. That may be controversial, but I just don’t see people suffering from pesticide-related issues.
Pesticides are not making people fat, giving them heart disease or diabetes.
Also, the benefits of eating fruit may outweigh any risk of pesticides.
Partly, that is because plant foods, in general, have the least concentration of pesticides. But also may be to do with phytonutrients in plant foods having a mitigating effect on the toxic effect of pesticides.
Here is a video from Dr Michael Greger from NutritionFacts.org
A recent CNN article states: “Strawberries again top 2018’s ‘Dirty Dozen’ fruits and veggies” It goes on to say: When testing samples, the USDA personnel wash or peel produce to mimic consumer practices. A single sample of strawberries showed 20 pesticides, the report indicated. More than 98% of strawberries, spinach, peaches, nectarines, cherries and apples…
Hi Ronnie!
Great points about people worrying about the pesticides in fruit, while not even thinking about pesticides in other foods.
I would add two explanations:
– The reason why there is more pesticides in the foods of higher levels in the food chain is because of the two phenomena: bioaccumulation and biomagnification. This means that the toxins accumulate and multiply in the tissues of the organisms and on the higher the level in the food chain the organism is, the more accumulation and magnification of toxins occur.
– Toxins accumulate in the fatty cells and fruits and veggies have the least fatty cells of all foods.
😉