Fergus Falls Journal, Bob Williams
Published August 8, 2007
An apple a day may keep the doctor away, until the pesticides on the apple contribute to future cancer or some other ailment.
There is a growing consensus in the scientific community that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals on produce can adversely affect people, especially during vulnerable periods of fetal development and childhood when exposures can have long lasting effects.
It isn’t just produce at the grocery store which contains pesticides. Farmer’s markets, like The Country Stop on Lincoln Avenue also contain fresh produce grown with pesticides.
“The produce is coming from farms, so I would assume they use pesticides,” said Chris Erickson, employee at The Country Stop.
Erickson’s produce is from Minnesota, with Otter Tail County area grown potatoes and green beans for sale. Much of the other produce comes from a warehouse in Spicer.
Moving one’s diet away from the toxic effects of pesticides without paying a higher price may seem like a worry for the wallet only. However, the biggest savings a whole-food eating family can consider is the difference in medical care needs between whole food eaters and those who continue eating over time such chemicals as monosodium glutamate (MSG), carcinogens or nerve poisons (a.k.a. pesticides), sugar, aspartame and other sweeteners, as well as margarine and other trans-fatty acids, to name some of the more common processed food ingredients.
Organic food has a reputation for being outrageously expensive and it does have room for improvement price-wise. However, there are many times when it is actually less expensive than commercially grown food, especially when future health factors are included in the cost.
Aside from price, organic food must be sought out. Only an increased market demand will cause more locations and food options. Meadow Farm Foods carries some organic fruits and vegetables. The Arrowwood Family Farm in Fergus Falls is one place beef, poultry and lamb can be purchased from animals not fed artificial growth hormones or antibiotics. The Buffalo Pass Ranch offers buffalo meat products which do not contain drug hormones or any chemicals.
According to data provided by Janet Lindberg RD, Otter Tail County Public Health Dietitian, since 1990 organic food sales have increased by 20 percent annually, a phenomenal rate by industry standards. Sales of organic foods in 2004 were 20 billion, and they expect that to increase to 30 billion by 2007. They are becoming much more available and the cost to produce them will decrease as better methods of producing them are developed.
“I think the pesticide and environmental issues are the main reasons that I choose to buy organic when I can,” she said.
Other avenues of avoiding chemicals in food is to change the way food is grown in Minnesota, such as the use of high tunnel greenhouses. High tunnels allow produce to be grown in the ground, while the enclosed environment keeps out pests. In addition, the stabilized environment and applying of water directly to the soil fights off disease.
“Without constant wet, it is just about impossible for any diseases to do any harm,” University of Minnesota regional extension researcher Terry Nennich says. “That’s one of the major reasons that they can do it organic.”
Minimizing the number of pests and disease obviously reduces the need for chemicals. The extension now has approximately 150 and 200 tunnels with different producers in the state of Minnesota.
Pesticides are worrisome and in some cases unstudied. Shoppers are wise to minimize exposure to pesticides whenever possible. Some fruits and vegetables are more susceptible to pesticide treatment. These include peaches, which always carry pesticide residue in part of their soft skin, according to a study done by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). Apples and bell peppers also top the list of produce containing pesticides.
Nearly all of the data used to create these lists considers how people typically wash and prepare produce. For example, apples are washed before testing and bananas are peeled. While washing and rinsing fresh produce may reduce levels of some pesticides, it does not eliminate them. Peeling also reduces exposures, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the peel. The best option is to eat a varied diet, wash all produce, and choose organic when possible to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.
An EWG simulation of thousands of consumers eating high and low pesticide diets shows that people can lower their pesticide exposure by almost 90 percent by avoiding the top twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated instead.
Eating the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables will expose a person to approximately 14 pesticides per day, on average. Eating the 12 least contaminated will expose a person to less than two pesticides per day. More information on the EWG study can be found at
www.foodnews.org
•PESTICIDE WATCH•
Top twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables containing pesticides:
1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Sweet Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Lettuce
9. Grapes - Imported
10. Pears
11. Spinach
12. Potatoes
Top Twelve least contaminated fruits and vegetables containing pesticides:
1. Eggplant
2. Broccoli
3. Cabbage
4. Bananas
5. Kiwi
6. Asparagus
7. Sweet Peas-Frozen
8. Mango
9. Pineapples
10. Sweet Corn-Frozen
11. Avocado
12. Onions
Source: The Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, published by the Environmental Working Group.
