Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, Teresa McUsic
Published January 23, 2006
Organic food is hot.
Last year, nearly two-thirds of Americans bought at least some organic food and drinks, up from 50 percent in 2004. Whether they picked it themselves on organic farms or bought it at giant grocery chains like Wal-Mart or Kroger, consumers are starting to go green with their groceries.
But we also paid extra for it. The premium on organic food over its non-organic counterpart is on average 50 percent, but can be as high as 100 percent, or double the cost.
Now a report by Consumer Reports shows that consumers don't have to buy organic completely.
"Not all organic products are created equal," Urvashi Rangan, an environmental health scientist at Consumers Union, which publishes Consumer Reports, said in a statement. "It is important that consumers know where their organic dollars spent meet their expectations and where they don't."
Some products have more chemicals on them than others, and misleading labeling makes it not worth buying organic at all on other products, the report said.
Let's start with fruits and vegetables. The Environmental Working Group, a policy group based in Washington, has a "dirty dozen" list of the most-contaminated fruits and vegetables and recommended buying them organically grown. They are apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach and strawberries.
Nectarines, peaches and pears were the worst of this group, with more than 90 percent of the sample group testing positive for pesticides.
Washing the fruit reduces pesticide residue but doesn't eliminate it, the EWG points out. Some pesticides are absorbed into the plant; others bind to the surface of the crop and can't be washed off easily. Peeling the fruit or vegetable reduces the problem but takes out valuable nutrients.
Along with these fruits and vegetables, Consumer Reports recommends that you consider organic meats, poultry, eggs and dairy products.
On the other side are 12 fruits and vegetables that are on the lower side of pesticide contamination, according to the EWG. They are asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, sweet peas, kiwi, mangos, onions, papaya and pineapples. Paying extra to go organic wouldn't help much with pesticides.
Some products are not worth buying organically because of labeling issues, according to Consumer Reports.
Fish, whether wild or farmed, can be labeled organic, but can still have contaminants such as mercury and PCBs, according to CR. The USDA does not have an organic certification standard for seafood yet, nor does the federal agency have a certification for cosmetics.
