Less tasty -- and not as good for you
Industrially grown produce shows long-term nutritional decline
by Tom Philpott
28 Jan 2009
http://gristmill.grist.org/print/2009/1/27/165445/631?show_comments=no
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2009/1/27/165445/631?source=daily
Talk to old-timers, and they'll often tell you that the tomatoes you find in supermarket produce sections don't taste anything like the ones they had in their childhoods in the '30s and '40s.
Turns out, they're probably not as nutritious, either.
In an article [PDF] published in the February 2009 issue of the HortScience Review, University of Texas researcher Donald R. Davis compiles evidence that points to declines in nutrition in vegetables and (to a lesser extent) fruits over the past few decades.
For example:
[T]hree recent studies of historical food composition data found apparent median declines of 5% to 40% or more in some minerals in groups of vegetables and perhaps fruits; one study also evaluated vitamins and protein with similar results.
He points to another study in which researchers planted low- and high-yielding varieties of broccoli and grain side-by-side. The high-yielding varieties showed less protein and minerals.
The principle seems to be that when plants are nudged to produce as much as possible -- whether through lots of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides or through selective breeding -- they deliver fewer nutrients. It evidently isn't just the flavor that's become diluted in those bland supermarket tomatoes.
This is a fascinating insight. We should reflect that for at least 50 years, the best-funded agricultural researchers are the ones work to maximize yield -- that is, gross output per acre. Even now, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is expending hundreds of millions of dollars in an effort to increase yields in Africa.
Rather than isolate and fetishize yield, perhaps ag researchers should learn to take a whole-systems approach: study how communities can develop robust food systems that build healthy soil and produce nutritious food.
(It should also be noted that last year the Organic Center compiled peer-reviewed studies finding that organically grown produce tends to deliver significantly higher nutrient levels than conventional.)
Showing posts with label toxin: conventional produce. Show all posts
Showing posts with label toxin: conventional produce. Show all posts
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, October 16, 2008
The Top 12 Most Contaminated Fruits and Vegetables
source: fredericpatenaude.com">fredericpatenaude.com
"The Top 12 Most Contaminated Fruits & Vegetables"
by Frederic Patenaude
We know that pesticides are definitely dangerous to human health. We also know that one of the best things we can do to avoid pesticides is to consume organic food. However, this isn't always possible due to several restraints: availability, price, etc.
There's another thing we can do, however, to reduce our pesticide exposure: avoid the fruits and vegetables that are the most contaminated.
When organic is not available, eat fruits and vegetables with consistently low pesticide loads.
It's been shown that you can lower your pesticide exposure simply by avoiding the top 12 most contaminated types of fruit and vegetables, and eating the least contaminated instead.
Eating the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables will expose a person to nearly 20 pesticides per day, on average. Eating the 12 least contaminated will expose a person to a fraction over 2 pesticides per day.
------------------------------
The Black List
------------------------------
So, what are the most contaminated fruits and vegetables? Here's the black list, according to the most recent data analysed:
---> The top 4 are fruits, in the following order:
#1 (Most Contaminated): Peach
#2: Strawberry
#3: Apple
#4: Nectarine
---> The other highly contaminated fruits in the top 12 are:
#5 Pears
#6 Cherrie
#7 Red raspberries
#8 Imported grapes (Chile, Mexico, etc.)
Some of these fruits, such as peaches and nectarines and raspberries, can contain up to 45 different pesticides! Overall, studies show that those fruits have a high chance of being contaminated with a good number of different pesticide residues.
As for the vegetables, those that are the most likely to expose you to pesticide residues are:
#1 Celery
#2 Spinach
#3 Potatoes
#4 Sweet Bell Pepper
Those vegetables have a high chance of containing pesticide residues, some of them containing several!
------------------------------
The Least Contaminated Produce
------------------------------
---> Now, for the "good" vegetables, here's the top, least contaminated, in order of purity:
- Sweet corn
- Avocado
- Cauliflower
- Asparagus
- Onions
- Peas
- Broccoli
---> The least contaminated fruits are:
- Pineapples
- Mangoes
- Bananas
- Kiwi
- Papaya
Very few mangoes and pineapple have pesticide residues on them, and when they do they usually contain only one type. Bananas do often contain pesticide residues, but rarely multiple ones.
------------------------------
Conclusion
------------------------------
To avoid pesticides, the best thing is to consume organic foods. When that is not possible, select the foods that have the least pesticides on them, and avoid those on the "black list."
---> Other importance tricks to help reduce our pesticide exposure:
* Peel non-organic fruits, whenever possible*: That means pears, apples, etc. I know many nutritionists say that the peel contains the most vitamins, but it isn't quite true. The peel of fruits is indigestible, so even though it may contain many vitamins, they are not assimilated as well as the vitamins in the flesh of the fruits.
*Wash your produce with a non-toxic soap*. You can buy a non-toxic soap for washing produce in most health food stores. Use this soap to wash your non-organic peaches, or other fruits if you happen to buy them.
Remember however that eating non-organic fruits and vegetables is still better than drinking organic beer or eating organic pizza!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Shopping for Safer Produce
Shopping for Safer Produce
http://www.seventhgeneration.com/learn/news/shopping-safer-produce
Unlike organic foods, conventional produce is often treated with pesticides and other chemicals while it´s being grown and after it´s been harvested. The pesticides are typically made from some of the most toxic substances available, and their residues often remain on the foods we buy in the supermarket.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) examined over 100,000 federal government pesticide residue test results and found that 192 different chemicals were present in varying amounts on common fruits and vegetables. Based on this analysis, the EWG ranked these 10 foods as the most contaminated, starting with the worst (peaches).
1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Sweet Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Lettuce
9. Grapes (Imported)
10. Pears
Best on the list were onions, avocados, and frozen sweet corn.
For the complete list see FoodNews from the EWG.
Regardless of where your favorite fruits and vegetables fall on the EWG list, all conventional produce should be washed before being eaten. Although washing can´t completely eradicate pesticide contamination, it can make your food much healthier to eat.
Steps for washing produce:
1) Use a glass bowl or your sink for washing produce. The stuff you´re removing will leave behind residues, and glass bowls and sinks are much easier to clean than plastic.
2) Most pesticides are oil-based so you´ll need some soap for the job. Your choices include products like Clean Greens and other specifically formulated washes, or a vegetable-based product like Seventh Generation dish liquid.
3) Fill the bowl with lukewarm to semi-hot water. The temperature you choose will depend on the fragility of the produce you´re cleaning. Generally, the warmer the water, the more effective the cleaning will be, so don´t be afraid to add a little heat if your produce can take it. Always finish with a cold water rinse.
4) Add a teaspoon of soap, agitate the water until it gets sudsy, toss in the produce, and soak it for a few minutes. Use less time for thin-skinned foods like berries, more for hard skinned foods like celery.
5) After soaking, start scrubbing!. Hard skinned foods like peppers and apples can be scrubbed with a vegetable brush. Soft-skinned foods like peaches will require a gentle hand washing. Delicate items like berries won´t be able to take either so just agitate them gently.
6) Rinse the food thoroughly in as warm water as possible, finish with a cold water rinse, and place the food on a rack or other surface to dry. Or use a salad spinner for faster results. Again, be careful with berries!
7) Scrub clean whatever container you used. You´ve just washed off some nasty stuff, and a good cleaning gets it out of your kitchen.
Even food you´re planning to peel, from bananas to eggplants, should be washed first because you can easily transfer pesticide residues from its skin to the edible portions inside.
8) Make sure the counter where you will put your washed produce is free of chemicals, including those found in many conventional kitchen cleaners.
http://www.seventhgeneration.
Unlike organic foods, conventional produce is often treated with pesticides and other chemicals while it´s being grown and after it´s been harvested. The pesticides are typically made from some of the most toxic substances available, and their residues often remain on the foods we buy in the supermarket.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) examined over 100,000 federal government pesticide residue test results and found that 192 different chemicals were present in varying amounts on common fruits and vegetables. Based on this analysis, the EWG ranked these 10 foods as the most contaminated, starting with the worst (peaches).
1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Sweet Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Lettuce
9. Grapes (Imported)
10. Pears
Best on the list were onions, avocados, and frozen sweet corn.
For the complete list see FoodNews from the EWG.
Regardless of where your favorite fruits and vegetables fall on the EWG list, all conventional produce should be washed before being eaten. Although washing can´t completely eradicate pesticide contamination, it can make your food much healthier to eat.
Steps for washing produce:
1) Use a glass bowl or your sink for washing produce. The stuff you´re removing will leave behind residues, and glass bowls and sinks are much easier to clean than plastic.
2) Most pesticides are oil-based so you´ll need some soap for the job. Your choices include products like Clean Greens and other specifically formulated washes, or a vegetable-based product like Seventh Generation dish liquid.
3) Fill the bowl with lukewarm to semi-hot water. The temperature you choose will depend on the fragility of the produce you´re cleaning. Generally, the warmer the water, the more effective the cleaning will be, so don´t be afraid to add a little heat if your produce can take it. Always finish with a cold water rinse.
4) Add a teaspoon of soap, agitate the water until it gets sudsy, toss in the produce, and soak it for a few minutes. Use less time for thin-skinned foods like berries, more for hard skinned foods like celery.
5) After soaking, start scrubbing!. Hard skinned foods like peppers and apples can be scrubbed with a vegetable brush. Soft-skinned foods like peaches will require a gentle hand washing. Delicate items like berries won´t be able to take either so just agitate them gently.
6) Rinse the food thoroughly in as warm water as possible, finish with a cold water rinse, and place the food on a rack or other surface to dry. Or use a salad spinner for faster results. Again, be careful with berries!
7) Scrub clean whatever container you used. You´ve just washed off some nasty stuff, and a good cleaning gets it out of your kitchen.
Even food you´re planning to peel, from bananas to eggplants, should be washed first because you can easily transfer pesticide residues from its skin to the edible portions inside.
8) Make sure the counter where you will put your washed produce is free of chemicals, including those found in many conventional kitchen cleaners.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Organic Produce May Soon Be Cheaper Than Conventional Produce
Organic produce may soon be cheaper than conventional produce
http://eartheasy.com/article_organic_produce_cheaper.html
The inexorable rise in oil prices leads to higher costs for chemical fertilizers.
A study by the British Soil Association suggests that the rising price of oil could soon make cereal crops grown with chemical fertilizers more expensive than those produced more naturally.
As oil becomes scarcer and prices rise, local and international economic forces will increasingly begin to favor organic farming over conventional farming. In 2007, the price worldwide for chemical fertilizers rose 200%. Average prices paid by U.S. farmers reached record levels recently at 113% higher than the average price in August 2007.
Industrial farming relies on fossil fuels to mine, manufacture and transport fertilisers which replace nutrients in the soil. Organic farming, however, improves soil fertility through crop rotations, and is therefore less affected by oil prices. Organic farming methods also use less energy, generally emit fewer greenhouse gases, can sequester carbon in the soil, provide more jobs and support more wildlife.
With oil predicted to reach $200 a barrel within five to 10 years, the profit margin on organic wheat, barley and oil seed rape could soon be significantly higher than for the same crops produced by non-organic methods.
References:
MongaBay.com
http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0220-fertilizers.html
The Fertilizer Institute
http://www.tfi.org/publications/pricespaper.pdf
http://eartheasy.com/article_organic_produce_cheaper.html
The inexorable rise in oil prices leads to higher costs for chemical fertilizers.
A study by the British Soil Association suggests that the rising price of oil could soon make cereal crops grown with chemical fertilizers more expensive than those produced more naturally.
As oil becomes scarcer and prices rise, local and international economic forces will increasingly begin to favor organic farming over conventional farming. In 2007, the price worldwide for chemical fertilizers rose 200%. Average prices paid by U.S. farmers reached record levels recently at 113% higher than the average price in August 2007.
Industrial farming relies on fossil fuels to mine, manufacture and transport fertilisers which replace nutrients in the soil. Organic farming, however, improves soil fertility through crop rotations, and is therefore less affected by oil prices. Organic farming methods also use less energy, generally emit fewer greenhouse gases, can sequester carbon in the soil, provide more jobs and support more wildlife.
With oil predicted to reach $200 a barrel within five to 10 years, the profit margin on organic wheat, barley and oil seed rape could soon be significantly higher than for the same crops produced by non-organic methods.
References:
MongaBay.com
http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0220-fertilizers.html
The Fertilizer Institute
http://www.tfi.org/publications/pricespaper.pdf
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