During winter , much of the green goods you have it off is out of time of year . Yet , summer fruits likeblueberries , crimson razz , andstrawberriesare still in the supermarket ’s produce gangway . Why is that ?
While certain vegetables liketomatoescan be arise in localgreenhouses , summer fruit ca n’t . But they ’re in season somewhere , most likely South America , Central America , or Mexico . That means your favorite produce was in all likelihood trucked in from thou of miles aside , creating a huge atomic number 6 footprint .
But there ’s also another trouble with that produce , one potentially more insidious . Fresh fruits and vegetable grow outside of the United States typically carrytwo to three times more pesticide residuethan produce grown inside the U.S. That ’s because imported produce is not dependent to the same pesticide standards as food acquire stateside .
How do you know what produce is safe to buy?
The Organic Center , a non - profit organization that conducts research and education center on the scientific discipline of organic food and farming , has released a pocket - sized shoppers guide , Organic Essentials , designed to help you reduce your pesticide jeopardy and avoid GMO ’s . According to the official press release,“The pocket guide was developed using The Organic Center’s“Dietary Risk Index“(DRI ) , which look the dietary risks associated with pesticide residue found in dissimilar foods tested by the U. S. Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) . The rankings are determined after analyse the frequency of pesticide residues on a given nutrient , the average horizontal surface of residues detect and their perniciousness . ”
Organic Fruits and Vegetables pocket guide
Which GMO foods should you avoid?
The Organic Essentials pocket guide also contains a list of veggies and fruits to quash because they ’re likely to have been genetically modified or containGMOs(unless label otherwise ): Corn , Canola , Soy Beans , Cotton , Hawaiian Papaya , Sugar Beets , Yellow Crookneck Squash , and Zucchini . As the long - full term health effects of GMOs and genetically modified foods are still unknown , it ’s safest to avoid them .
Sara Snow , unripened lifestyle expert and board member of The Organic Center , said:“The pocket guide is mean to be a go - to resourcefulness for shopper to more easily maximize their intake of wellness - promoting foods while minimizing their exposure to toxic synthetic pesticides and GMOs … family can more easy remain within budget while still eating foods that are both good for their health and good for the planet . ”Sara Snow has appeared on the Discovery Health web and has been sport in numerous magazine and newspaper , including The New York Times , Harper ’s Bazaar , Natural Health , and Lucky magazines .
you’re able to download theOrganic Essentials pocket guide here .
