Two Fit Moms

Tag: conventional

  • Produce & Pesticides

    Produce & Pesticides

    It’s what we’ve all been waiting for— the results of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) annual produce study. Each year, EWG analyzes thousands of fruit and vegetable samples for pesticide residues. The most recent EWG report ranks 48 different fruits and vegetables by the total number of pesticides found on them. We have listed the 15 most contaminated fruits and vegetables here, as well as the 15 varieties of conventional fruits and vegetables that are least likely to contain pesticides.Produce and Pesticides

    Why is this so important to consider, you may ask? Well, pesticides are chemicals that exist for the purpose of killing “pests”, such as insects, mold, bacteria and weeds that interfere with the growing process. It is a known fact that some pesticides, such as organophosphates and carbamates, affect the nervous system. Other pesticides can cause skin irritation, lead to cancer, or affect the endocrine system.

    While you should take some comfort in knowing that the Environmental Protection Agency determines how much of a pesticide can remain on food that you buy, we believe that it still pays to be an informed consumer and to make your own decisions about the food you choose to ingest.

    Ideally, all of our fruits and vegetables would be grown locally and organically. Practically speaking, we do not all live in areas with supermarkets that carry vast varieties of organic produce, nor do we all have financial budgets that allow a fully organic diet. We believe that the EWG list is a helpful shopping tool if you’d like to limit pesticide exposure.

    Please note that the words “clean” and “dirty” are specifically referring to pesticides, not the quality of the produce, whether it is genetically modified, or whether it is grown locally or thousands of miles away.  Pesticides ONLY.  It is up to YOU to determine which factors are most important to consider before purchasing food.

    Here are some general guidelines:

    -If a fruit or vegetable is on the “dirty” list, make an effort to buy the organic version.

    -If you consume a particular fruit or vegetable on a frequent basis, buy organic—especially if it’s on the “dirty” list.

    -The EWG study found that although leafy greens, such as kale and collard greens did not make the “dirty” list, they tend to be treated with particularly toxic pesticides. If you frequently purchase conventional greens, cook them. Pesticide levels typically diminish when food is cooked.

    -Use organic greens for juicing.

    -Go ahead and make that guacamole with conventional avocados. Only 1% of avocados tested showed any detectable levels of pesticides!

    -Remember to thoroughly wash your produce before eating. I know it’s tempting to just wipe that apple on the edge of your shirt. Without washing your produce, your risk of ingesting pesticides is greater.

     

  • Demystifying Produce Codes

    Demystifying Produce Codes

    PLUCodesOne day not so long ago, I was shopping for produce in my local supermarket.  I looked down at the apple that I was holding, and I noticed a label stuck onto the skin.  The label had a 5-digit code on it.  I looked around and noticed that just about all of the loose fruits and vegetables had these stickers.  I started wondering about the significance of the numbers on the labels, and after going home to do a little Internet research, I decided to turn my findings into an article, just for you!

    It turns out that the numbers on the labels attached to individual vegetables or pieces of fruit are called Price Look-up (PLU) codes. PLU codes are four and five digit numbers that have been used in supermarkets since 1990 to make check-out and inventory control easier and more accurate.  For example, by using these codes, cashiers can quickly determine if they are looking at conventional apples or organic apples in your shopping basket and charge you accordingly.   Although the International Federation for Produce Standards (IFPS) created these codes for use by retailers, perhaps we can glean a bit of information from these numbers to help us become more informed consumers.

    Here is what I have been able to gather from the IFPS Users’ Guide.  If you would like to read directly from the primary source, please CLICK HERE.  If you would rather read my summary and thoughts, please continue to read below:

    All four-digit produce codes are assigned to conventionally grown produce.  Therefore, when you see a red bell pepper with a sticker that reads “4688,” you know immediately that this vegetable has been grown conventionally, and most likely has been treated with synthetic pesticides.ConventionalPepper

    All four-digit produce codes will be numbers in the 3000s or 4000s.  These numbers are randomly assigned and have no significance.  All that matters for your shopping purposes is the fact that the number is four digits, indicating conventional growing standards.

    A five digit produce code beginning with the number “9” indicates that the produce has been grown organically.  This means that the produce was grown without conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge.  Genetic engineering or growth from genetically modified seeds is also prohibited for organic produce.organicpear

    A five digit produce code beginning with the number “8” indicates that the produce has been genetically modified.  HOWEVER, and this is a BIG however—this seems to be a completely theoretical concept.  From my own personal experience of looking through bulk produce bins at various supermarkets, I have yet to find a single fruit or vegetable marked with a sticker beginning with the number “8”.  This makes sense, as the use of PLU codes is not mandatory.  If the use of such labels is not required, why would a grower/retailer ever stick a label identifying its fruits or vegetables as genetically modified?  Would anyone ever buy such produce if genetically modified fruits and vegetables were readily recognizable?  I know I certainly wouldn’t.

    If genetically modified fresh produce is not labeled as such, what can we as consumers do?  In my opinion, the best we can do is to be well aware of the most commonly genetically modified produce, and specifically seek out the organic versions of these fruits and vegetables.  Fortunately, the list of commercially available genetically modified produce is short.

    The three major genetically engineered crops in the United States are corn, soybeans, and cotton. More than 90% of all corn, soybeans and cotton grown in the US in 2013 was genetically engineered, and these three GMO crops account for HALF of the total land used to grow crops in the US.

    Knowing that you will most likely never see a PLU code starting with the number 8 on each of your ears of corn, just go ahead and make the assumption that it is genetically modified.  As you shop, just be sure to look for corn that is labeled as organic, if you would like to stay away from genetically modified produce.  Likewise, make sure that you always buy organic soybeans and tofu.

    Other genetically engineered crops in the US include canola, sugarbeets, alfalfa, papaya and squash.  GMO crops such as cotton and canola are not classified as “produce”, but it is good to be aware, as cottonseed and canola are typically used in the production of shelf-stable products, such as oils and margarine.