Editor’s note: This article examines the potential influence of the Environmental Working Group’s annual Dirty Dozen list of foods with the highest pesticide residue. Read the GLP profile of EWG here.
It’s vital to eat your veggies. … Yet, most Americans aren’t getting enough. Could the [Environmental Working Group’s] “Dirty Dozen” list be part of the problem?
… Researchers at the Illinois Institute of Technology … surveyed more than 500 low-income shoppers about their thoughts on organic and conventional vegetables and fruit, and published results in the journal Nutrition Today.
They found that specifically naming the “Dirty Dozen” resulted in shoppers being less likely to buy any vegetables and fruit. … Misinformation about pesticides breeds fear and confusion, and many find it easier to skip fresh produce altogether.
…61 percent of participants said they felt the media encouraged them to buy organic foods. The problem is that they are often unaffordable.
Related on the SLP
So, does it really make sense to pay up to 47 percent more for organic vegetables and fruit? Food toxicologist Carl K. Winter doesn’t think so.
Winter is … one of the researchers who did a deep dive into the Dirty Dozen list. The results, published in the Journal of Toxicology, found that the list lacks scientific credibility.
“Foods on the Dirty Dozen list pose no risks to consumers due to the extremely low levels of pesticides actually detected on those foods,” says Winter.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: A diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweighs the risks of pesticides
