Viewpoint: The real ‘dirty dozen’? 12 organic foods that could make you sick in 2020

phpthumb generated thumbnail

It is that time of year again. The Environmental Working Group put out their annual list of food it considers too dangerous not to buy organic versions of. Yes, even in the middle of a global pandemic …. This list is essentially fruits and vegetables that you don’t peel, and they completely ignore the fact that a child would need to consume 1508 servings of strawberries in one day for pesticide residue to be a problem.

While organic food is overall safe to eat, there is increasing amounts of evidence that it is beginning to become disproportionately involved in recalls.

So instead of trying to scare readers about pesticide residue that doesn’t actually cause harm (though organic farming uses pesticides too), here is my annual list of organic products that can actually make people sick. (You can read my 2019 list here.)

Organic flour

From the FDA:

UNFI announced today a voluntary national recall of five-pound bags of its Wild Harvest® Organic All-Purpose Flour, Unbleached …. The recall is being issued for the potential presence of E. coli. …. E. coli can cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections in infants, older people, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems.

Read the original post

{{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }}
{{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }}
{{ options.labels.newReviewButton }}
{{ userData.canReview.message }}

Related Articles

Infographic: Global regulatory and health research agencies on whether glyphosate causes cancer

Infographic: Global regulatory and health research agencies on whether glyphosate causes cancer

Does glyphosate—the world's most heavily-used herbicide—pose serious harm to humans? Is it carcinogenic? Those issues are of both legal and ...

Most Popular

Screenshot-2026-04-20-at-2.26.27-PM
Viewpoint — Food-fear world: The latest activist scientists campaign: Cancer-causing additives
Screenshot-2026-05-04-at-12.54.32-PM
How Utah became the country’s supplement capital  — and a haven for unregulated, ineffective and fake products
Screenshot-PM-24
Viewpoint: The herbicide glyphosate isn’t perfect. Banning it would be far worse.
Screenshot-2026-03-13-at-12.14.04-PM
The FDA wants to make many popular prescription drugs OTC—a great idea. Here’s why it’s unlikely to happen
Screenshot-2026-05-01-at-11.56.24-AM
‘Science moves forward when people are willing to think differently’: Memories of DNA maverick Craig Venter
Screenshot-2026-04-30-at-2.19.37-PM
5 myths about summer dehydration that could damage your health — or even kill you
ChatGPT-Image-Mar-27-2026-11_27_05-AM
The myths of “process”: What science says about the “dangers’ of synthetic products and ultra-processed foods
bigstock opioids on chalkboard with rol
GLP podcast: 'Safe injection sites': enabling drug addiction or saving lives?
glp menu logo outlined

Get news on human & agricultural genetics and biotechnology delivered to your inbox.