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

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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.

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