Study: Plenty of produce has pesticide residue

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Study: Plenty of produce has pesticide residue

By HOWARD WEISS-TISMAN

Reformer Staff

 

Thursday, October 23, 2003 - BRATTLEBORO -- Health-conscious Americans have been

watching their salt and fat intake for years, but a not-for-profit environmental

research organization says pesticide residue on fruits and vegetables is just as

dangerous.

A report released this week listing the produce that is consistently

contaminated aims to help shoppers make better choices.

According to Environmental Working Group, a Washington research organization,

people can lower their pesticide exposure by 90 percent by avoiding the top 12

most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated

instead.

Peaches and strawberries scored highest on a list of combined data for fruit,

while celery and spinach topped the list of vegetables.

Released on the one-year anniversary of the national organic standards program,

the report said organic produce offers the best alternative to pesticide-laden

fruits and vegetables.

The report looked at 46 popular fruits and vegetables and based its findings on

over 100,000 tests for pesticides conducted from 1992-2001 by the U.S.

Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration.

The six measures of contamination used were:

* percent of the samples tested with detectable pesticides;

* percent of the samples with two or more pesticides;

* average number of pesticides found on a sample;

* average amount (level in parts per million) of all pesticides found;

* maximum number of pesticides found on a single sample;

* number of pesticides found on the commodity in total.

According to the report, " The more that scientists learn about the toxicity of

pesticides, the more questions are raised about the potential toxic effects on

people. "

Though all of the detected chemicals are allowed by government regulators,

studies on their effects on humans are inconclusive.

" Absence of knowledge is not proof of safety. Further, it's important to

remember that the government said that highly toxic pesticides like DDT,

chlordane, dursban and others were safe right up to the day the EPA banned

them, " the report said.

The effects of toxic pesticides on children's growing bodies have long been

debated, and a 1996 law, the Food Quality Protection Act, provides special

protections for infants and children.

Children who eat mostly organic produce have far lower levels of pesticide

byproducts in their bodies, according to a 2002 University of Washington study.

This week's Environmental Working Group report was compiled to help shoppers

determine what fruits and vegetables have the higher levels of pesticide

residue, and like nutritional information on the side of packaged foods, help

them make informed decisions.

Though it went on to stress the importance of fresh produce in every diet,

consumers are advised to buy the food on the least-contaminated list if organic

is unavailable.

" This list is a useful tool when consumers are looking to minimize their intake

of pesticide residues, " said Barbara Haumann of the Organic Trade Association in

Greenfield, Mass. " If it is not possible to go all organic, then this

information can help (people) make informed choices. "

More organic products are introduced into the marketplace every year. Demand

grew 20 percent or more annually through the 1990s, according to a February 2003

USDA Economic Research Service study. The new federal standards ensure that any

food marked organic meets stringent requirements.

Consistent with previous studies, fruits topped the list, with eight of the 12

spots.

Washing fruits and vegetables is recommended, but washing does not change the

ranking of the most toxic foods. The chemicals are taken up internally into the

plant and fruit, and cannot be washed off, according to the report.

Detailed information on the report, and a shopper's guide are available at

www.foodnews.org/reportcard.php

Howard Weiss-Tisman can be reached at hwtisman

 

 

 

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