When faced with insect infestation, conventional agriculture's most common response is pesticides. According to Patricia S. Muir of Oregon State University, about 10 percent of the land area in the United States is treated with pesticides each year. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set safe upper limits on pesticide use in the U.S. However, many organizations and individuals believe it wise to limit pesticide exposure to levels far beneath those the EPA allows. If you are willing to change a few habits in your life, you can dramatically reduce your exposure to pesticides.
Step 1
Buy organic produce when you can. A 2002 study conducted by the Consumer's Union found that though organic produce is not completely pesticide free, it contains residues only one-third as often as conventionally grown produce. It is also less likely to contain multiple kinds of pesticides on a single piece of fruit or vegetable.
Step 2
Buy organic for at least the "dirty dozen" if you can't afford all organic produce. The dirty dozen are the 12 most contaminated kinds of produce as determined by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). The EWG has also issued a list they call the "clean 15," fruits and vegetables that are less likely to contain pesticide residue ( See Resources).
Step 3
Wash your produce. According to the National Pesticide Information Center at Oregon State University, holding produce under running water cleans it better than dunking it, and rubbing produce with your hands or a brush cleans better than simply running water over the produce. If you use soap to clean your produce, make sure it's specially designed for washing food.
Step 4
Trim the outer part of fruits and vegetables. Take off the outer leaves of cabbage and lettuce. Peel fruits and vegetables when practical.
Step 5
Cook vegetables. According to the Food Standards Agency, cooking breaks down some pesticides.
Step 6
Buy local, organic meat whenever possible. Meat contains residues of all the pesticides consumed by the animal during its life. One of the best ways to make sure you are getting uncontaminated meat is to talk to the farmer who grew it to see what he's doing to minimize pesticide residue.
Step 7
Grow your own. If you grow your own fruits and vegetables, you know exactly what's on them.
Tips and Warnings
- At the grocery story, produce labels that begin with "9" indicate organic produce. If you can't grow your own food, nothing beats fresh organic produce grown by a farmer you trust and sold directly to you at a local farmers market. Check out the Local Harvest website for a list of farmers markets near you.
- Some pesticides are systemic. They can't be washed off, and cooking has no effect on them. The only way to avoid these pesticides is to eat food grown without them.
Things You'll Need
- "Dirty Dozen"
- "Clean 15"
- Vegetable brush
- Paring knife
References
- Consumers Union; Pesticide Residues in Conventional, IPM-Grown and Organic Foods; Brian P. Baker et al; 2002
- National Pesticide Information Center: PestiBytes Episode 2: How Can I Wash Pesticides From Fruit and Veggies?
- Colorado State University; Guide to Washing Fresh Produce; A. Zander, et al.; March 2010
- Oregon State University; Trends in Pesticide Use; Patricia Muir; 2004
