As a Naturopath, I receive a lot of information about how our food is grown and processed.
Sometimes I think to myself that ignorance is bliss when I read some of these articles.
Firstly I'll give you the latest findings from the US on which foods are best purchased organic and those that are possibly acceptable that are not organic. Then following this, I'll reveal an article on the process mandarines go through to extend their shelf life.
Many of us cannot afford to buy everything organic, but some things I will only buy organic, such as the kale I put in my green smoothie. If it has a protective skin like a banana or avocado, I'll often buy these from the supermarket.
There is a lot you can do to preserve your good health and food selection is only one of them. For more help with your health concerns, please make an appointment to see me soon.
Environmental Working Group’s (EWG’s) annual Shoppers' Guide to Pesticides in Produce.2
Of the 48 different fruit and vegetable categories tested by the EWG for the 2013 guide, the following 15 fruits and vegetables had the highest pesticide load, making them the most important to buy or grow organically:
Apples
Celery
Cherry tomatoes
Cucumbers
Grapes
Hot peppers
Nectarines
Peaches
Potatoes
Spinach
Strawberries
Sweet bell peppers
Kale
Collard greens
Summer squash
In contrast, the following foods were found to have the lowest residual pesticide load, making them the safest bet among conventionally grown vegetables. Note that a small amount of sweet corn and most Hawaiian papaya, although low in pesticides, are genetically engineered (GE). If you’re unsure of whether the sweet corn or papaya is GE, I’d recommend opting for organic varieties:
Asparagus
Avocado
Cabbage
Cantaloupe
Sweet corn (non-GMO)
Eggplant
Grapefruit
Kiwi
Mango
Mushrooms
Onions
Papayas (non-GMO. Most Hawaiian papaya is GMO)
Pineapple
Sweet peas (frozen)
Sweet potatoes
Shelf life of organic mandarins
Conventional mandarins are dipped in a chemical called Dimethoate, an organophosphate pesticide. This chemical is banned in most western countries but has only been suspended in Australia since late 2011 (reference). Demethoate is still allowed in Australia as a post-harvest dip chemical on produce with inedible skins such as mangoes, bananas and citrus fruits. It is also allowed as a pre-harvest chemical on crops such as beans, peas and sweet corn (reference). After being dipped in dimethoate, the mandarins are then sprayed with paraffin wax giving them a 3 week shelf life.
Organic mandarins grown in the Byron Bay hinterland have a much shorter shelf life than conventional mandarins as you are getting fruit grown without chemicals picked straight off the tree. We recommend keeping them in the fridge.
Sometimes I think to myself that ignorance is bliss when I read some of these articles.
Firstly I'll give you the latest findings from the US on which foods are best purchased organic and those that are possibly acceptable that are not organic. Then following this, I'll reveal an article on the process mandarines go through to extend their shelf life.
Many of us cannot afford to buy everything organic, but some things I will only buy organic, such as the kale I put in my green smoothie. If it has a protective skin like a banana or avocado, I'll often buy these from the supermarket.
There is a lot you can do to preserve your good health and food selection is only one of them. For more help with your health concerns, please make an appointment to see me soon.
Environmental Working Group’s (EWG’s) annual Shoppers' Guide to Pesticides in Produce.2
Of the 48 different fruit and vegetable categories tested by the EWG for the 2013 guide, the following 15 fruits and vegetables had the highest pesticide load, making them the most important to buy or grow organically:
Apples
Celery
Cherry tomatoes
Cucumbers
Grapes
Hot peppers
Nectarines
Peaches
Potatoes
Spinach
Strawberries
Sweet bell peppers
Kale
Collard greens
Summer squash
In contrast, the following foods were found to have the lowest residual pesticide load, making them the safest bet among conventionally grown vegetables. Note that a small amount of sweet corn and most Hawaiian papaya, although low in pesticides, are genetically engineered (GE). If you’re unsure of whether the sweet corn or papaya is GE, I’d recommend opting for organic varieties:
Asparagus
Avocado
Cabbage
Cantaloupe
Sweet corn (non-GMO)
Eggplant
Grapefruit
Kiwi
Mango
Mushrooms
Onions
Papayas (non-GMO. Most Hawaiian papaya is GMO)
Pineapple
Sweet peas (frozen)
Sweet potatoes
Shelf life of organic mandarins
Conventional mandarins are dipped in a chemical called Dimethoate, an organophosphate pesticide. This chemical is banned in most western countries but has only been suspended in Australia since late 2011 (reference). Demethoate is still allowed in Australia as a post-harvest dip chemical on produce with inedible skins such as mangoes, bananas and citrus fruits. It is also allowed as a pre-harvest chemical on crops such as beans, peas and sweet corn (reference). After being dipped in dimethoate, the mandarins are then sprayed with paraffin wax giving them a 3 week shelf life.
Organic mandarins grown in the Byron Bay hinterland have a much shorter shelf life than conventional mandarins as you are getting fruit grown without chemicals picked straight off the tree. We recommend keeping them in the fridge.
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