The Dirty Dozen...Updated!

The Environmental Working Group has updated their Dirty Dozen list!  This list helps you figure out which produce items have the highest concentration (and more numerous kinds) of pesticide residue. If you have to pick and choose which produce items to buy organically (and let's face it - it's tough to swallow a higher price for the organics!) then stick to the Dirty Dozen.

http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/list.php

Number One on the Dirty Dozen list?  Apples.

The good news?  Consumers are using their dollars to vote.  Whenever I am at the grocery store and I flinch at the thought of paying more for organic produce, I remind myself that every dollar I spend is a vote.  A vote that sends a message: we want ORGANIC produce!  Here's something from the EWG's site that gives me hope for the future:

"The USDA findings indicate that the conventional fruit and produce industries are ignoring a striking market trend: American consumers are voting with their pocketbooks for produce with less pesticide. USDA’s Economic Research Serviceestimates that the organically produced food sector, though just 4 percent of all U.S. food sales, has enjoyed double-digit growth in recent years. The trend is particularly strong for sales of organic fruits and vegetables, which account for the lion’s share of all organic food sales: USDA economists reported that organic produce sales spiked from $5.4 billion in 2005 to an estimated $15 billion last year and increased by 11 percent between 2013 and 2014."