Every year, a list of “dirty dozen” fruits and vegetables is published by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). The purpose of the list is to encourage consumers to buy only organic versions of fruit and vegetables in the list.
It is important to understand the methodology behind these recommendations, what may mean these residues in terms of health and the way of handling and preparing fresh products.
Bottom Line: The Dirty Dozen list is a myth.
It is also a fear of promoting organic industry
There is no risk of pesticides to worry about your fruits and vegetables. There may be other The types of risks associated with pesticides, such as exposure to pesticides when one does not follow the protocol when applying pesticides or perhaps the heavy exposure to pesticides through the air.
However, this is not what is the Dirty Dozen list. The purpose of the list is to promote the organic industry and make people fear to buy non -organic products. Don’t just be afraid to buy organic!
The use of fear has become a common technique used to dominate you in faith (and/or fear) something based on a small part of a story. This is what pseudoscience does. Usually done by sharing some Events either out of the frame or without full background. In this case, the facts are that there is Some residue They are presented in the fruits and vegetables listed. However, they do not give you all the information – and it matters, because the amounts of residues are not a risk to human health (keep reading).
The unfortunate consequence of the dirty dozen list is that it discourages people to eat sufficient amounts of fruits and vegetables. Organic products are often more expensive, which limits the market overall. Fruits and vegetables are loaded with significant antioxidant vitamins that promote health. Conventional and organic products can be safely placed in your grocery cart.
Keep in mind that EWG only tests conventional products. Organic agricultural practices also allow for the use of pesticides, but they do not try it for their catalog.
Starter toxicology and perspective
How many residues can be in certain types of products? Any pesticide residue that may remain in fruits or vegetables is measured in “parts per million” or PPM.
One part per million (Ppm) is equivalent to 1mm of chemicals per liter of water.
This will look like a second in eleven and a half days. Or only one granule sugar between 273 sugar cubes.
To get a better understanding of the impact of PPM in terms of pesticide residue calculator in safe fruits and vegetables.
It’s better in Europe!
You may often hear in social media that “everything is better in Europe (EU)”. The EU often takes credit for the existence of “better” or safer food or ingredients. This is not true.
Why? The EU is making decisions using a different US system. They use a “risk model”, not a “risk model” as we do in the US. Their approach to evaluating food safety or other ingredients uses a Prophylaxis; While the FDA uses a For example, a disgusting risk.
In other words, the EU allows regulators to act Even when scientific evidence is not decisive, Just to relax the audience. In my opinion, the FDA risk model is much healthier and reasonable because it is based on the real indications of real danger.
The United States has always had strict protocols when it comes to food safety. Both the FDA and the Chop uses risk assessment characterize the nature and size that can put any substance in terms of risk for human health. This includes an assessment of how chemically there is in an environmental medium (eg soils, water, food) and how much contact (exposure) has an individual or environmental receptor with the environmental medium.
Risk against critical risk
Like any toxicologist will tell you, “the dose makes the poison”, and this is an important concept we need to understand when discussing food residues for food (or really any chemical in our environment).
Risk is owned by a chemical that has the potential to cause adverse effects with report. Risk However, it is the likelihood of an adverse effect of. So, for example, if you are not working on a farm, your risk is much lower than the employee who applies pesticide applications each year (but also makes sure to do so safely). And the residues (in PPM) that may be found in some products are easily rinsed with a rinsing of water. Even if they do not rinse, they are probably not a risk to human health.
The ewg does not try organic products for residues. Only test conventional cultivated products – and then evaluate it on the basis of any tiny quantity of residues, even if there is There is no real risk to health.
Wait, what?
Consumer lists, such as the “dirty dozen”, use incorrect methodology to determine residues. Also, it is not related to the residue in man tolerance levels. Fortunately there are Science -based risk ratings.
A lot of work goes on to regulate our food and environment. There was a very specific test to determine the upper levels where there is no “observable unwanted effect” (noael). In addition, security levels are set under the way These upper levels.
Takeaaway here is that the presence pesticide residue It does not equal to “toxicity”. You do not have to worry about pesticide residues in any type of products. Are always Good practice for washing Your fruits and vegetables (dirt, dung or other residues may also exist). And most importantly, eat 5-8 servings of fruits and vegetables everyday!
