Organic Food - Foods Vulnerable to Residues

There are certain fruits and vegetables that still retain residues from harmful artificial fertilizers or pesticides even though they have already been banned for a long time. This is because the residues can remain in the soils for decades, and the roots of the plant take up these residues.

According to the findings of the USDA’s Pesticide Data Program (PDP), covering testing done in 2004, over three-quarters of the conventional produce contained residues (78%), while 16% of the organic samples contained residues.

For example, conventional apples were found to contain, on average, 3.6 residues, while the one positive organic sample had a very minute level of the post-harvest fungicide thiabendazole. The level of residue found in the one positive organic apple sample was 0.0002 parts per million, while the mean thiabendazole residue found in 641 positive conventional samples was 0.43 ppm, over 2100 times higher than the level found in the organic sample.

Why Residues Found in Organic Food
Pesticides are ubiquitous and mobile across agricultural landscapes. Many positive organic samples in the PDP tests contain low levels of pesticides used on nearby conventional crops that have moved across field boundaries by drift or through use of contaminated irrigation water. Soil-bound residues of persistent pesticides used years ago, before the farmer switched to organic methods, account for a large portion of the residues found in vegetables and root crops, especially squashes.

Cross-contamination is the main cause of low-level fungicide residues. The movement of a post-harvest fungicide applied to conventional apples reached organic apples. This could have occurred in a cold storage facility, or it might have happened during trucking or even in a store if a box of treated conventional apples were placed too close to a box of organic apples.

Therefore, it is very important that special measures must be in placed to separate the handling of conventional and organic produce in order to prevent this sort of inadvertent cross-contamination.

Removing Residues
When eating non-organic or conventional fruits and vegetables, it is advised that you wash them thoroughly to remove as much residues as possible, and that peel fruits and root of vegetables.

• Experts recommends peelings the skin of fruits. But note that two-third of the fibre and most of antioxidants are usually found in the peel of apples, for example.
• At a minimum rinse all fresh produce under tap water for at least thirty seconds. The mechanical action of rubbing the produce under tap water is likely responsible for removing pesticide residues.
• However, a study had shown that mild detergents or fruit and vegetable washes do not enhance the removal of pesticide residues from produce above that of rinsing with tap water alone.

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Organic Food - Harmful Chemicals in Foods

Food grown with the aid of artificial fertilizers and pesticides contains toxic chemicals that can cause serious harm to our health and environmental problems.

Fertilizers are supposed to help in producing healthy crops, but research has shown that artificial fertilizers reduce the nutritional value of fruit and vegetables, and lower human reproductive function.

Pesticides include insecticides, molluscides (to kill slugs and snails) and nematicides (to kill worms).

Residues from these fertilizers or pesticides can remain in the soil for decades and are likely taken up by the root of corps.

Here are some harmful fertilizers or pesticides:

Organophosphates
This type of insecticide interferes with an insect's nervous system and is the most widely used group of pesticides. They are acutely toxic, affecting the nervous system and disrupting hormone function. High levels of methyl parathion and azinphos methyl have been found on a wide range of fruit and vegetables. The US has now eliminated the use of methyl parathion on certain corps and reduced allowable residues for azinphos methyl.

Methomyl
An insecticide that is found in many fruits and vegetables. Its use is restricted because of its high toxicity to humans. It is a suspected endocrine disruptor and a potential groundwater contaminant.

Lindane
This insecticide is an endocine disrupter and has been linked to breast cancer and anemia. It is applied in spray form to treat a number of food corps, and is also used to control ticks on livestock. It is presently banned in more than 50 countries, and is under consideration for inclusion in the Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants, which would ban its production and use worldwide.

Maleic Hydrazide
This is sometimes sprayed onto onions and potatoes to stop them from sprouting (but it may cause the sprouting to occur inside the vegetable, which is probably worse). It is toxic to humans. Animal studies have shown damage to the liver and central nervous system. There are concerns about its safety because it contains minute quantities of a known toxin, hydrazine, which may leach into water supplies.

Food Waxes
Fruits and vegetables may be coated with one of a number of waxes to maintain freshness and improve their appearance. Paraffin wax, a petrochemical derivative, may interfere with digestion and the absorption of vitamins. Other coatings include carnauba wax, the same wax that is used on cars and floors and shellac.

Effects of Banned Chemicals
Although there are increasing number of chemicals been banned but their residues can remain in the soil for decades and are taken up by the roots of some plants.

For example, Dieldrin - this insecticide accumulates in human body fat and has been linked to reproductive disorders and cancer. Besides fruits and vegetables, it may also be found in fish, dairy products, and animal meats.

So as the old saying, we are what we eat. If we enjoy uncontaminated and fresh food, this is going to reflect in our health, vitality and energy. And eating organic food is the best for our health and well-being.

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