The Dirty Dozen and The Clean Fifteen
Interestingly we where just discussing this very topic last week in a group I was running and then the new lists popped up on one of my social media feeds - spooky!!
A member of the group wanted to know what the difference is between organic and non-organic foods and what she should be buying.
What are the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen?
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) have recently published the 2020 version of their Dirty Dozen and the Clean fifteen. This non-profit organisation publishes two lists every Spring highlighting fruits and vegetables with elevated levels of pesticides in them and those that contain no or very little pesticide residues. These are all plants that have been farmed conventionally and the testing is done once they are washed.
These lists have been published every year since 2004 and although the version I am sharing is the USA one the correlation to crops grown in the UK and our food sourced in Europe is very similar. As soon as the UK list is published by PAN UK I will share it with you.
Why should we consider buying organic?
Organic crops are grown without the aid of artificial chemical, pesticides, or fertilisers. But when talking to local farmers I have discovered that in the UK some farms are farming organically but cannot afford the certification. So if possible it is always worth checking out the providence of the foods that you are buying - you may be eating organically without actually knowing or paying the extra price.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that over 350,000 people die every year from pesticide poisoning. Although this estimate does not include deaths from cancers or other chronic diseases caused by pesticide exposure.
WHO estimates that long-term exposure may result in upwards of 750,000 people suffering from specific chronic defects and cancers each year - these numbers refer to developing countries alone and does not take into consideration the impact of pesticides in developed counties.
But this is only part of the picture. The Centre for Pesticide Suicide Prevention (CPSP) states that 15-20% of all suicides is by pesticide self-poisoning.
As a nutritional therapist I would be encouraging you to eat from a wide range of fruits and vegetables but what I wouldn’t want is for you to be adding to your toxic load by ingesting pesticides and other chemicals. Budget is always going to be a consideration so what I would suggest is find what is local to you and ask the question about how the crops are grown - farmers markets are great places for this and I have found the majority happy to chat about how they farm. If this isn’t possible then buy as many of the dirty dozen organically as your budget allows and buy the clean fifteen from non-organic sources.
Have you got your hands on my seasonal eating shopping list yet?
Here is the link to get your copy NOW!
Lesley xx