Best Foods to Buy Organic

Consumer Reports Studies the Best Foods to Buy Organic

Consumer Reports is a trusted name among shoppers for delving deep into the ins and outs of any given product. In 2006, Consumer Reports did a study on the best foods to buy organic and which fruits and vegetables tend to absorb more pesticides. The study found a few key things that you'll want to keep in mind as you make out your next shopping list:

• Some fruits and vegetables seem to not retain pesticide residue, such as papaya, asparagus, bananas, avocados, broccoli, sweet corn, cauliflower, kiwi, onions, mangoes, pineapples and sweet peas.

• Meats labeled free range are not always reliable. The best way to be assured that meat is really hormone free is to buy from a local farmer with whom you have experience.

On the other hand, the U.S. Department of Agriculture conducted studies that have identified some foods termed the "dirty dozen" by an advocacy group called the Environmental Working Group (EWG). These foods, even after washing, retain a high level of the pesticides they are sprayed with. Because of this, it is best to buy organic versions of these fruits and vegetables. The dirty dozen includes:

1. Spinach
2. Apples
3. Potatoes
4. Cherries
5. Celery
6. Imported grapes
7. Bell peppers
8. Nectarines
9. Strawberries
10. Peaches
11. Raspberries
12. Pears

Organic Seafood

Fish labeled organic may or may not be worth the extra expense. Even though the fish might be wild or farm raised in a controlled environment, they can still contain high levels of mercury and PCBs. The reason for this is that the USDA does not have any organic standards for seafood.

What does this mean for you, the consumer? It means that the fish farm sets its own standards for what organic means. The company will obviously choose the standard that flatters their company the most.

Organic Meat and Milk

If you wish to limit your family's intake of hormone fattened meats, you should look for USDA certified organic meats. These meats do not contain hormones and the animals are grain fed. Certain hormones can even leach into the animal's milk, so this can become an important point when purchasing dairy. This limits your exposure to these possibly harmful procedures and chemicals.

Baby Food

Probably the most vital place to watch out for pesticides is in baby foods. In a study conducted by EWG in 1995 of some of the leading organic baby food brands, more than 16 pesticides were found in all half of the brands tested. A better option is to buy organic fruits and vegetables and puree them yourself, making homemade baby food.

One of the main suspects for the contaminants was the rice these foods contain. One of the major growers of rice is California's Sacramento Valley. The use of pesticides there has been so concentrated that it has been reported to contaminate the ground water. It is little wonder that these chemicals are leaching into the rice grown there and thus showing up in the food our infants eat.

Watch the Origins of Food

Every country has different organic standards, so U.S. standards might not apply to everything you purchase. Some of the foods imported from Mexico in years past have been found to have contaminants that have been outlawed in this country. There have also been reports of human feces and other issues of concern in Mexican growing fields. Because of this, it would be best to limit your purchases to those countries with whose organic policies you are familiar, such as the United States or Canada. Generally, kiwi imported from Australia and New Zealand is safe. There are other countries as well, so do your research thoroughly before buying organic products not USDA certified.