Up & Coming Weekly

Organic Food — To Pay or Not to Pay? From the Editors of Environmental Magazine What are the most important foods to buy organic? —Rachel Klepping, Bronxville, NY Given the usual higher prices of or- ganic versus conventionally-grown foods, it can be a challenge to get the biggest bang for our buck while eating healthy and avoiding the ingestion of synthetic chemicals along with our nutrients. One approach, say some experts, is to only buy organic when the actual edible parts of a non-organically grown food might come into direct contact with toxic fertil- izers and pesticides. The nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG) reports that con- sumers can reduce their chemical expo- sure by some 80 percent by either avoid- ing the most contaminated conventionally grown fruits and vegetables altogether, or by eating only the organic varieties. To help us sort through what and what not to buy, the group offers a handy Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides, which fits on a small piece of paper that you can keep in your pocket and have handy on grocery trips. You can print it out for free from EWG’s FoodNews.org website, or you can download it as a free App for your iPhone. To make it easy to use, EWG has distilled its analysis into two lists. The first, “Dirty Dozen: Buy These Organic,” lists foods that when grown conventionally contain the largest amounts of pesticide and fertilizer residues. These include peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, nectarines, bell peppers, spinach, cher- ries, kale/collard, greens, potatoes, and (imported) grapes. Consumers should definitely spend the extra money for organic versions of these foods. On the other side of the coin, EWG’s “Clean 15” list includes foods that contain the least amount of chemical residues when grown conventionally. These include onions, avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, mangos, sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, cantaloupe, watermelon, grapefruit, sweet potatoes and honeydew. It’s OK to eat conventionally grown varieties of these foods. EWG analysts developed the “Clean 15” guide using data from some 89,000 tests for pesticide residues in produce conducted between 2000 and 2008 and collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). What’s the difference, you may ask? EWG found that by eating five conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables a day from the Dirty Dozen list, a consumer on average ingests 10 different pesticides; those who stick to the Clean 15 list ingest less than two. The Environmental Working Group’s handy “Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides” makes it easy for consumer’s to know which foods they should definitely buy organic (“The Dirty Dozen”) and they can eat safely (“The Clean 15”) without paying a premium for an organic variety. Image by beautifulcataya, courtesy Flickr. Other foods you and your family eat, such as meats, cereals, breads and dairy products, might also be exposing you to unwanted chemicals. According to EWG, the direct health benefits of organic meat, eggs and milk are less clear, but you should play it safe by sticking with all-natural, free-range, grass-fed meats that are not fed antibiotics or growth hormones, and by choosing only organic dairy products. Thanks to increasing demand, more and more food purveyors are putting extra emphasis on organics. This will ultimately result in both lower prices and larger selections. Natural foods market aisles are already teeming with or- ganic choices — and chances are your local supermarket or big box store has introduced organic versions of many popular items. Consequently, there has never been a better time to take stock of what you are feeding yourself and your family, and to make changes for better health. CONTACT: EWG, HYPERLINK “http://www.foodnews.org” www.food- news.org; USDA/FDA, http://usda-fda.com/articles/organic.htm. SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, c/o E – The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@ emagazine.com. E is a nonprofit publication. 22 UCW AUGUST 4-10, 2010 AUGUST 7 • “CAN I GO” BENEFIT RUN. Proceeds send children with diabetes of Military/ Veteran’s famlies to Camp Adam Fisher. Depart at noon. Food, door prizes, music and more. 495-0545. AUGUST 7 • POUR HOUSE CARE CLINIC POKER RUN. Bikes, Cars and trucks welcome. Registration 11:30 a.m. at the Pourhouse. Raffles, auction and food. Proceeds to benefit the CARE Clinic AUGUST 14 •CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY AT POINDEXTER’S SALOON Bikers always welcome. Free food and more. AUGUST 14 •WOUNDED WARRIOR BENEFIT RUN AT LEGENDS. 867-2364. AUGUST 21 • STEELE ANGELS BACK TO SCHOOL RUN. Registration 2-4 p.m. at Cape Fear Harley Davidson. Escorted ride to Dog House for free food, 50/50 raffle, door prizes and live music. 818-0458 for more info. AUGUST 28 • GRAND OPENING BEACH BASH AT CHAPS BAR & GRILL. Band outside/DJ inside. Great drink specials, bikini contest. Man-made beach out back! SEPTEMBER 4 • “WE RIDE FOR THOSE WHO CAN’T” REMEMBRANCE RUN Hosted by Fayetteville Chapter of Rolling Thunder. Registration 9 a.m. at HotRodz. Depart 11 a.m. Proceeds benefit “The Ride Home” program. www.RollingThunder- NC1.com for more info. SEPTEMBER 11• 5TH ANNUAL HOPE FOR THE WARRIORS POKER RUn. Kickstands up at noon. CAll 382-5425 for more info. PATRIOT GUARD RIDERS The Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse group of patriots from every state that come together to honor fallen soldiers at funeral services across the country. Visit www.patriotguard.org for more info. TUESDAYS BIKE NIGHT at Chili’s Grill and Bar in Southern Pines. Happy hour, drink and food specials. All bikes welcome. 4 p.m. to close. WEDNESDAYS BIKE NIGHT at Applebee’s, Cotton Square, Fayetteville, drink and food specials beginning at 7 p.m. All bikes welcome. TOURNAMENTS Friday 9-Ball Saturday 8-Ball DRINK SPECIALS For more information call LEGENDS at 4624 BRAGG BLVD. THE MAJORS 2010 *Sturgis Black Hills Rally • Aug. 9-15* * Want to go? Call 910-391-3859. Have a motorcycle ride or event coming up? Let us know! Call Joy at 910-484-6200, e-mail to editor@upandcomingweekly.com Fax to 910-484-9218. WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM

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