The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released a list of fresh fruits and vegetables containing pesticide residues. While pesticide residues fell within the EPA’s tolerance level for safe food, concerned consumers may want to adjust their buying decisions based on the list.

Apples topped the list with 98% containing pesticide residue. Industry immediately shot back and said that growers are doing nothing illegal, they are just trying to keep their apples fresh and nutritious. Fungicides are routinely applied to apples because they are stored for several months before being sold. Items were washed in water for 10 seconds before being tested. Other items with high pesticide rates:

• Apples – 98% contain pesticide residues
• Grapes – 97
• Strawberries – 96
• Cilantro – 94
• Potatoes – 92
• Oranges – 85
• Green Onions – 66
• Sweet Potatoes – 48
• Organic Lettuce – 20

We would definitely buy organic for items above 50%, others may draw their own conclusions.

Organic Vegetables and Fruit

Organic products are more expensive. I was looking for a guide that listed fruits and Veggies that one could save money by moving to non organic on less crucial items. See our post on the definition of organic.

FoodNews, run by the Environmental Working Group, has a list of 43 items with highest pesticide load. Peaches, Apple, Sweet Bell Peppers, Celery, Nectarines, Strawberries are way up there on the buy Organic list.

On the other end are items like Bananas, Kiwi, Asparagus, Sweet Peas-Frozen, Mango, Pineapples, Sweet Corn-Frozen, Avocado, and Onions, that I would consider not going Organic.

A recent article flags high pesticide levels in frozen blueberries, strawberries, and celery. There may be a link to pesticides and ADHD.

Consumer Reports.org also has an article on when it pays to buy organic.

While you will save money, non-organic products do subject farmers and the environment to pesticides.

It gets more complicated.. Recent articles have said that Choosing Organic Pesticides over Synthetic Pesticides May Not Effectively Mitigate Environmental Risk.

Be sure to read our article on organic and biodynamic wines.

Organic Lollipops

Couldn’t believe they have organic…

Amazon has Organic Lollipops which are also allergen-free; gluten-free; GMO-free; egg-free; soy-free; nut-free; casein-free; dairy-free. What will become organic next?

Overheard… “Mom, Can I have a Lollipop? They’re organic so they must be good for you!”

Be sure to check out our article: When to buy organic food

Shattering glass Bakeware is a problem not many know about. We read about it in the January 2011 Consumer Reports. News reports and Internet postings about glass bakeware unexpectedly shattering due to heat makes us nervous. Pyrex and Anchor Hocking are the two major manufacturers who have created webpages debunking this syndrome.

The article suggests that a change in glass formulation to soda lime from borosilicate glass in the early 1980s may be behind the issues. The change was made due to manufacturing emissions issues. European glass bakeware from companies like Arcuisine continue to use borosilicate glass.

The article has the following suggestions, which we think are worth following:

• Always place hot glassware on a dry, cloth potholder or towel.
• Never put glassware directly on a burner or under a broiler.
• Always allow the oven to fully preheat before placing the glassware in the oven.
• Always cover the bottom of the dish with liquid before cooking meat or vegetables.
• Don’t add liquid to hot glassware.
• If you’re using the dish in a microwave, do not use browning elements, and avoid overheating oil or butter.
• Do not take dishes directly from the freezer to the oven or vice versa.
• Never place hot glassware on top of a stove, on a metal trivet, on a damp towel, in the sink, on a cold or wet surface, or directly on a countertop.
• Inspect your dishes for chips, cracks, and scratches. Discard dishes with such damage.
• To avoid risks associated with glass dishes, consider using metal bakeware for conventional and convection ovens.

Be sure to read our article: Save Money, Only buy these Organic items

Consumer Reports has a new issue entitled Best TVs with a great review of indoor paints including an independent review and discussion of low and no VOC paints.

Low VOC paints contain no more than 50 grams per liter of VOCs.  At one time indoor paints contained almost 400 grams per liter of VOCs.

The top rated paints were low VOC with zero VOC ones rated lower.  Some of the zero VOC paints that did well in Satin and Flat finishes that we have encountered in the past are Olympic Premium from Lowe’s. This paint is very inexpensive and available nationwide.

BestDealMagazines has 1yr subscriptions to Consumer Reports sold at a steep discount. Normal newsstand price is $77. Use 15% off coupon code in our right side column to save even more.

18

Consumer Reports has a new issue entitled Save Energy, Save Money with lots of tips to help you save energy and money at the same time.  Check it out.

BestDealMagazines has 1yr subscriptions to Consumer Reports sold at a steep discount. Use 15% off coupon code in our right side column to save even more.

US News & World report also had an article earlier this year with lots of energy saving tips.