Page 60 - Prevention - USA (April 2020)

SCI E NCE

MYTH #3
Organic produce
is free of pesticides.

MYTHBUSTER Not entirely—even
organic fruits and veggies can have
some. Certain biopesticides made
from minerals and microorganisms
are allowed in organic farming, and
one—spinosad—is sometimes detected
in organic produce. Because organic
produce is typically packaged in the
same facilities that handle conventional
produce, it’s hard to completely avoid
the residues of fungicides applied to
conventional fruit after harvest, says
Charles Benbrook, Ph.D., a Heartland
Study project coordinator. It is true
that organic produce tends to have
much lower pesticide levels than
conventionally grown produce,
says Urvashi Rangan, a toxicologist
and the chief science advisor at
Grace Communications Foundation,
an environmental education group.
But if pricier organics aren’t an
option, don’t forgo nutritious produce
altogether: “It’s still healthier to
eat fruits and vegetables overall,”
says Rangan, than to skip them to
avoid chemicals.

58 PREVENTION.COM • AP R I L 2020