Organic produce sales are surging in popularity with sales hitting 9.5 billion in 2024 according to the Organic Produce Network. Valued for the absence of artificial ingredients and pesticides, organic foods are not genetically modified, contain no synthetic pesticides, no Roundup (glyphosate) herbicides, do not contain ingredients laced with the residues from the neurotoxin Hexane, no sewage sludge (human waste contaminated with endocrine disruptors and heavy metals), no growth-promoting antibodies contributing to weight gain and antibiotic resistance, no Ractopamine drug residues, which are banned in Europe and dozens of other countries.
It is no wonder the desire for organic foods is on the rise, and until MAHA can enact changes to elevate these dangers, we will need to figure our own strategies on how to
- find high quality foods and
- how to afford them in the face of higher food prices.
Which foods are critical to purchase organic products? Which foods are safe to consider non-organic options?
Each year the Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes its Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen list of foods that test the highest and lowest for pesticides. These rankings help us make better choices about which foods are worth paying a little extra for and buying organic and those that you can safely choose lower cost non-organic.
The EWG 2025 “Clean 15” list of foods have specific characteristics that help protect them from pests and reduce the need for pesticide applications during farming. For example, onions contain sulfur that naturally repel insects, mushrooms have natural antimicrobial properties, and bitter substances in asparagus help deter pests. Other foods have structural characteristics that provide protection such as thick skins on melons and avocados, multiple layers of corn husks, hard rinds, dense leaf structure or simply being grown underground. Growing conditions and controlled environments also help reduce the need for pesticide use.
To compile this list, the EWG tested for more than 230 different pesticides across over 46,000 samples. One of the key findings this year was that over 98% of these samples showed virtually no pesticide residues, even under conventional farming methods. This demonstrates that not all produce needs to be organic for safe consumption.
Caution: All organic foods are non-GMO, but not all non-GMO foods are organic. The “Clean Fifteen” list contains foods low in pesticides it also can contain genetically modified organisms, also known as GMO, which is a plant, animal or microorganism that has had its DNA altered using genetic engineering. For example, over 90% of corn grown in the USA is genetically modified. IF you have a preference for non-GMO foods, this is a reason to buy organic.
Environmental Working Group (EWG) 2025 Clean Fifteen list:
- Avocados
- Pineapples
- Sweet Corn
- Sweet Onions
- Papaya
- Sweet Peas
- Asparagus
- Honeydew melons
- Kiwi
- Cabbage
- Mushrooms
- Cantaloupe
- Mangoes
- Sweet Potatoes
- Watermelon
ALERT: Environmental Working Group (EWG) 2025 “Dirty Dozen:”
These foods are typically heavily contaminated with pesticides that are hard or impossible to remove. These foods are important to buy organic:
- Strawberries
- Spinach
- Leafy Green Vegetables
- Nectarines
- Apples
- Grapes
- Bell Peppers
- Cherries
- Peaches
- Pears
- Celery
- Tomatoes
It is important for all of us, regardless of age, to pay close attention to levels of pesticide exposure. For children, however, whose brains ser still developing, there are additional risks of these toxic exposures. Children’s Health Defense reports that pesticides can affect children’s brain development in addition to physical metabolic health in several ways:
- Lower IQ Scores – Exposure to certain pesticides before birth has been linked to lower IQ scores in children. For each increase in pesticide exposure during pregnancy, children’s IQ scores dropped by about 1.4%. The more exposure they had, the greater the negative effect on their thinking abilities.
- Higher Risk of ADHD and Attention Issues – Children with more pesticide chemicals in their bodies were over twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. Boys exposed to specific pesticides called pyrethroids were three times more likely to have ADHD than boys without exposure. In animal studies, exposure to these pesticides caused hyperactivity, memory problems, trouble paying attention, and impulsive behavior.
- Problems with Behavior and Development – Pesticide exposure has been linked to delays in behavior and brain development in young children. Studies show it can affect newborn reflexes, physical and mental development, and increase the risk of ADHD in school-aged children exposed to higher levels of pesticides.
We now know from multiple studies that washing and peeling these foods often fail to remove all the synthetic pesticide residues from many conventional produce items. So that makes choosing organic produce even more critical, especially for families with young children. Even with that caution, I promote the practice of washing all produce (organic and non-organic) immediately upon arriving home before I put them away and then just rinse with water before I use them.
I use a simple non-toxic homemade washing method for produce my grandmother taught me: ¼ cup vinegar and 1 Tbsp of baking soda in a large bowl of cool water and scrub with a soft brush.
Spices are another group of products that are often more contaminated than you realize. A few years back Consumer Reports investigated spices and seasonings. Many of the popular name brands and store brands were found to contain “worrisome” amounts of heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, mercury, and cadmium. This was an eye opener for me and many people that have trusted these famous brands for generations. Now, I use the Simply Organic brand or buy trusted bulk organic from reputable stores for all my spices. I also look for countries of origin known to have cleaner environments (i.e., I avoid spices from China in particular).
Oats, beans and lentils, and nuts and seeds are additional product groups frequently contaminated with pesticide/herbicide residues, and are worth the cost of purchasing organic, non-GMO options. Last year, the EWG investigated and found glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup and the most widely used herbicide in the world) in more than 95 percent of oat-based food samples. According to the EWG, most glyphosate is sprayed on “Roundup ready” corn and soybeans genetically engineered to withstand the herbicide. But increasingly, glyphosate is also sprayed on non-GMO wheat, barley, oats and bean just before harvest so that it can be harvested sooner. Glyphosate kills the crop, drying it out for an earlier harvest than if the plant were allowed to die naturally. So, our health is sacrificed to get plants to market sooner and for more profit.
This year, the EWG released the shocking results of their tests of wheat-based products, including samples of dried pasta and cereal. They found glyphosate was detected in all the wheat-based foods.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency backs up these findings from EWG: they found glyphosate contamination in 80 to 90 percent of popular wheat-based products, including pizza, crackers, pasta, wheat flour, oats, chickpea flour, and lentils.
In even more alarming reports, the legal team at AtraxiaLaw.com has found in their study of the research that glyphosate is not the only toxic ingredient in Roundup (and other herbicides). The inert ingredients present in the Roundup formulation have previously escaped from scrutiny as these were hidden as “trade secrets.” Research has revealed that one of the inert ingredients in Roundup, polyoxyethylene alkylamine (POEA), a surfactant was harmful to the living cells and about 2,000 times more toxic than lower doses of glyphosate only. However, several regulatory bodies consider POEA as inactive and thus require no risk assessment, even though research suggests otherwise.
A study conducted in 2012 concluded that inert ingredients often contribute to the toxicity of a product in a synergistic way. The adjuvants present in glyphosate-based weed killers were declared to be “active principles of human cell toxicity,” thus adding to the hazard of glyphosate alone.
For the first time, the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health reported that the endocrine disruption was also demonstrated due to the co-formulants or inert/confidential compounds. The Institute of Science in Society (ISIS), in 2014, published that the POEA added in Roundup weed killer is most toxic to human cells and also increases the glyphosate toxic effects.
Multiple studies have found that the entire formulation of Roundup is far more dangerous than glyphosate alone, making it clear that inert ingredients in this herbicide are not as inert as we have been told.
Findings about risks of inert ingredients are all the more reason to pay close attention to the EWG List of the “Dirty Dozen” fruits and vegetables that are most important to select organic ones.
I have concluded that I will spend my food dollars wisely by 1) buying organic for the most contaminated food products, and 2) buy non-GMO and the non-organic “Clean Fifteen” from EWG. I look for the non-GMO label on all my foods, I make sure to look out for the Apeel sticker on my organic fruits and NOT buy them (I also try to shop at stores that have vowed to keep Apeel products out of the their stores, which thankfully more are doing in response to consumer pressure!
When I shop at Farmer’s Markets, I talk to the vendors about how they grow and raise their products. You can’t just assume that everything at a farmers’ market is organic or healthy!
Fruits and vegetables are an important source of antioxidants that are critical for good health and I certainly do not want to cut back on these for fear of pesticides. It is these antioxidants that help protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals that can contribute to chronic disease like cancer and heart disease. So, in addition to my fruits and vegetable intake I like to also supplement with our TruFruits&Berries™ to make sure I get enough high-quality polyphenols and flavonoids on a consistent basis.
Choose your sources of foods wisely. And to insure optimal health, I encourage you to turn to our natural medicines with our top quality, cGMP-compliant professional formulas for TruImmune™Boost, TruNAC™, TruImmunoglobulin,™ TruC with BioFlav™ (Vitamin C with complete Bioflavonoids), Tru BioD3™, TruZinc™, and TruProBiotic™ Daily to replenish critical bifidobacteria depleted by COVID shots, viral illnesses, and antibiotic therapy.
To Your good health,
Dr. Vliet
