Are organic fruits and vegetables more nutritious?
They may have a bit more vitamin C, but for all of the other vitamins and minerals there is no significant difference between organic foods and conventionally grown foods. Many fruits and vegetables test positive for two or more pesticide residues. The produce found to be most contaminated with pesticides includes peaches, apples, bell peppers, strawberries, cherries, pears, and spinach, while the least contaminated includes onions, sweet corn, peas, bananas, cabbage, avocado, and broccoli. About 15% of the vegetables and 35% of the fruit consumed by Americans last year were imported. With an increasing volume of fresh produce being imported from Latin America and Asia, the pesticide picture is not improving. Imported produce contains, on average, about three times the pesticide residue level found on domestically produced food. Only about 1% of imported foods are tested by the FDA.
