Why should you choose organic strawberries? Conventional strawberries are heavily sprayed, being in NZ's dirty dozen, food available here that is more likely to contain pesticide residues. All 20 samples last tested had pesticides, with one having 9 pesticides (that was from Australia). The total number of pesticides in all the samples was a staggering 25!
The total number of pesticides in all the samples was a staggering 25!
Does this matter, you may ask? Doesn’t our regulatory authority in New Zealand MPI (Ministry for Primary Industries) ensure that pesticides are at safe levels? One of the many problems with current regulations is that pesticides are tested individually, not in the cocktail we actually consume. Another problem is that it is assumed a little bit of something that could cause cancer, suppress the immune system or disrupt the hormones won’t hurt us, when there is research indicating the contrary, especially in animals.
In these 20 samples of strawberries there are at least nine pesticides that are carcinogens or that could cause cancer
In these 20 samples of strawberries there are at least nine pesticides that are carcinogens or that could cause cancer, and as well at least seven of them are endocrine disruptors, or substances that can have an effect on our hormones, even in minute quantities.
There is some scientific data that suggests soaking conventional produce in vinegar and water (1:4) for 20 minutes will remove some pesticides, but not all, some of which go right through. Rinse in water afterwards. Peeling also removes some residues, but that’s not an option for strawberries!
We don’t really know the effects of all these pesticide residues on our health, but what cannot be disputed is that the environmental effects of using pesticides are bad, including the effects on soil, water, bees and climate change. We argue that by buying organic we are supporting a system that is better not only for the environment but also for us. #strawberries #pesticidesinstrawberries
Data from NZ FRSP 2017-2019 & TDS 2016, on the NZMPI website.