Produce aisles and farmers' markets

Next time you're at the supermarket debating whether to pay more for a pint of organic strawberries than you do for your lunch — or deciding if you should choose that wilted organic celery over the crisp green conventional stalks — you might want to refer to the Environmental Working Group's new wallet-size Shoppers' Guide.

The not-for-profit group lists the "Dirty Dozen" (the 12 fruits and veggies that are the most contaminated with pesticides) and the "Cleanest 12" (those that generally have the lowest amounts of pesticides).

There have been some ratings revisions since the last Guide came out in October 2003. For instance, carrots are off the "bad" list now but lettuce is on it. Cauliflower has fallen from grace but cabbage has made the cut and is now on the "good list." Here are the full lists.

The "Dirty Dozen" (starting with the worst)

peaches
apples
sweet bell peppers
celery
nectarines
strawberries
cherries
pears
grapes (imported)
spinach
lettuce
potatoes

The "Cleanest 12" (starting with the best)

onions
avocados
sweet corn (frozen)
pineapples
mangoes
asparagus
sweet peas (frozen)
kiwi fruit
bananas
cabbage
broccoli
papaya

To come up with its rankings, the Environmental Working Group looked at the results of close to 43,000 tests for pesticides on produce by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A computer analysis by the EWG found that consumers could reduce their pesticide exposure by nearly 90 percent by avoiding the most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated instead. People who eat the "Dirty Dozen" will be exposed to an average of 15 different pesticides per day, says Richard Wiles, executive director of the Environmental Working Group, while eating from the "Cleanest 12" means you'll be exposed to less than two pesticides per day. So if produce from the "Dirty Dozen" is on your menu, it makes sense from a health standpoint to choose organic.

Of course, health concerns aren't the only reasons people choose organic foods. It takes an enormous amount of fuel to make synthetic fertilizers, explains Wiles. "Conventional agriculture is very energy inefficient," he says.

On the other hand, costly and polluting fuel is required to transport both conventional and organic fruit and vegetables from farms to grocery stores — produce is often shipped to the U.S. from as far away as New Zealand. So does this mean you're better off eating a locally grown nonorganic apple than an organic one from the other side of the world? Perhaps the solution, Wiles says, is to encourage local farmers to start growing organic crops. For example, begin by asking farmers whether they used pesticides on their apples, Wiles advises. "The more that local production can be moved toward organic, the better," he says.

Meanwhile, even if you can't always afford or find organic produce, there are steps you can take to get rid of some of the pesticides on conventional produce. Since washing reduces pesticides by anywhere from one third to one half, thoroughly scrub and rinse everything, even produce that will be peeled. Then consider making yourself a pesticide-reduced dinner tonight. How does a menu of Guacamole, Tropical Fruit Salsa, and Cilantro-Lime Chicken Fajitas with Grilled Onions sound?

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Other information on fruits and chemicals

Why Should You Care About Pesticides?

There is growing consensus in the scientific community that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can adversely affect people, especially during vulnerable periods of fetal development and childhood when exposures can have long lasting effects. Because the toxic effects of pesticides are worrisome, not well understood, or in some cases completely unstudied, shoppers are wise to minimize exposure to pesticides whenever possible.

Will Washing and Peeling Help?

Nearly all of the data used to create these lists already considers how people typically wash and prepare produce (for example, apples are washed before testing, bananas are peeled). While washing and rinsing fresh produce may reduce levels of some pesticides, it does not eliminate them. Peeling also reduces exposures, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the peel. The best option is to eat a varied diet, wash all produce, and choose organic when possible to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.

How This Guide Was Developed

The produce ranking was developed by analysts at the not-for-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) based on the results of nearly 43,000 tests for pesticides on produce collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration between 2000 and 2004. A detailed description of the criteria used in developing the rankings is available as well as a full list of fresh fruits and vegetables that have been tested (see below).

EWG is a not-for-profit environmental research organization dedicated to improving public health and protecting the environment by reducing pollution in air, water and food. For more information please visit www.ewg.org.

The Full List: 43 Fruits & Veggies

RANK	FRUIT OR VEGGIE	SCORE
1 (worst)	Peaches	100 (highest pesticide load)
2	Apples	89
3	Sweet Bell Peppers	86
4	Celery	85
5	Nectarines	84
6	Strawberries	82
7	Cherries	75
8	Pears	65
9	Grapes - Imported	65
10	Spinach	60
11	Lettuce	59
12	Potatoes	58
13	Carrots	57
14	Green Beans	53
15	Hot Peppers	53
16	Cucumbers	52
17	Raspberries	47
18	Plums	45
19	Grapes - Domestic	43
20	Oranges	42
21	Grapefruit	40
22	Tangerine	38
23	Mushrooms	37
24	Cantaloupe	34
25	Honeydew Melon	31
26	Tomatoes	30
27	Sweet Potatoes	30
28	Watermelon	28
29	Winter Squash	27
30	Cauliflower	27
31	Blueberries	24
32	Papaya	21
33	Broccoli	18
34	Cabbage	17
35	Bananas	16
36	Kiwi	14
37	Sweet peas - frozen	11
38	Asparagus	11
39	Mango	9
40	Pineapples	7
41	Sweet Corn - frozen	2
42	Avocado	1
43 (best)	Onions	1 (lowest pesticide load)

Note: We ranked a total of 43 different fruits and vegetables but grapes are listed twice because we looked at both domestic and imported samples.

View Full Data Set

Opportunity for Kids to Audition for the Lion King

FOR THE KIDS OF READERS OF MURIELLA'S CORNER - GO FOR IT!

4_Harlem_KIDS_Flier-1.pdf

©Disney

FOR AUDITION INFORMATION

Casting Hotline: (212) 827-5450 • www.lionkingcasting.com

If you are unable to attend this audition, send a picture and contact info ASAP to:

Binder Casting • Attn: The Lion King Kids • 321 W. 44th Street • Suite 606 • New York, NY 10036

www.bindercasting.com

Seeking children ages 9–12, with a maximum height of 58”, who can sing,
dance and act to play the African lion cubs Simba and Nala. We encourage
children of all backgrounds to attend. No performance experience necessary.
Kajuna Shuford & Scott Irby-Ranniar, original
Broadway cast, photo: Per Breiehagen
*Rate increases in June 2007. Payments subject to applicable state laws regarding trust funds for minors.

PREPARE:

Be prepared to be taught

the last verse of “I Just Can’tWait to be King”. All children

must be accompanied by a

parent or guardian. Parents

or guardians must remain

at the audition site at all

times. Be ready to wait.

WHEN:

Saturday, February 10, 2007

9:00–11:30am sign in

WHERE:

National Black Theatre

2031-33 5th Ave. at 125th St.

Harlem, NY 10035

CHILDREN’S AUDITIONS!

Casting new performers for the Broadway

and National Touring Companies.

Minimum weekly salary is $1,465*.

STAR

IN A

SHOW!