Are Your Foods “Clean” and Ready to Eat?
Filed Under: Environmental News on June 30, 2009
If you buy fresh foods in the grocery store–and nearly all of us do–then you have likely been told that you should “wash your food before eating it.” Well, just running water over most foods isn’t actually enough. Pesticides and other questionables can still be there.
Short of scrubbing your store-bought strawberries into mush, how can you make sure there aren’t any lingering nasties on your food?
Well, lucky for us, it’s the Pesticide Action Network to the rescue!
They’ve launched a new website called whatsonmyfood.org where you can go to find out what kinds of pesticides are likely to be on your food based on what has been found in them in laboratory tests in the past. So if, for instance, you’re looking at those strawberries and the box says they came from California, you can put that into the easy interface on the site and it will tell you what’s likely been put on them and how to get rid of it before you eat.
That’s just for starters. If, after using this website, you don’t get scared away from many of the “normal” produce and foods you see on the shelf and start buying local, organics, then nothing will. It’s pretty amazing what’s on (or in) what you eat!
Even applesauce, peanut butter, and guacamole dip aren’t safe.
Some of my ‘organic friends’ are turning to make their own mayonnaise and food dippings. They told me home-made food taste more delicious. The only exception they don’t keep long but who wants to eat cooked food stored for more than a few days in fridge?
I have yet to try home-made sauces, but may be this weekend! I’ll visit WhatsOnmyFood.org soon (P.S. I have not even finished shopping at Burpee.com – halfway done!!)
Thanks for the comment, Kelly. We’ve been exploring more and more homemade ideas in our house too. Most homemade stuff tastes better, though, so your friends are right on that count.