Pesticides and your health: How to cut your exposure

Some studies have shown a link between pesticide exposure and health problems. Find out how to lower your family's exposure to pesticides without going broke.

This story was originally titled "Pesticides in Your Produce?" in the April 2008 issue of Canadian Living.

Walk into any large grocery store in the country and one of the first things you'll see is rows of fresh produce. It's never been easier for Canadians to meet their quota of five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, even in winter. But while there's no denying the nutritional benefits of biting into a crisp apple or munching on broccoli, many consumers wonder what else they're ingesting along with the good-for-you vitamins and fibre.

In particular, they're concerned about pesticide residue in those rosy-cheeked apples and other produce, and the long-term effects it could have on their family's health. Some studies have linked chronic exposure to pesticides with an increased risk of cancer, birth defects and neurological impairments such as Alzheimer's disease. So what's a health-conscious consumer to do?

You can start by being more selective about the produce you eat. It's possible to lower your pesticide exposure by almost 90 per cent if you avoid "The Dirty Dozen" and eat "The Consistently Clean," advises the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

The EWG, a non-profit environmental research group in the U.S., published a list based on a five-year analysis, completed in 2005, that shows which foods consistently scored the highest in pesticide levels and toxicity and which scored the lowest. Though it's based on American information, the list (see "The Dirty Dozen," page 2) is still relevant to Canadians, given that 80 per cent of our produce is imported, the majority of it from the U.S. If you don't want to give up peaches, apples and strawberries �?all high on the hit list �?the EWG suggests replacing them with organic alternatives. But keep in mind, organic does not mean 100 per cent pesticide-free, either (see "The Lowdown on Organics," page 3).

Reducing the Risk
If you want fewer pesticides in your body �?and in the environment �?buy organic, says Dr. Kapil Khatter, a family physician in Ottawa and a pollution policy adviser to Environmental Defence, a national research and education group based in Toronto. If you can’t afford organic, buy local produce in season. "We don't have much control over what happens in other countries," says Khatter. "While Mexico, for example, actually has fairly good environmental standards, traditionally they've been worse than we have about enforcing them."

As well, says Henri Bietlot, national manager for the chemical evaluation section in the food safety division of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, we have a great natural pesticide in Canada, called winter. "We don't have to spray at the same level because the pest pressures are less than they are in the southern states, for example."

There are other measures you can take to help limit the amount of pesticides you and your family consume.

*Contamination was measured in six different ways and crops were ranked based on a composite score from all categories. The higher the score, the higher the pesticide load. Get the full results of the study at [www.foodnews.org]. SOURCE: ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP