The Choice to Go Organic - Organic Apples
Written by Shoshana Pritzker Thursday, 29 July 2010 15:47
The Choice to Go Organic
By April Branton
Organic Apples
Not long ago, I had a major apple dilemma. I was walking through the produce aisle in my local grocery store, craving a crisp, juicy apple. As I walked over to the apples, I couldn’t help but notice the wax-like glaze all over them. “Yuck!” I thought to myself. Thank goodness the grocery store carried a section of organic fruits and vegetables. I walked over and picked out a beautiful organic apple.
I was amazed. I had an organic apple in one hand and the non-organic in the other— and I couldn’t believe the difference in just the texture! Why did the non-organic apple feel like a rubber ball?
I am sure I got a few weird looks, but I didn’t care. All that was going through my mind was “How could I possibly eat this apple? Gross!!” I imagined slicing the pesticide-ridden apple— and indulging in a chemical feast.” At that point, I quickly put the non-organic apple back and bought the organic one.
So— does an apple a day keep the doctor away? Maybe not. And after learning more about the non-organic apple, I was disgusted. The wax coating on the outside of that apple is actually to prevent the apple from drying out and becoming mushy. The wax is also used to make the apple look more appealing and shiny.
Aside from the wax, there are pesticides and chemicals all over the non-organic apple. The use of some high-risk pesticides in apple production increased dramatically since 1990. An ordinary apple contains chemicals such as EBBC fungicides, methyl parathion and chloropyrifos (a developmental neurotoxin).
Anyone familiar with these chemicals? Probably not, because they are not meant to be in our body! Chloropyrifos is a crystal-like organophosphate insecticide that is used to control insect pests. This chemical has been used on crops, on farms and in household bug sprays. It is even in the flea-and-tick collars we put on our furry friends.
According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, chloropyrifos has not been proven to cause cancer in people; however, animal studies have shown that it is cancer-causing. And the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has classified chloropyrifos as a possible human carcinogen!
In 1995 and again in 1996, USDA technicians found apple samples with up to 12 pesticides and breakdown products on them— after washing .The wax on the apples has never been proved to be harmful, but it does act as a sealant to hold in a lot of the toxins that could be washed off.
If the chemicals contained in non-organic apples are not enough to turn you off, maybe the fact that they are not as nutritious as their organic counterparts will. According to a 2003 study in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, organic fruits and vegetables have significantly higher levels of cancer-fighting antioxidants.
Care for a non-organic apple anyone?
Apples are Mother Nature’s natural candy— why mess with perfection? By choosing to eat organic apples, you are eating pure, the way nature intended it to be. The choice is yours; I’ve made mine.