Pesticides In Produce Can't Be Just Washed off!

Most people who purchase conventionally grown produce know the importance of washing fruits and vegetables before consuming them. You would think that rinsing crop foods would help remove some of the pesticides and chemicals applied to their exterior, making them safe to eat. But, unfortunately, no amount of washing or peeling can make these foods safe. 

A different type of pesticide - systemic pesticides - are integrated into plant tissues, making the entire plant (including the part sold to consumers) poisonous to insects, fungi and other pests.

Systemic pesticides are designed for total absorption, the worse news is that they are not rare. In fact, hundreds of systemic pesticides have been developed in the past 15 years, making them the best-selling class of pesticide in the world. 

They have been used in increasingly greater frequency since 1998 with no signs of slowing down in the near future. 

Simply peeling off the thick skin of a banana or avocado is no long enough to protect us from dangerous toxic chemicals -pesticides are now in our food, not just on it!


These pesticides could be responsible for the collapse of bee colonies around the world. The U.S., however, continues to use systemic pesticides in food in great quantities. In fact, the manufacturer of thiamethoxam lobbied the EPA for fewer restrictions on its poisonous pesticide as recently as September 2014.

We continue to consume a dangerous cocktail of these toxic chemicals without information about their long-term health consequences. Clearly, we cannot rely on our government to keep our food supply free of toxic chemicals. American farmlands are contaminated with dangerous pesticides that are polluting our bodies from the inside out. 

After all, if a plant is poisonous to its predators, how could it possibly be safe for humans? 

What can you do to be safe from Pesticides?  

• It makes sense to support local (organic) farmers
• Join a CSA* 
• Grow your own chemical-free (delicious) produce.
• Buy Organic Produce

*CSA Stands for Community Supported Agriculture. CSA is a way for consumers to buy local, seasonal produce directly from a farmer in their community.


Eat healthy pesticide-free produce ~


Laurel :)