Os Doze Sujinhos

December 7, 2011 | Author: Fabio

pimentao_vermelhoThis is the Brazilian edition to the Dirty Dozen list.

Produtos orgânicos podem ser bem mais caros do que os produtos convencionais.

Produtos orgânicos podem ser bem mais caros do que os produtos convencionais. Será que eles valem a pena? A resposta correta é: depende!

Um dos motivos principais para se escolher a opção orgânica é evitar possível contaminação por resíduos de agrotóxicos na comida. Dependendo da região, clima e da cultura em si, o produtor acaba tendo que usar mais ou menos agrotóxicos para proteger a lavoura convencional.

A Avisa (Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária) vem publicando anualmente estudos sobre a contaminação de alimentos acima de limites recomendáveis. Em 2011, esse estudo finalmente ganhou publicidade graças ao interesse da mídia como a Folha de São Paulo e a própria TV Globo.

Embora o estudo da Anvisa não seja tão abrangente como o da EWG americana, finalmente temos uma lista equivalente ao “Dirty Dozen”, que estou chamando de “Os Doze Sujinhos”:

Sujinhos 2011

Como usar a lista dos “Doze Sujinhos”? É simples. Quando você for fazer compras, prefira comprar a versão orgânica dos itens de 1 a 12 da lista acima.

Cebola e batata orgânica? Não vale a pena comprar orgânico. Infelizmente, arroz e feijão que são os produtos mais consumidos pelos brasileiros, estão numa área incerta da tabela, porém o risco de produtos de boa procedência estar contaminados é pequeno.

Agora você sabe como investir seu dinheiro de forma mais sábia!

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I like organic gardens!

August 8, 2011 | Author: Fabio

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Some of our Facebook friends not only live an organic lifestyle, they live an organic experience, or if you prefer, an organic existence.

It is a blessing to be able to produce your own vegetables, herbs and fruits in your very backyard.

It’s true that not everyone has a perfect spot to start an organic garden. However, there are creative options that you can implement in your limited available space.

For example, our friend @Marsha from Idaho grows organic herbs in her ornamental garden. Herbs blend really well visually with your landscaping project. It is important to be careful and watch how you treat your plants and even your lawn. You will not want any nasty chemicals near your herbs.

Even if you do not grow any edible plants in your garden, you’ll want to keep it free of pesticides and nasty chemicals.

Do not forget our safety tips. It is really hot outside and you’ll want to enjoy your yard work, enjoy the exercise and avoid getting hurt.

Finally, you’ll be able to enjoy your garden just like @Kelly does and at the end of the week have a cup of organic tea with family and friends surrounded by organic goodness just as pictured below.

Check our Facebook page for more great pictures!

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Dirty Dozen & Clean Fifteen

July 13, 2011 | Author: Fabio

imageOrganic products can be more expensive than regular products. Are they worth the extra cost? The right answer to that question is: it depends.

The main reason for choosing organic over regular products is to avoid contamination from toxic pesticide residues. Fruits and vegetables may retain more or less contamination depending on several factors, including how porous their skin are or how likely they are targeted by pests in the first place.

Updated for 2011: Always choose organic for the first 12 items in this list (The Dirty Dozen). Feel free to choose regular products for the bottom 15 items (The Clean Fifteen).

 

The Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides ranks pesticide contamination for 53 popular fruits and vegetables based on an analysis of 51,000 tests for pesticides on these foods, conducted from 2000 to 2009 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the federal Food and Drug Administration. Nearly all the studies on which the guide is based tested produce after it had been rinsed or peeled. Contamination was measured in 6 different ways:

  • Percent of samples tested with detectable pesticides
  • Percent of samples with two or more pesticides
  • Average number of pesticides found on a single sample
  • Average amount (level in parts per million) of all pesticides found
  • Maximum number of pesticides found on a single sample
  • Total number of pesticides found on the commodity

Crops were ranked based on a composite score from all categories. Also, check this Frequently Asked Questions page. Source: USDA and EWG.

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