Should I Eat Conventionally Grown or Organic Produce?

If you've ever wondered what the safest and best produce is for you, check out this post about conventionally and organic produce.

hand holding an apple in front of apple trees

Disclosure: This post and trip was sponsored by the Alliance for Food and Farming. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What's the Best Produce to Eat

The short answer is the best produce is the one you like and have access to.

Whether it's organic or conventionally grown, you can rest assured that it is safe and nutritious.

As a registered dietitian nutritionist, I confidently eat any and all produce. That includes conventionally grown, organic, fresh, frozen, canned, dried, and juiced.

The main thing I focus on is taste and access. And that looks different for everyone.

brunette female smiling in front of apple trees

Facts Not Fears Tour

In September, I had the pleasure of attending the 2021 Produce Safety “Facts, Not Fear” Media Tour Presented by the Alliance for Food and Farming in Portland, Oregon.

On the tour, we visited apple and pear orchards, a blueberry farm, and packing houses to learn more about farming practices, the growth, packaging, and storage of our food, food safety measures, and more.

We got to see first-hand how our food is grown, both conventionally and organically, as well as ask the farmers questions.

Conventional and Organic Produce Frequently Asked Questions

Commonly asked questions when it comes to organic produce vs. conventionally grown produce:

How can I trust that farmers aren't covering my produce in pesticides?

First of all, fruit and vegetable farmers’ first consumers are their own families. So food safety is always their priority.

Also, pesticides are expensive, and farmers, like most business owners, are always trying to lower costs. So it wouldn't make sense for them to overspray their crops.

In fact, all of the farmers I've met are wildly intelligent and are constantly trying to improve their produce while decreasing pesticide and water use.

Additionally, farms are typically owned by families. Farms are not corporate-owned, which is a common misconception I see when it comes to food growing and production.

In fact, I've been to over 20 farms since I became a dietitian. And I've never once been to a farm that was not family-owned.

Finally, to say that farmers are incredibly passionate about feeding the world safe, nutritious, and delicious food is a massive understatement. Farmers dedicate their lives, often without guarantee, to making sure that we are fed.

farmer standing in front of blueberry bushes

Is it safe to eat conventionally grown produce?

Yes!

USDA & FDA data shows pesticide residues on foods tested are at levels well below the tolerances established by the EPA and “pose no safety concern,” if residues are present at all.

The FDA says washing produce under running tap water reduces and often eliminates pesticide residues if they are present on fresh produce.

If you’d like my professional opinion to set your mind at ease, the best thing to do is to eat fruits and vegetables in any way, shape, or form.

What about pesticides in conventionally grown fruits and vegetables?

Yes, conventionally grown fruits & veggies have reported levels of pesticides. However, the levels are significantly lower than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s safety level for pesticides on produce.

The FDA found almost 99% of the domestic foods sampled had residues levels well below EPA's safety standards with 42% of foods having no detectable residue levels at all.

In fact, the levels of the “dirtiest” on the Environmental Working Group (EWG)'s Dirty Dozen List, strawberries, are so negligible that an adult female could eat 453 servings of strawberries in 1 day without any effect even if the strawberries have the highest pesticide residue recorded. That's 3624 strawberries per day!

Be sure to check out this Pesticide Residue Calculator to see how many servings a man, woman, teen, or child could consume and still not have any adverse effects from pesticide residues.

Analysis of the list found that substitution of organic produce for conventional did not result in a reduction in risk because residues on conventionally grown produce are so minute.

Most importantly, eating fruits & vegetables whether organic or conventional is incredibly health-promoting! Studies show that the benefits of eating ANY type of produce significantly outweigh the potential risks.

Please note: I am not suggesting we pour pesticides all over our food. I’m also definitely not saying pesticides are healthy. Nor am I saying you shouldn't eat organic foods.

However, it's important to remove the fear we have around food, especially since increasing our fruit and vegetable intake contributes to positive health outcomes.

close up photo of a blueberry bush with blueberries

Problem with the Dirty Dozen List

It is vital that we consider the validity of the Dirty Dozen List and its ramifications.

When curating the list, the EWG focuses on the presence (or absence) of pesticide residues on produce.

What actually matters is the amount of pesticide(s) on the food, the amount of the food consumed, and the toxicity of the pesticide [paraphrased from a statement by Dr. Carl Winter, Professor Emeritus of Toxicology, UC Davis].

Additionally, the Dirty Dozen List often contributes to fearing non-organic or conventionally grown produce.

Studies show that fear-based produce safety messaging confuses consumers and may result in reduced purchasing of any fruits and veggies – organic or conventional.

When you are confused about which is the "right" fruit or vegetable to eat, it can lead to completely skipping eating the fruits & vegetables altogether.

Furthermore, the dirty dozen list can cause us to avoid certain fruits & veggies because they are "dirty" or because they aren't "clean." And this can cause us to attach moral value to our food.

These are all problematic, and I beg you to continue eating produce no matter what type. Also, try removing toxic language around food that suggests certain foods have higher moral value. (Examples: clean vs. dirty, good vs. bad, healthy vs. unhealthy)

Studies That Claim Organic Produce is Better

A common study quoted to promote organic food concludes: A higher frequency of organic food consumption was associated with a reduced risk of cancer.

First, it's important to understand that association is not the same thing as causation.

Association is a connection between two things. Causation is the process of causing something to happen or exist.

The fact that there is an association between the two does not mean that eating organic food causes less cancer. Or that eating conventionally grown foods causes more cancer.

It simply means that they are related.

Second, when you read through the study, you will also notice that the group with the lowest cancer rates also have the highest income, exercise more, the lowest percentage of manual workers, eat the most fiber, the highest level of education, the lowest percentage of current smokers, the lowest alcohol intake, the lowest red meat and processed meat intake, and the highest percentage of those who are in cohabiting marriages.

This goes to show that there are so many only factors that play into our health, our risk of developing cancer & other diseases, and our quality of life.

Bottom line: eating fruits & vegetables, whether organic or conventional, is good for your health! And I believe that you have a right to choose what works for you and your family based on facts, not fear-mongering.

hands stirring together brussels sprouts, onions, and sweet potatoes on a baking sheet

Recipes with Fruits & Veggies

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Citations

Baudry, Julia et al. “Association of Frequency of Organic Food Consumption With Cancer Risk: Findings From the NutriNet-Santé Prospective Cohort Study.” JAMA internal medicine vol. 178,12 (2018): 1597-1606. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.4357