I’ve read a few articles recently about the toxicity levels in our foods. I found it all a bit alarming, so I thought I’d share thoughts here. I gotta admit I was pretty surprised at some foods in the lists. ..All the meat/fish ones don’t surprise me at all, so… yet another reason I’m glad I don’t eat the fleshy stuff.

Most of the dangers in these foods are poisonous PCBs in fish & pesticides on fruit and veggies. Last year, the National Institutes of Health linked long-term pesticide exposure to diabetes amongst other illnesses.

Farmed Salmon

It’s no shocker that salmon tops the lists. If you eat salmon, you are most likely eating farmed salmon, & these poor fishies are fed crazy amounts of contaminants. The average dioxin level in farmed-raised salmon is 11 times higher than that in wild salmon.

Non-Organic Peaches

This one was number 1 according to Environmental Working Group. Peaches are magnets for pesticides, often topping the Organic Center’s consumer’s guide for pesticide-riddled produce too. “Their skins get soft at the end of their season on the tree and the last pesticide spray can move right through that skin and get into the tissue of the fruit in a matter of hours. That’s why it’s easy to find peaches with ten different pesticide residues in them.”

Makes sense really, I guess that’s one I’ll only be buying organic from now on..

Non-Organic Capsicum

This one is very disappointing to me. I’ve bought plenty of non-organic capsicum over the years.

It was in the top 3 most “toxic” produce on a couple of tests. Small levels of pesticides are found in most foods unless it’s organic, their health risks are well documented these days, but capsicum holds a greater risk based on the variety of pesticides used. In a report done by the Environmental Working Group, sweet bell peppers were the vegetable shown to have the most pesticides (as many as 11 were found on one sample). In addition, bell peppers are the vegetable with the most pesticides overall with 64 different pesticides found on samples.

Another I’ll definitely buy organic, with those figures.

Non-Organic Strawberries

Wow, this one is really scary. I love strawberries, but like the capsicum, I’m only buying organic from now on. Check this out- In order to increase sweetness, some growers of non-organic strawberries irrigate the plants with water laced with the artificial sweetener NutraSweet!! And that luscious red color is caused by the fungicide Captan, recognized by the EPA as a probable human carcinogen.

It never ceases to amaze me the crazy & dumb things humans will do. Strawberries are beautiful just the way they are! Why do we have to poison & colour them with cancerous toxins?! It’s not even pesticides, it’s just totally unnecessary poisoning.

Chilean Sea Bass

Chilean sea bass lives to an old age (if lucky) and a large size before killed. Warning bells for mercury.

As you’d no doubt guess, I don’t eat the fishies, so I don’t care beyond the fish’s health. If you eat fish regularly, then you really should be worried about your health … & karma. Our oceans just aren’t that clean anymore. I’m wondering about the quantities I eat of nori now..

Genetically Modified Corn

This one is so obvious it’s been screaming Americans in the face for years. A big “Duh!”

The scariest thing about corn is the sheer amount found in the American diet. Corn is in everything from frozen yogurt to ketchup, from mayonnaise and mustard to hot dogs and vitamins. Unless specified as organic, if you live in the US the corn you’re eating is likely genetically modified. Genetically modified produce has not been tested thoroughly enough for long-term consequences, but a series of studies has found significant health risks in animals tested, and an increase in certain allergies for humans, possibly even asthma.

Bluefin Tuna

Once again it’s the mercury, but there are many reasons to not eat this guy. He’s going extinct firstly. ..Actually, I can’t be bothered listing the other reasons… Just stop eating the poor fishies! The fact they’re going extinct should be good enough reason for people to stop, .. but still people order plate after plate at the sushi bar.

Industrially Farmed Chicken

Arsenic. They feed the little dudes arsenic. Can you believe it? Arsenic has been linked to cancer and contributes to other diseases including heart disease, diabetes and mental illnesses.

Plus, The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy “found multiple antibiotic-resistant bacteria in brand-name poultry products . Scientists believe antibiotic use in animals raised for food contributes to antibiotic-resistant bacteria transferred to humans, mainly through contaminated food, resulting in drug-resistant infections. In order to avoid poultry that’s been dosed with antibiotics or given feed laced with arsenic, better to opt for an organic chicken at the grocery store” ..or just don’t eat the little feathered dudes at all!

Non-Organic Apples

Apples are a red flag based, like corn, on the sheer amount of apple in American foods and their reliance of pesticides in certain climates. Apple skins contain higher pesticide residues than the flesh, so it’s good to peel it. Unfortunately, approximately 1/3 of the nutrients come off with the peel.

Cattle Treated With rBGH

I’m sure no one needs to be told about growth hormones imposed on cows & absorbed by carnivorous humans. The use of genetically engineered drug rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone) is common in the cattle industry in the US. Banned by all European nations and Canada, U.S. dairy farmers continue to use the synthetic hormone which escalates production of the cow’s own hormone ICF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1). This hormone is passed on when humans drink milk from those cows and has been linked to cancers and hormonal disorders.

All this makes me realize how safe food was in NZ with their GE ban. Organic food was plentiful & affordable thanks to the farmers market. The US really has screwed up a bit with food production. Pesticides & chemicals have been linked with so many health issues including diabetes, & it’s intriguing that many of these illnesses have dramatically increased over the years in sync with the use of chemicals in farming.

I’ve only made limited efforts to eat organic over the years, cost being a major hurdle, but with organic produce becoming increasingly affordable & available I think it’s time for me to make the switch. It’s hard to ignore the facts, & not worth the risk.

Other foods that unfortunately make the lists- celery, kale, lettuce, carrot, imported grapes, pears.

*I am in no way a scientist so I cannot vouch for any of these claims. I’m simply sharing my thoughts after doing a little reading. If you have anymore info on this subject I’d be really interested to hear it. Please comment below if you have anything to share. I’m obviously very interested in the topic right now & am keen to learn more.