Is That Five-Dollar Tomato Worth It?

Organic products, once limited to specialty food stores, have become mainstream. With so many products now labeled as organic, and especially because of their higher prices, it’s important to know which ones are worth the extra cost. A New York Times article on 7/29 cited a that helps shoppers make informed choices. The study recommends taking a pass on organic seafood, for example, which may be no freer of mercury or PCB’s than non-organic seafood. For guidance on which seafood is safe, the Times article recommended a web site run by the .
The foods where it does pay to go organic, according to Consumer Reports, include: apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach and strawberries—all of which tend to have high pesticide residue, even after washing. Also recommended are organic meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, and baby food.
h3(matt). Matt’s View
p(matt). Standard money-saving advice is to eat out less often. However, with two-thirds of households now buying organics, which can cost twice as much as their non-organic equivalents, eating in is becoming less of a bargain. The six-page Consumer Reports study is worth reading in its entirety. It adds clarity to a food-buying experience cluttered with misleading health claims, and keeps us from paying for benefits that, in some cases, are more perception than reality.