Every year, the Environmental Working Group develops a Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™, which ranks the pesticide contamination of 46 popular fruits and vegetables. The guide is based on test results by the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration of more than 46,000 samples of produce. The samples are tested for pesticides after they have been thoroughly washed and, when applicable, peeled.
The 2022 guide has been published, and apples are number 5, giving consumers even more reasons to buy organic apple products.
Why are non-organic apples of such great concern?
According to the EWG website, apples are generally always near the top of its Dirty Dozen™ list because they contain an average of 4.4 pesticide residues, including some at high concentrations. Most conventionally grown apples are drenched in diphenylamine, an antioxidant chemical treatment used to prevent the skin of apples in cold storage from developing brown or black patches known as “storage scald.”
American apple growers contend that diphenylamine is a benign treatment. European officials, on the other hand, are not satisfied that it may be harmless and, beginning in 2014, enacted a restriction on imported apples and pears treated with the chemical. The European officials’ concerns center on the possible formation of nitrosamines on diphenylamine-treated fruit. Nitrosamines cause cancer in laboratory animals, and some studies have found that people who eat foods with nitrosamines have elevated rates of stomach and esophageal cancers. Since Americans eat on average more than 10 pounds of raw apples every year apiece, even low levels of nitrosamines on apples could pose a risk to human health.
You can always trust the organic products you buy from North Coast Organic
If you are concerned about reducing pesticides in your foods, you can always trust what you buy from North Coast Organic. That’s because we make all our apple products with only the tastiest 100% ORGANIC produce that’s grown right here in the USA. We’re talking actual WHOLE apples too because we strongly believe that that’s where quality begins, so rest assured, you will never find apple juice concentrate in our products. Besides being free of pesticides and concentrates, we never add sugars, preservatives, colorings or flavorings, including ascorbic acid in our recipes. It has always been and will continue to be our commitment to you. Quality since 1922!
If you’d like to purchase our products, we invite you to check out where North Coast Organic products are sold at markets and grocery stores near you.
Here is the full list of EWG’s Dirty Dozen for 2022
- Strawberries
- Spinach
- Kale, collard and mustard greens
- Nectarines
- Apples
- Grapes
- Bell and hot peppers
- Cherries
- Peaches
- Pears
- Celery
- Tomatoes
North Coast Organic apple products are made in Sebastopol, CA from U.S. grown, USDA Certified Organic apples. They contain no added sugars, preservatives, colorings or flavorings. They are Non-GMO Project Verified, KSA Kosher and produced in BPA-free packaging with the help of solar power from the warm California sun. If you have any other questions, please feel free to Contact Us.
