Interesting note about nonorganic potatoes Jeffrey Moyer, chair of the National Organic Standards Board: The problem: Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes—the nations most popular vegetable—theyre treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After theyre dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting. Try this experiment: Buy a conventional potato in a store, and try to get it to sprout. It wont, says Moyer, who is also farm director of the Rodale Institute (also owned by Rodale Inc., the publisher of Prevention). Ive talked with potato growers who say point-blank they would never eat the potatoes they sell. They have separate plots where they grow potatoes for themselves without all the chemicals. The solution: Buy organic potatoes. Washing isnt good enough if youre trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh. Budget tip: Organic potatoes are only $1 to $2 a pound, slightly more expensive than conventional potatoes. Keep in mind--the eco-footprint of potatoes grown outside of Ontario, Quebec or the Northeastern U.S. can be considerable.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 15:07:28 +0000
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