Would You Eat a Tomato Sprayed in Windex?

Painting by Matthis Grunsky

By Jacqueline Astete

Close your eyes and imagine yourself in the comfort of your employer’s kitchen, making the kids lasagna. Imagine you are just about to add your final ingredient, the pièce de résistance, a tomato.  Now, take a bottle of Windex and generously spray the tomato with the blue glass cleanser. Next, take another tomato and don’t spray it with glass cleaner.

With just one tomato to add to your lasagna, which tomato would you choose?  Which tomato would you eat or serve to the children in your care?

Organic foods are produced using methods that do not involve synthetic pesticidesand chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.  

“The Dirty Dozen” is a popular term for the 12 fruits and vegetables found with the most synthetic pesticides on them. With Earth Day coming up this Sunday, April 22, 2012 I urge you to consider making one simple change this week. Just consider choosing organically grown fruits and vegetables this week, especially those listed as the Dirty Dozen below.

1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines
7. Imported Grapes
8. Imported Sweet Bell Peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries
11. Domestic Lettuce
12. Kale/Collard Greens