When to buy organic: The video

By Amy Rosenthal, EWG Outreach Manager

My favorite farmer's market just closed for the winter, forcing me back to the grocery store to shop for produce. Since I can't ask the guys at Safeway about their spraying policies, like I can when I get to talk right to the farmer, I'll be pulling out my Shopper's Guide to Pesticides to help make decisions in the produce aisle.

As much as I'd like to buy all organic, it just isn't always realistic, given the cost and availability of organic fruits & veggies. EWG's Shopper's Guide ranks 47 types of produce based on the amount of pesticide residues found on them, which is a huge help to decide when buying organic is most worthwhile for my health, and when buying conventional can be OK.

The list has been around since 1995 (updated when new data becomes available), but now for the first time you can see and hear how it works (ahhh, technology). Here I am, straight from EWG HQ in Washington, DC, giving the lowdown on the 2009 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce:

Get your own! I'm sure you want your own copy now: for a printable, wallet-sized pdf with the Dirty Dozen & Clean 15 lists, visit EWG's FoodNews website. From there you can also download the handy iPhone app, or get a Dirty Dozen magnet by donating at least $5 to EWG.

Happy healthy shopping!

PS - If you were spellbound by my video premiere, share it with your friends by grabbing a link or embed it on your blog. And be sure to check out Environmental Working Group's YouTube channel, where you can see EWG experts answering environmental health questions in our "Ask EWG" series.

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