12 foods to eat only if they're organic

3. Spinach
Spinach is relatively simple to grow when the right conditions are present – sandy soil; a long, cool growing season; and adequate water. When conditions are not right, spinach is susceptible to aphid infestations, insect damage and mildew. Because spinach is often grown in less than ideal conditions, conventional farmers use significant amounts of pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. More than 60 per cent of the nonorganic spinach tested by the FDA contains pesticide residue, including DDT, permethrin and other highly toxic pesticides. Several organophosphates are used on spinach crops, including chlorothalonil, a probable human carcinogen.

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Excerpted from To Buy or Not To Buy Organic, copyright 2007 by Cindy Burke. Used by permission of Avalon Publishing Group.
All Rights Reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced except with permission in writing from the publisher.