US: Pesticides in your peaches: Tribune and USDA studies find pesticides, some in excess of EPA rules, in the fragrant fruit

As we munch into the fragrant core of peach season, shoppers face an array of choices for the same fuzzy fruit but little guidance on which type to pick. Expensive organic? Pricey farmers market? Cheap peaches from the grocery store?

Cost is certainly important. But there are essential numbers that go beyond the price tag of a peach, or any other item from the produce aisle.

Which contain the highest levels of pesticides?

Preliminary 2008 U.S. Department of Agriculture tests obtained by the Chicago Tribune show that more than 50 pesticide compounds showed up on domestic and imported peaches headed for U.S. stores. Five of the compounds exceeded the limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency, and six of the pesticide compounds present are not approved for use on peaches in the United States.

These are the types of findings that have landed peaches on one environmental group’s “Dirty Dozen” list — 12 fruits and vegetables that retain the highest levels of pesticide residues — and give many consumers pause as they shop grocery aisles. It seems that peaches’ delicate constitutions, fuzzy skins and susceptibility to mold and pests cause them to both need and retain pesticides at impressive rates.

Although most pesticides in peaches were found at levels well below EPA tolerances, some scientists and activists remain concerned about even low-level exposure, especially to pregnant women and children. They point to studies, for example, that show cognitive impairment in rats after dietary exposure to chlorpyfiros, a pesticide that showed up in 17 percent of conventional peaches tested by the USDA.

For assurance, some shoppers turn to farmers markets, which don’t guarantee reduced pesticide use but do allow shoppers to discuss pesticide practices with the farmer. Organic, meanwhile, does come with the expectation that the fruit will be free of synthetic pesticides. Yet no government agency ever tested that promise until this year — and so far those tests have been limited to lettuce, with no published results.

To get some hard facts and new insights, the Tribune paid for lab tests on California organic peaches bought here and local farmers market peaches from Illinois and Michigan.

The newspaper sent these samples to the same federal lab where the USDA does its pesticide testing and found promising results. Of the 50 compounds the Tribune had tested for, one showed up on the organic peaches and three or fewer pesticides were detected on the Michigan and Illinois peaches.

“Our growers [in southwest Michigan] pride themselves on being very careful,” said William Shane, district fruit educator for Michigan State University, when he learned how Michigan peaches fared in the test. “We also tend to have smaller operations and it’s easier to keep track of pesticide use.”

The better results in the Tribune’s small sample may also be attributable to the fact that the wider 2008 USDA conventional tests included peaches imported from Chile.

Chilean peaches have, in the past, shown a higher incidence of certain pesticides than U.S. peaches. The conventional samples, taken from more than 700 sites, also included peaches from areas like Georgia and South Carolina where a broader range of pesticides are often needed to control pests and fungus.

More surprising, however, was the presence of the unapproved pesticide fludioxonil on the organic peaches from California. According to Shane, the pesticide is often used on conventional peaches postharvest to slow rot and extend shelf life.

University of Illinois entomologist and extension specialist Rick Weinzierl suggested that the unapproved pesticide could have come from drift or cross-contamination at processing facilities. “But there is always the chance that a farmer is not doing what he is saying,” he added.

Rayne Pegg of the USDA’s agriculture marketing service confirmed that fludioxonil is not an approved compound for organic farming but added, “as long as the concentrations don’t exceed 5 percent of EPA tolerances, it can be sold as organic.” In fact, the USDA allows such levels of any legal pesticide to be present on organic produce. In the wake of recent allegations about slipping standards in the USDA’s National Organic Program, Congress has widened a probe into the NOP and recently USDA announced an independent audit of the program. The organic world was further rocked last month by a controversial British review of nutrient studies that challenged the nutritional benefits of organic produce.

Supporters of organic foods complained that many important studies were left out of the review, and the debate on nutrition ignores the question of pesticide residue.

Although the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act sets pesticide tolerances at levels that offer “a reasonable certainty that no harm will result from aggregate exposure to the chemical residue,” some scientists worry about exposure among children and pregnant women.

Alex Lu, who teaches environmental exposure biology at Harvard, has studied a particularly troubling class of pesticide called organophosphates, or OPs, which showed up consistently in the systems of Seattle-area children ages 3 to 11 who ate non-organic diets. When the children switched to an organic diet for five days, these pesticide levels became nearly undetectable, the study found.

The professor acknowledged the importance of fresh produce in a young diet but is concerned that conventional produce consumption translates too easily into the presence of OPs in these developing systems. He advises against giving children conventionally farmed produce from any items on the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen,” which is culled from FDA and USDA test results. Other produce on that list are strawberries, apples, nectarines, cherries, lettuce, bell peppers, celery, pears, kale, imported grapes and carrots.

Lu is even more concerned about the dietary habits of pregnant women.

“Don’t eat conventional peaches while you are pregnant,” he said. “It’s a critical time. Spend a little bit more money to buy organic just to be safe.”

Dr. Catherine Karr, who serves on the American Academy of Pediatrics Environmental Health committee, stopped short of advising against conventional peaches for children altogether.

“You want to maximize the healthfulness of children’s diets by making sure they get plenty of fruits and vegetables,” she said. “But … you want to minimize their exposure to pesticides, and we know that the best way to do that is by giving them as much organic produce as possible.”

According to the USDA, when its Pesticide Data Program discovers the use of unapproved pesticides or pesticide residues that exceed federal tolerances, it reports them to the FDA and EPA. Because of the length of the complicated screening and reporting process, these violation reports are not used for enforcement but rather to highlight potential problem areas.

“Consumers should feel confident that we collect this data and provide it to the proper regulatory agencies for enforcement,” said USDA spokesman Justin DeJong.

Source: chicagotribune.com
Publication date: 8/13/2009

O.J. Good for the Heart

LAS VEGAS—WebMD reports a flavonoid in orange juice called hesperidin improves blood vessel function and helps lower a person’s risk of heart disease. The findings will be presented this week at the American Heart Association’s Basic Cardiovascular Sciences Annual Conference in Las Vegas.

Twenty-four healthy men at risk for cardiovascular disease each drank either 500 milliliters of orange juice each day, a drink that contained the same calories as orange juice, or a drink fortified with 292 milligrams of hesperidin every day for one month. A 500-milliliter glass of orange juice naturally contains 292 milligrams of hesperidin.

The men who drank the daily orange juice or the hesperidin-fortified drink had better endothelial function and lower diastolic blood pressure than the men that drank the non-hesperidin beverage.

Organic Trade Association announces 2009-2010 Board and officers

Congratulations, Uncle Matt!

GREENFIELD, Mass. (June 9,, 2009)—Julia Sabin of Smucker Natural Foods, Inc., has been re-elected by the Organic Trade Association’s (OTA’s) Board of Directors to continue as its President for the coming year.

Other officers for 2009-2010 are Matt McLean of Uncle Matt’s Organics, Inc.,Vice President – U.S.A.; Hélène Bouvier of Organic Ranchers, Inc., Vice President—Canada; Todd Linsky, Cal-Organic/Grimmway Farms, Secretary; and Chuck Marcy, Healthy Food Holdings, LLC, Treasurer.

In the recent OTA Board of Directors election, OTA trade member companies elected the following: Nicole Dawes of Late July Organic Snacks, Kelly Shea of WhiteWave Foods, Craig Weakley of Small Planet Foods, Inc., and Tom Cowell of Growers International Organic Sales, Inc. Cowell fills a Canadian seat on the board.

In addition, the OTA Board of Directors selected Todd Linsky to fill a three-year appointed term.

Other members on the board include Tony Bedard of Frontier Natural Products Co-op, Sarah Bird of Annie’s, Inc., Jack Erisman of Goldmine Farms, Theresa Marquez of Organic Valley/CROPP Cooperative, Marty Mesh of Florida Organic Growers and Consumers, Inc./Quality Certification Services, and Melody Meyer of Albert’s Organics.

Going off the board with the completion of their terms are Lynn Clarkson of Clarkson Grain Company, Dag Falck of Nature’s Path Foods, Inc., and Phil Margolis of Neshaminy Valley Natural Foods Distributor, Ltd.

The results of the election will be shared with members at OTA’s Annual Meeting to be held Wednesday, June 17, at 7:45 a.m. at All Things Organic Conference and Trade Show and OTA Member Days, Lakeside Center, McCormick Place, in Chicago, IL.

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers’ associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA’s Board of Directors is democratically elected by its members. OTA’s mission is to promote and protect the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy (www.ota.com).

Uncle Matt’s Anniversary news cited in Natural Foods Merchandiser

Uncle Matt’s Organic celebrates 10 years in the organic orange juice business this year, and Natural Foods Merchandiser magazine was kind enough to pick this bit of ‘juicy’ news up! Click below to see the feature.

Natural Foods Merchandiser article

Uncle Matt’s featured in Florida Trend

‘A Better Way to Farm’

by Diane Sears

“I think you’ll see organic continue to grow 10% to 15% if we can see research to show consumers the health benefits.” — Organic farmer Matt McLean on the industry’s annual rate of growth Nearly 15 years ago, a phone call from a German customer seeking organic grapefruit juice sent then-citrus exporter Matt McLean on a quest to find out why it wasn’t available in most U.S. grocery stores.Today, McLean operates the state’s largest organic citrus operation. Uncle Matt’s, based in Clermont in Lake County, is celebrating its 10th anniversary, capitalizing on a trend that has seen sales of organic agricultural products jump from $1 billion nationally in 1990 to $20 billion in 2007. The industry still has plenty of room for growth, McLean says. According to the Organic Trade Association, a group on which McLean serves as national vice president, only 2.8% of all U.S. food and beverage sales involve products grown organically. McLean’s company, like others in the industry, has recorded average growth of 15% to 20% per year, compared with 3% to 5% for conventional agricultural products. A fourth-generation citrus grower who worked in the groves as a child, McLean has returned to the ways his grandfather and great-grandfather grew fruit before pesticides were readily available. When McLean started his company, his grandfather advised him to think about how to begin with healthy soil and healthy trees that can fight off pests without chemical interference. Uncle Matt’s now owns about 500 groves and manages another 500 that are owned by other growers dedicated to organic practices. He employs 12 full time, including his parents. His brother and brother-in-law work there part time. Uncle Matt’s sells the oldest brand of organic orange juice in the country. Because the products cost more than non-organic food, they are a tough sell during challenging times, McLean admits. “At times we feel like we’re not-for-profit,” he says. “But we have a mission and a vision we stay true to. We think it’s a better way to farm.” Source: Florida Trend Magazine

Conventional Orange Production Leaves Hefty Carbon Footprint

By Tom Sellen

KANSAS CITY (Dow Jones) — So you think a glass of orange juice is not only healthy but easy on the environment? Not so fast. Nutritious, yes, but that glass of Florida sunshine leaves an unmistakable carbon footprint.

Concerned consumers do have choices. They can turn to more expensive organic products that are equally healthy and claim to tread more softly on Mother Earth. Or they can seek out companies that are trying to reduce their environmental impact.

One company, Tropicana, owned by beverage giant PepsiCo (PEP), is making an effort to reduce its carbon footprint. Tropicana had its flagship Pure Premium Orange Juice certified by the Carbon Trust, becoming the first company to do so in North America. The lifecycle carbon output of a 64-ounce carton is 1.7 kilograms, or 3.74 pounds, the Carbon Trust found.

“A firm commitment to environmental sustainability is in our DNA, so this is a natural step for Tropicana,” Neil Campbell, president of Tropicana Products North America, said in a press release.

People may be surprised at Tropicana’s carbon footprint, however, considering it’s nearly as much as the entire product weighs.

The verification process revealed that over 60% of Tropicana’s carbon emissions are tied to agricultural and manufacturing activities such as grove maintenance, irrigation, fertilizer and pesticide applications. And, it includes crushing the fruit into juice. The remaining 40% is tied up in transportation, packaging, consumer use and disposal.

The foot-printing is part of a wider effort by PepsiCo to reduce its environmental impact by the year 2015, which includes goals of reducing water and energy use by 20% and fuel use by 25% compared to 2006 levels.

A verifiable carbon footprint measures the impact on the environment in the form of greenhouse gases released by an individual, a company or specific product. By identifying the elements, Pepsico can see where and how to make changes.

As for organic orange juice, those associated with its production claim its carbon footprint is much lighter since they use no synthetic herbicides or insecticides and limited amounts of nitrogen-based fertilizer. They have studies to back up the claims. But no organic product has yet been certified by the Carbon Trust.

“The (carbon) reduction is quite sizable,” said Charles Benbrook, chief scientist with the Organic Center in Troy, Ore., of organic production.

Benbrook said about one-third of the total energy use (of conventional citrus) is tied up in fertilizer. “Under organic production, that would probably be cut at least in half,” he said, referencing a 2006 study done by David Pimentel at Cornell University.

The process used to determine Tropicana’s carbon footprint included mapping the production lifecycle from growing the oranges to harvesting and squeezing them, to putting the containers on grocery store shelves and finally disposing of, or recycling, the packaging.

Since Tropicana is the first consumer brand to be carbon-certified in the U.S., there is no comparable data on the market for consumers.

Organic orange juice offers consumers an immediate alternative for those concerned about conventional methods of growing oranges.

“I applaud the efforts of PepsiCo in their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint,” said Matt McLean, a fourth-generation citrus grower and president of Uncle Matt’s Organic Orange Juice in Clermont, Fla.

Citrus has many natural enemies, and growers are accustomed to controlling pests and diseases with synthetic products. Nitrogen fertilizer, made from natural gas and urea, is widely used in global agriculture practices and contributes to global carbon dioxide emissions.

But organic orange production reduces the fertilizer-related energy use by about one-half and the pesticide-related energy use by two-thirds, the Cornell University study showed.

Conventional orange production does return some energy to the environment as livestock feed. Processing plants take the leftover pulp and peel, dry it and turn it into pellets to use as a supplement for livestock rations.

McLean is investigating the possibility of having his organic juice carbon-mapped, but he speculates that his production methods leave a smaller print on the environment.

“I can’t speak to the other growing methods versus ours from the standpoint of a carbon footprint, I can only tell you this: If their nitrogen fertilizer and pesticides are causing them (carbon emissions) to spike, then we have a chance to be lower,” said McLean.

McLean uses only natural sources of nitrogen, such as compost, feather or fishmeal for fertilizer. Natural pesticides such as ladybugs, parasitic wasps, sulfur and oil from the fast-growing neem tree are used to keep harmful insect populations down and to fight disease.

A big advantage of organic orange production in Florida is reduced movement of nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizers into Lake Okeechobee, along with other surface and groundwater, said Benbrook.

Most of the land surrounding the lake is in agriculture. Whether it is ranching, citrus, vegetable or sugarcane production, the activity contributes to about 92% of the total phosphorus load in Okeechobee, according to information on www.LakeOkeechobee.org. <http://www.LakeOkeechobee.org>

Citrus growers of all stripes have been locked in a battle with industry-threatening diseases the past several years. Bacterial diseases like citrus canker and citrus greening are entrenched in Florida, and synthetic sprays are widely used to combat their spread.

Raymond Royce, a Sebring-based citrus grower and former executive director of the Highlands County Citrus Growers Association, thinks organic production will hit a wall of disease.

“Given the disease challenges that are in Florida right now, I have a feeling that there are going to be fewer and fewer organic growers if for no other reason that…greening will just kill their trees deader than a doornail within several years,” said Royce.

Citrus canker weakens trees ability to produce a crop and blemishes the fruit. Greening, however, spread by the Asian citrus psyllid insect, kills a tree within one to three years of infection.

It is extremely difficult for a commercial orange grower to produce the volume of oranges needed in organic production to remain viable, Royce explained.

Organic orange juice sales have grown to nearly $20 million a year, McLean estimates – a drop in the bucket compared to annual sales of $1.18 billion for conventional orange juice, data from industry tracker AC Nielsen show.

While conventional production may exact a higher environmental price, consumers must be willing to pay a much higher financial price for a glass of organic orange juice.

The average price of a half gallon of organic is about $5.99-$6.49, McLean said. That compares to just $6.68 for a gallon of conventionally grown not-from-concentrate orange juice.

In the midst of one of the worst recessions since the early 1980s and consumers cutting discretionary spending, that might be a tall order.

Uncle Matt’s Organic Celebrates Ten Years of Organic Excellence

Uncle Matt’s Organic, the oldest organic orange juice brand in the U.S., is celebrating its 10th year of organic excellence … and is continuing to grow!

According to Matt McLean, Founder and CEO, “We started this business with three acres of orange groves in my father’s backyard and we now are more than 1,000 acres strong between our family’s holdings and the 15 other family owned groves that our company manages.” The current 2008-09 citrus season has yielded the largest amount of fresh citrus and juice in the company’s history.

Uncle Matt’s is America’s premiere brand of organic orange juice offering a fresh squeezed taste and gourmet quality without the additives, artificial flavors or preservatives that are so often found in other products. “Just a pure, delicious blend of organic Hamlin and Valencia oranges from the USA picked when the sugar is high and the acid is low,” comments McLean. The company is vertically integrated as grower, manager and marketer of organic citrus and helps conventional citrus growers transition to organic.

Uncle Matt’s Organic has been a pioneering force and agricultural activist in the development of the organic citrus industry for this country. From lobbying in Washington DC to shaping public policy, McLean has assumed a leadership role by serving on the board of directors of the Organic Trade Association for the last three years.

McLean is a part of a fourth generation citrus family where organic has been a way of life from the beginning. Citrus is truly a passion with this family held business with his father and mother, brother, wife and brother-in-law all taking active positions in the company.

To learn more about what happens in the organic groves of central Florida, visit www.unclematts.com and watch short educational videos that address organic citrus farming.

Uncle Matt’s Organic offers premium quality organic juices while Uncle Matt’s Fresh offers premium quality organic citrus produce. The companies’ products have no synthetic additives or preservatives. To further assure high quality standards, the juice is certified Kosher and Pareve by Orthodox Union. Produce and finished products are produced under the strict regulation and guidelines of Quality Certification Services, the largest and most respected organic certifier in Florida. Products are available in health food stores and supermarkets around the country. The company is an active member of OTA and supports the Organic Farming Research Foundation. For more information, see www.unclematts.com.

New video from Uncle Matt’s: A freeze report

In our video series this month, we’re getting a freeze update from Benny McLean, Production Manager for Uncle Matt’s Organic. Benny shares how and why a citrus grove will freeze, and why running irrigation is so important! Check out the video below.

Uncle Matt’s in the Lake Sentinel

Amy Mariani |Sentinel Staff Writer

CLERMONT – Benny McLean of Uncle Matt’s Organic, a juice company, has been in the citrus business his whole life.

His father grew citrus, and McLean said he was out in the groves as “soon as I could hold a hoe.”

Though the 66-year-old production manager has worked in the business his whole life, the winter months still cause him plenty of worry.

“I’m always concerned until Easter, and once we’re past Easter we kind of feel out of the woods,” he said.

Easter probably seemed a long way off for many local citrus growers this week as Lake County experienced below-freezing temperatures Wednesday and Thursday nights.

Florida Citrus Mutual, a trade organization representing citrus growers, is investigating the cold weather’s impact on citrus crops throughout Central Florida.

“We expect some damage,” said Andrew Meadows, a Florida Citrus Mutual spokesman. “How much, we don’t know right now.”

Meadows said it will take a few days for growers to assess the damage to their crops.

Temperatures need to drop to at least 28 degrees for four or more hours before citrus crops suffer, he said. In Clermont, it was about 30 degrees overnight Wednesday and Thursday.

Meadows doubts the low temperatures will wipe out citrus operations in Lake and other parts of Central Florida.

“We’re still going to have quality crop, quality juice,” he said.

McLean’s biggest concern is ice in the fruit. This happens when juice inside becomes frozen and the oranges and grapefruits can no longer be sold as fresh fruit. They still can be sold for juicing, however.

McLean said some of his colder locations — in low-lying areas between the hills on his property — had ice in the fruit. The citrus groves in low areas are especially vulnerable because cold air settles in those pockets.

Uncle Matt’s Organic, which has about 500 acres in Clermont and 500 acres in Polk County, has only one or two groves in such cold locations, McLean said.

Though December and January typically are the key months for freezes, McLean said February also can be a month when crops are vulnerable.

“The majority of the citrus up here in the Clermont area will start blooming in the end of February,” he said. “So if we get a late frost or a bad cold in that critical period, we lose next year’s crop” in addition to what’s still left on the trees.

To protect their fruit, Meadows said growers cover their trees in a protective frost by watering them. McLean said that as soon as it goes below 35 degrees, he turns on the irrigation system and keeps it on until sunrise.

“The formation of ice actually creates energy, which can raise the temperature up,” Meadows said. “In turn, it protects the fruit and the trees.”

McLean said water isn’t always a good thing. If it’s too windy, the energy will be blown away, and all that’s left is water as cold as the wind chill. “You end up getting wood damage on your tree,” he said.

The weekend should be warmer. Tonight is expected to hit a low of 46 degrees, more than 10 degrees higher than this week’s lows in the 30s. Sunday night should even be warmer, with a low in the 50s.

Freezes during the 1980s cost Florida’s citrus industry hundreds of millions of dollars in lost crops and wiped out about 120,000 acres of citrus trees in Lake — 90 percent of the county’s acreage.

Lake never bounced back and has about 15,000 acres, according to 2006 census estimates. In 1996, Lake had an estimated 21,000 acres.

Lake produced about 6.5 million boxes of citrus during the 2005-06 season, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The state produced 174 million boxes that season.

Amy Mariani can be reached at amariani@orlandosentinel.com or 352-742-5919.

Cold weather alert

Florida growers are watching the weather closely tonight as temperatures are expected to dip below the freezing mark. Florida Grower editor Frank Giles asked Benny McLean, with Uncle Matt’s in Clermont, about past freezes and what their plans are for the cold night.

Watch the video by clicking here.