Attack of the Canned Tomatoes…

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July 30, 2013 by little hurdles big race

I took this whole article right from Prevention Magazine – very few of these items I actually consume anyway.  But what I find most interesting is how the packaging really affects some of the items on this list.  Also, I have heard so much about Apples and Peaches being the most heavily pesticide laden fruits – but this sheds light on how the workers are affected by the pesticides as well.  Food for thought – literally…

Food scientists are shedding light on items loaded with toxins and  chemicals–and simple swaps for a cleaner diet and supersized health.

Clean eating means choosing fruits, vegetables, and meats that are raised,  grown, and sold with minimal processing. Often they’re organic, and rarely (if  ever) should they contain additives. But in some cases, the methods of today’s  food producers are neither clean nor sustainable. The result is damage to our  health, the environment, or both. So we decided to take a fresh look at food  through the eyes of the people who spend their lives uncovering what’s safe–or  not–to eat. We asked them a simple question: “What foods do you avoid?” Their  answers don’t necessarily make up a “banned foods” list. But reaching for the  suggested alternatives might bring you better health–and peace of  mind.
1. The Endocrinologist Won’t Eat: Canned Tomatoes Fredrick Vom Saal, is an endocrinologist at the University of  Missouri who studies bisphenol-A.
The problem: The resin linings  of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to  ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and  obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes  BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people’s body  exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage  to the eggs of animals. “You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato  can, and that’s a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young,”  says vom Saal. “I won’t go near canned tomatoes.”
The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the  brands Bionaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak  boxes, like Trader Joe’s and Pomi.
Budget tip: If your recipe  allows, substitute bottled pasta sauce for canned tomatoes. Look for pasta  sauces with low sodium and few added ingredients, or you may have to adjust the  recipe.

2.  The Farmer Won’t Eat: Corn-Fed Beef Joel Salatin is co-owner of Polyface  Farms and author of half a dozen books on sustainable farming.
The  problem: Cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. But farmers today feed  their animals corn and soybeans, which fatten up the animals faster for  slaughter. But more money for cattle farmers (and lower prices at the grocery  store) means a lot less nutrition for us. A recent comprehensive study conducted  by the USDA and researchers from Clemson University found that compared with  corn-fed beef, grass-fed beef is higher in beta-carotene, vitamin E, omega-3s,  conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), calcium, magnesium, and potassium; lower in  inflammatory omega-6s; and lower in saturated fats that have been linked to  heart disease. “We need to respect the fact that cows are herbivores, and that  does not mean feeding them corn and chicken manure,” says Salatin.
The  solution: Buy grass-fed beef, which can be found at specialty grocers,  farmers’ markets, and nationally at Whole Foods. It’s usually labeled because it  demands a premium, but if you don’t see it, ask your butcher.
Budget  tip: Cuts on the bone are cheaper because processors charge extra for  deboning. You can also buy direct from a local farmer, which can be as cheap as  $5 per pound. To find a farmer near you, search eatwild.com.

3. The Toxicologist Won’t Eat: Microwave Popcorn Olga Naidenko, is  a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group. The problem:  Chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in the lining of the  bag, are part of a class of compounds that may be linked to infertility in  humans, according to a recent study from UCLA. In animal testing, the chemicals  cause liver, testicular, and pancreatic  cancer. Studies show that microwaving causes the chemicals to vaporize–and  migrate into your popcorn. “They stay in your body for years and accumulate  there,” says Naidenko, which is why researchers worry that levels in humans  could approach the amounts causing cancers in laboratory animals. DuPont and  other manufacturers have promised to phase out PFOA by 2015 under a voluntary  EPA plan, but millions of bags of popcorn will be sold between now and  then.
The solution: Pop natural kernels the old-fashioned way: in  a skillet. For flavorings, you can add real butter or dried seasonings, such as  dillweed, vegetable flakes, or soup mix.
Budget tip: Popping your  own popcorn is dirt cheap

4.  The Farm Director Won’t Eat: Nonorganic Potatoes Jeffrey Moyer is the  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 nation’s most popular vegetable–they’re treated  with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill  off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they’re 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 won’t,” says  Moyer, who is also farm director of the Rodale Institute (also owned by Rodale  Inc., the publisher of Prevention). “I’ve 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 isn’t good  enough if you’re 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 spuds.

5. The Fisheries Expert Won’t Eat: Farmed Salmon Dr. David  Carpenter, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the  University at Albany, published a major study in the journal Science on  contamination in fish.
The problem: Nature didn’t intend for  salmon to be crammed into pens and fed soy, poultry litter, and hydrolyzed  chicken feathers. As a result, farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D and higher in  contaminants, including carcinogens, PCBs, brominated flame retardants, and  pesticides such as dioxin and DDT. According to Carpenter, the most contaminated  fish come from Northern Europe, which can be found on American menus. “You could  eat one of these salmon dinners every 5 months without increasing your risk of  cancer,” says Carpenter, whose 2004 fish contamination study got broad media  attention. “It’s that bad.” Preliminary science has also linked DDT to diabetes  and obesity, but some nutritionists believe the benefits of omega-3s outweigh  the risks. There is also concern about the high level of antibiotics and  pesticides used to treat these fish. When you eat farmed salmon, you get dosed  with the same drugs and chemicals.
The solution: Switch to  wild-caught Alaska salmon. If the package says fresh Atlantic, it’s farmed.  There are no commercial fisheries left for wild Atlantic  salmon. Budget tip: Canned salmon, almost exclusively from wild  catch, can be found for as little as $3 a can.
6. The Cancer  Researcher Won’t Drink: Milk Produced With Artificial Hormones Rick North  is project director of the Campaign for Safe Food at the Oregon Physicians for  Social Responsibility and former CEO of the Oregon division of the American  Cancer Society. The problem: Milk producers treat their dairy  cattle with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST, as it is also  known) to boost milk production. But rBGH also increases udder infections and  even pus in the milk. It also leads to higher levels of a hormone called  insulin-like growth factor in milk. In people, high levels of IGF-1 may  contribute to breast, prostate, and colon cancers. “When the government approved  rBGH, it was thought that IGF-1 from milk would be broken down in the human  digestive tract,” says North. As it turns out, the casein in milk protects most  of it, according to several independent studies. “There’s not 100 percent proof  that this is increasing cancer in humans,” admits North. “However, it’s banned  in most industrialized countries.”
The solution: Check labels for  rBGH-free, rBST-free, produced without artificial hormones, or organic milk.  These phrases indicate rBGH-free products.
Budget tip: Try  Wal-Mart’s Great Value label, which does not use rBGH.
7. The  Organic-Foods Expert Won’t Eat: Conventional Apples Mark Kastel, a former  executive for agribusiness, is codirector of the Cornucopia Institute, a  farm-policy research group that supports organic foods.
The problem:  If fall fruits held a “most doused in pesticides contest,” apples would win.  Why? They are individually grafted (descended from a single tree) so that each  variety maintains its distinctive flavor. As such, apples don’t develop  resistance to pests and are sprayed frequently. The industry maintains that  these residues are not harmful. But Kastel counters that it’s just common sense  to minimize exposure by avoiding the most doused produce, like apples. “Farm  workers have higher rates of many cancers,” he says. And increasing numbers of  studies are starting to link a higher body burden of pesticides (from all  sources) with Parkinson’s  disease.
The solution: Buy organic apples.
Budget  tip: If you can’t afford organic, be sure to wash and peel them. But Kastel  personally refuses to compromise. “I would rather see the trade-off being that I  don’t buy that expensive electronic gadget,” he says. “Just a few of these  decisions will accommodate an organic diet for a family.”