We do love our strawberries don’t we?  I know I do, along with most berries, especially blueberries and blackberries.  Did you look at the infographic I posted above?  Astonishing right?

I rely a lot on the Environmental Working Group (EWG) when it comes to any questions I have about produce/food or products I might buy.  EWG is a non-profit, non-partisan organization. Their goal is to provide information to protect your health and environment.   You should check out their website with the link I provided above.

Back to strawberries!

According to the EWG, “Strawberries tested by scientists at the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture in 2014 & 2015 contained 7.7 different pesticides per sample compared to 2.3 pesticides per sample for all other produce”

Pesticides = cheap, year round strawberries.

Yay!  Hmmm not so much😔. In fact, 😡. This is why I buy organic berries. If berries are labeled as USDA Certified Organic, you can be assured that pesticides were not used in the growing of the berries. There is a rigid checklist of standards that must be met before any product can be labeled as “organic”. Do yourself and body a favor and buy organic when it comes to berries.

Yes, you can wash your berries, but that does not eliminate the pesticides used.  Be mindful about those strawberries you love to eat!