Pesticides have become a huge topic of discussion when it comes to our food. Today were exploring the topic in order to learn exactly what the differences are between pesticide and pesticide-free foods.
Pesticides are anything used to kill or control unwanted elements on the fields. They help the farmers keep their crops healthy, but have been linked to some human health risks, such as cancer and reproductive issues. Pesticides are good because they allow fresh produce to last longer, which may be beneficial if you are not intending to use the fruits of vegetables right away. There are also pesticides that are more sustainable and do not use harmful chemicals, often used in organic farming, meaning that you can buy produce that were protected by pesticides but that do not have the health risks.
Pesticide-free produce are any produce that have not been contaminated with synthetic pesticides at any point. This is a somewhat misleading claim because there are no regulations specific to the “pesticide-free” label, meaning that a product could be advertised as pesticide-free even if it is not. A way to get around this is to buy organic products, who are regulated by multiple companies. This works because farms cannot use synthetic pesticides if they want to be certified organic, and because there are regulations, it is difficult to claim that a product is organic if it is not. The downside to this is that organic produce are often more expensive than normal produce due to their status, meaning it might not be an option for every consumer.
Overall, choosing whether to buy pesticide or pesticide-free produce is a personal choice that depends on multiple factors. If you do choose to buy pesticide-free produce, make sure you are looking for the right certifications in order to make sure the claim is true!