Our Story     Meet the Founder     Join Our Team     Rewards Program     Blog
Apr 25
Love0

Wishy-Washy: Brown Bag Talks Fruit and Vegetable Washes

By BBBlog

We’re sure you’ve seen it in grocery stores, those bottles of fruit and vegetable wash.  You spray it on, then wipe or wash it off and—voila!—no more dirt and bacteria, right?  Maybe, but there may be better and more cost-effective ways to get your produce clean.  Do you really need to go out and buy a special wash just for your fruits and veggies?  Probably not, but researchers do say that you should skip the antibacterial soap sitting by the sink.  That may be best for germy little hands, but no one recommends eating it.  Instead of looking to rid your produce of bacteria by using soap, why not try something that you probably already have on hand (and that will cost you pennies)?

The editors at Cooks Illustrated did  some testing and found that the best solution for cleaning your fruits and veggies is water and white vinegar (one part vinegar to three parts water).  This is a winning combination (not just for your windows and glass) that removes bacteria very effectively, especially on smooth-skinned produce like, apples, pears, tomatoes, etc.  Try filling a clean spray bottle with your water and vinegar solution, then spritzing each piece of produce a few times and rinsing it with plain water.  Cold water eliminates the vinegar taste, and, in tests, the water/vinegar solution eliminated 98 percent of bacteria.

Other less effective ways (but still safe and better than nothing) are: rinsing the produce in plain water and/or using a soft brush to scrub the produce.  Using a scrub brush removed about 85 percent of bacteria present, while rinsing with water alone removed just slightly less.  So, a vinegar and water solution is the best way to clean smooth-skinned produce, but what’s the best way to clean leafy greens or veggies like broccoli with so many nooks and crannies?

The vinegar and water solution is still best but clearly more difficult to use.  It’s not always easy to find a bowl big enough for your lettuce (and each leave must be removed from the head and rinsed individually to really get it clean), as well as enough vinegar/water solution to cover and clean it.  What experts found worked just as well is simply soaking the produce in water.  Fill your sink (your CLEAN sink) with enough water to cover whatever needs to be cleaned, and then just let the produce soak in the water for 2 minutes or so; this process should remove about 98 percent of bacteria present on the produce.  However, food safety experts do not recommend this process because of worries over cross-contamination (the bacteria washed off of your produce will now be in your sink, ready to contaminate the next thing that touches it).  According to Sandria Godwin of  the Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at Tennessee State University (who also conducted a study on just these techniques) suggests that cleaning your sink after washing your produce will take care of any cross-contamination problems that might be looming.

What if you’re really in a pinch and wiping that piece of fruit off on a shirt is your only option?  Godwin says it’s better than nothing (but results depend on the general cleanliness of the shirt).  A better choice, she says, is to cut off the blossom and stem ends of the fruit because most bacteria will be present in those places.  In the meantime, skip the fancy produce wash and start rinsing; if you can whip up your own little water/vinegar solution, even better.

Apr 18
Love0

Brown Bag Wants to Know: Wait! Is That Organic?

By BBBlog

We talked a couple of weeks ago about the “Dirty Dozen,” a list of fruits and vegetables that you should only buy organic; and last week, we went over the “Clean Fifteen,” those fruits and veggies that are generally low in pesticides  even if they’re not grown organically.  Unfortunately, those two lists aren’t the end-all-and-be-all of safe/unsafe foods.  We’ve done a little more research for you, and there’s more. So, without further ado, we give you the “Wait! Is That Organic?” list of foods to think about.

Baby Food:  Children are especially vulnerable to pesticides, so think about buying organic baby food whenever possible. Think about the sensitivity of a young child’s stomach, the rate at which their bodies and their brains grow and then decide how much risk you’re willing to take with baby food that is potentially high in pesticides.

Peanut Butter:  Have you given much thought to your peanut butter before, or have you, like most people, just grabbed your old faithful and spent the rest of your shopping time thinking about organic produce?  Well, now it’s time to consider your peanut butter.  Non-organic peanut butters are high in pesticides and fungus, and they also contain aflatoxin, a potential carcinogen.  Peanut butter and jelly are staples of childhood, so go back to the argument for organic baby food and add “peanut butter” to the paragraph.

Milk:  A lot of you are already reaching for the organic moo juice, but if you’re not, give this some thought:  Conventional dairy cows are routinely given hormones, antibiotics and grain that is full of pesticides, and all of those things eventually are poured into your child’s morning sippy cup of milk (and your coffee!).  And if your child is drinking whole milk (which many young children do), know this:  The higher the fat level, the higher the pesticide level.

Meat:  So goes the milk, so goes the meat.  Animal feed, as we said above, often contains pesticides, antibiotics and growth hormones; it’s just common sense that these things can also end up in the meat one eats.  It’s also probable that the use of antibiotics in food production is helping to foster drug-resistant bacteria, and no one wants that. Just say no to meat that is not raised organically.

Eggs:  Pesticide residue, antibiotics and growth hormones are passed from chickens to eggs, so those eggs you’re using to cook, bake and otherwise feed your family, are spreading their negative qualities throughout your diet.  Organic eggs are produced by chickens that are not given antibiotics or growth hormones, and that are fed only organic feed.

Shopping for food these days can be time consuming and confusing.  Is this organic?  What’s the English translation of this 20-letter word in this list of ingredients?  Why did my apples triple in price with the word “organic”?  There are so many things to think about and prices just keep rising in the grocery store.  It’s not always easy to know which foods are safe to eat without the “organic” label, which foods you should always buy only in organic varieties, and/or which foods have a sort of self-protection from harmful chemicals.  We hope these last few blogs have given you a start, a place to jump from when you think about what to put in your cart this week.  Eating organic foods grown locally is important to Brown Bag and we hope you’ll join us in supporting local farmers, especially local organic farmers, by searching them out and bringing the best and cleanest food to your table.

Apr 11
Love0

Mr. Clean: Brown Bag Talks the “Clean Fifteen”

By BBBlog

In our last blog, we finished up the list of “The Dirty Dozen,”  those fruits and veggies that, even after being washed and peeled, retain the highest amounts of pesticide residue.  Now, we want to give you the “Clean Fifteen:” Produce that has the lowest amount of pesticide residue.  If you’re looking to cut your grocery bill safely, the items on the “Clean Fifteen” list might help.  So, here goes!

Onions:  Onions are the squeakiest of all!  Less than 1% of onions tested had any pesticide residue.

Sweet Corn:  98% percent of all frozen and fresh corn samples had no detectable pesticide residues.  If you’re concerned about GMO’s, do your research.  GMO’s are very common in corn and not taken into account when determining the “Clean Fifteen.”

Pineapples:  Only 6 different pesticides were found on pineapples.  Not too shabby.

Avacado:  Avacados have thick skin that protects the fruit from pesticides.

Mango:  Mangoes, like avocados, are protected by their thick skin, but you should still wash them before you dive in with your knife.

Asparagus:  Asparagus isn’t plagued by as many pests as other fruits and veggies, and so, requires little pesticide.  Eat up!

Sweet Peas:  These little gems are the least likely vegetables to contain pesticide residue according to the Environmental Working Group.

Kiwi:  Ever heard the term “saved by the skin of their teeth?”  Kiwi may not have teeth, but their skin saves them (and you) from the effects of pesticides.  Give them a rinse and then enjoy!

Cabbage:  Your cabbage isn’t swimming in pesticides because (luckily!) it doesn’t require a lot of chemicals to grow.  You will find it chock-full of beta-carotene though, so eat up!

Eggplant:  A thick skin does more than protect your feelings—it keeps your eggplant safe from pesticide contamination.  And it’s purple!  How often do you get to squeeze that color into your food rainbow?

Papaya: The pesticides used on papaya stay on the skin, so wash, peel and eat!

Watermelon:  We just have one word for you: rind.  Just try getting through that thing!

Broccoli:  Fewer pest threats mean fewer pesticides.  Apparently, bugs agree with children: Broccoli is not a treat.  Though we happen to disagree.:)

Tomato:  In 2008, tomatoes were on the “Dirt Dozen” list and now they’re hanging out with the “Clean Fifteen.”  What happened?  The Environmental Working Group doesn’t seem to understand either, but lately, tomatoes are coming up clean.

Sweet Potatoes:  This super food comes up super clean! Enjoy your vitamin A and beta carotene.

At the end of the day, the farms that produce these “Clean Fifteen” veggies are more than likely still using pesticides, whether on these items or others that they grow, and pesticides seep into ground water and otherwise damage ecosystems.  So, give a thought to the earth and seek out local, organic produce whenever possible.  At Brown Bag, we look as close to home as possible for the produce that goes into all of our food, and we believe firmly that organic is best.  You’re eating clean at Brown Bag.:)

 

Apr 05
Love0

The Dirty Dozen, Part 2: Grape Expectations

By BBBlog

Last week, we started telling you all about the “Dirty Dozen,” a list of fruits and veggies that you should always eat organic because they’re high in pesticide residue and other chemicals.  This week, we continue!  Onward and upward with the last half of the “Dirty Dozen!”

Grapes:  Grapes are frequent fliers on the “Dirty Dozen” list.  While you’ll find that imported grapes are especially high in pesticide residue, domestic grapes aren’t significantly better.  Where grapes go, raisins are sure to follow.  Consider going organic on your raisin selection as well; raisins have been tested and also have a high amount of pesticide residue stuck to them.  As much as we hate to point this out:  Take a minute or two to ponder your wine selection—but don’t freak out yet!  Organic wines are available.

Sweet Bell Peppers—If you’re looking to add some color to your plate with bell peppers, go organic.  Nearly 50 different chemicals have been identified on sweet bell peppers during testing.  Sadly, it seems that “tasting the rainbow” only makes things worse.  Tests show that colorful bell peppers (orange, yellow and red) are much worse than green.

Potatoes:  Say it ain’t so! (Sorry, it is!)  USDA testing has shown more than 35 pesticides found on potatoes.  So much for that baked potato soup, French fries, and scalloped potatoes?  Not if you buy organic.  Your other alternative?  Try sweet potatoes; they’re much safer than their white brethren.

Blueberries:  It’s the berries, again.  While we all know we need to eat more of them because they’re jam-packed with vitamins and antioxidants, you really need to eat berries grown organically.  More than 50 different pesticide residues have been found on blueberries, and while we’d like to tell you to try cherries or cranberries instead, we can’t safely say it.  These berries may not have made the “Dirty Dozen” list, but they’re generally high in chemical residue and should only be eaten organic.  Still want some fruit on your cereal?  Try bananas!

Lettuce:  Leafy greens can be tricky, and so we add lettuce to the list with spinach.  When tested, more than 50 different chemicals were found on lettuce, making it a surefire member of the “Dirty Dozen.”  Farmers markets are likely places to find your favorite salad staple organically grown, but if you’re really having trouble finding organic lettuce, look for a green alternative like asparagus.

Kale:  Kale is one of our favorite super foods, and generally known as a pretty hardy plant, so we were a little surprised to see it on the “Dirty Dozen” list.  For whatever reason, when tested, it had quite a lot of pesticide residue (which it holds onto firmly) and ended up here.  If you’re looking for a dark green alternative, try broccoli, asparagus or dandelion greens.

So, there you have it!  If you’re like us, you’re probably trying to stick to organic, pesticide-free produce as much as we are, but it’s not always easy.  We hope this list helps you identify those fruits and veggies that you should stay away from and has offered you some alternatives when organic varieties of your favorites aren’t available.  Next time, we’re serving up the “Clean Fifteen;” fifteen of the safest fruits and veggies to eat that are not grown organically.