When Buying Organic is Eating Away at Your Grocery Bill

Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide as well as the most extensively used chemical herbicide in the entire world. It is most commonly encountered in Monsanto’s RoundUp Weed Killer, which is the most ubiquitous weed killer in the entire world. The chances are high that this known carcinogen is in the bulk of the food that is in your pantry right now and it presents a significant health hazard to those who consume it. The surest way to prevent glyphosate from hiding in the recesses of your home is to eat organic. Sadly, most of us are aware that organic food (once just referred to as “food”) does tend to be more costly than your chemical-drenched, conventionally produced foods. With a little education, however, and putting your priorities in place, it is plausible for you to purchase organic where it really matters and stay within your carefully laid-out grocery budget.

Herbicide Levels in Common Produce

Not all fruits and vegetables are created equal. Some varieties of produce will contain enormous quantities of chemicals within, while others have only a small portion. Based on data collected by the non-profit Environmental Working Group, who examine the outcomes of government herbicide testing here in the United States, the following list of vegetables and fruits have the largest quantities of herbicide chemicals in them, so you would be much better off purchasing the organic variety:

• Apples;
• Hot peppers;
• Kale and other collard greens;
• Cherry tomatoes;
• Sweet bell peppers;
• Strawberries;
• Summer squash;
• Cucumbers;
• Grapes;
• Imported nectarines;
• Celery;
• Spinach;
• Potatoes; and
• Peaches.

Commonly referred to as the “Clean 15,” the following vegetables and fruits normally have very small quantities of herbicides and other chemicals in them, even when they have been conventionally produced. If eating organic is creating a problem with your grocery bill, this list of produce is satisfactory even if it is non-organic:

• Asparagus;
• Mango;
• Onion;
• Cantaloupe;
• Avocado;
• Kiwi;
• Papaya;
• Grapefruit;
• Mushrooms;
• Pineapple;
• Eggplant;
• Cabbage;
• Sweet potatoes;
• Frozen sweet peas; and
• Sweet corn.

Organic Eggs, Dairy, and Meat

If eggs, dairy, and meat are items that you feel the need to incorporate into your diet, then you really need to be buying organic as frequently as possible. While health care groups like the National Institute of Health and the American Heart Association constantly advise us against eating red and processed meats, and warn us that consuming saturated fat from any origin raises the chance of developing heart disease, the American public continues to gulp them down. There is a growing abundance of research that has led to health reports, however, that prove that consuming grass-fed, organic eggs, dairy, and meat do not impose the same risks on your health. These foods tend to show higher amounts of healthy fats (Omega-3s) and smaller quantities of heavy metals, bad fats, and overall chemical levels. This research also demonstrates that alongside the inferior quality of the product, the manufactured diet of today’s industrially bred, factory farmed animals plays a vital role in the matter. This would include a diet made up of genetically engineered corn, which no animal is created to consume or digest, and the vast number of antibiotics, hormones, and other medications that are constantly put into them.

Meat is a Business, Not a Food

The typical American diet incorporates 271 pounds of meat per person per year. According to data collected by the North American Meat Institue (it’s a thing), 2017 saw the slaughter and decimation of approximately nine billion chickens, 33 million cattle and calves, 242 million turkeys, two million sheep, and lambs, and 121 million hogs. Do you have any idea how much a billion of something actually is?? One billion seconds adds up to 32 years. A billion pennies? That stack would be 870 miles high. Then do it over eight more times. That’s how many chickens Americans ate in A SINGLE YEAR. And you can bet that the life of these animals did not end on a sunny farm, with wind-swept hills, beautiful green grass, and a lazy river cutting through the middle of it. 

Your Food’s Food is Even Worse Than Yours

Factory farms, or, as we now call them, Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, are employed to house an extensive amount of animals in an inadequately sized, confined space. They get no fresh air, no sunlight, and are not allowed to graze. Rather, they are given animal feed that is made up of ingredients that are not intended to be a part of their normal diet. In an effort to keep our supper plates full, these operations have to slaughter billions of animals each year. This means that these feeding operations require an enormous amount of feed at the lowest possible price. Enter, stage left, genetically altered soy and corn, the remarkably suitable option for any slaughterhouse enterprise where money matters and humanity does not.

No matter how extensive the damage around us may seem, we have the knowledge to make certain decisions that do not give any help to these kinds of unfavorable business models. At least for now. There are a plethora of non-GMO food choices accessible to those who care enough to seek them out. It is still plausible to eliminate GMOs and the toxins that they bring with them from your daily diet.

Here at the Brady Law Group, we have a team of attorneys experienced in the field of product liability. We have the necessary experience and resources to win you all of the financial compensation that you are entitled to under California law. It is our goal to provide justice for those families that have been harmed by Monsanto, a corporation that takes pride in the fact that they put money before people. We do not shy away from difficult or complex cases and we go to any necessary lengths to protect the rights of our clients. If you would like a free consultation regarding a Roundup lawsuit that you believe you may have, please reach out to our law firm by calling (866) 211-2562 as soon as possible.