The January 16th edition of the Wall Street Journal had an article on buying organics. The article is summarized in the following recommendations: Buy organic when you buy
"Apples, peaches, bell peppers, strawberries, imported grapes, spinach, lettuce, potatoes, carrots: Conventional versions have higher levels of pesticides than other produce, although still well within safe limits.
Milk and dairy products: Free of the growth hormones that are given to conventionally raised cows. Meat and poultry: Free of growth hormones and antibiotics.
Baby food: Free of pesticide residues found in vegetables and fruits.
… and foods you eat a lot of."
I worked in this field for many years and I generally concur. While
pesticides are usually washed off, many of the fruits and veggies
listed are not commonly washed with soap at home. You can do that and
buy non-organic.
There are three exceptions I would note. Fuji apples have the least
pesticide and are organic because they were created specifically for
the Japanese pro-organic market. Just buy Fujis when you want apples.
Strawberries. Don't buy frozen strawberries. When picked they go straight into the frozen slurry without washing at all.
Spinach. Only get organic spinach. The levels for pesticide use on
spinach were set when Americans ate very little spinach and almost never
ate it fresh. Pesticide use on spinach is just too high for
contemporary usage.