Avoiding unsavory chemicals ... synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, growth hormones and antibiotics ... seems like a compelling reason to spend more for fruits and vegetables. However, even organically grown produce can still have trace amounts of such substances from chemicals in the ground. For example, DDT, a toxic pesticide banned from agricultural use decades ago, can still be present in the soil in small amounts. Also, pesticides sprayed on crops in non-organic farms can drift over to organic crops.
Non-organic peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, strawberries, cherries, pears, imported grapes, spinach, lettuce and potatoes are good bets to have stuff on them you might want to avoid. At the other extreme, non-organic broccoli, cabbage, bananas, asparagus, pineapple, onions and blueberries are far less likely to be contaminated.
Organic produce, unfortunately, is probably not less likely to have E.coli or other such organisms.
As a shock to those who trust the Bush Administration commitment to excellence in government, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) reports that the USDA's program for overseeing the certification of organic US farms may be lax. So, some unreported cheating may be going on.
As for imported food, the USDA has been taking the word of exporters that their organic foods are actually organic. Although the CSPI reports that in April the USDA said it would be scheduling on-site inspections for Chinese imports.
While organic meat, chicken, milk and eggs may be healthier (and worth the extra cost), some stores sell "organic seafood". Hard to know what fish will eat, even if they are "farmed", and in any case the USDA hasn't defined the term.
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