Holy moly!
As the video says, strawberries are safe to eat, and they’re good for you too. But that doesn’t mean the way we grow them is safe. The concerns here are the workers in the field and families who live near strawberry fields. A study by the California Department of Public Health found that almost 900 schools are within a 1.4-mile radius of regular use of known carcinogenic pesticides that you learned about in the video.
Also, strawberries and other fruits and vegetables aren’t always chemical-free. Check out this comparison of pesticide residues found on fruits and vegetables. There’s endless debate about the health impacts of consuming conventional vs. organic produce. The most important thing is to keep eating your fruits and veggies! But the chart below helps you figure out what non-organic produce is most likely to carry additional chemicals. (Psst, the most recent research moves strawberries up to #2!)
For more info, read the full Center for Investigative Reporting investigation on strawberry production, and if you live in California, check out this app to see if you live near areas where pesticides are heavily used to grow strawberries and other crops.
