Organic vs. Conventional Cranberries

You know they’re cancer-fighters and one of the surest, most natural ways to knock out a painful UTI, and I’m betting you want cranberries to grace your Thanksgiving table later this month. But do they really need to be organic?

Here’s a clue.

Whenever there’s a steep price difference between a conventional food and its organic counterpart, it’s a safe guess that it took a LOT of chemicals to produce that food conventionally.

Cranberries are one of these foods.

We take orders for organic cranberries each November, in time for Thanksgiving. If it’s that time of year, check our current order form. Otherwise, sign up to be notified when cranberries are in season.

Let’s take a quick look at some of the reasons it should be a high priority for all of us to buy organic cranberries this season.

You’ll also want to check out the infographic below that really details what chemicals are commonly found in conventional cranberries and how those chemicals are detrimental.

Don’t undo their incredible disease fighting potential by eating cranberries grown with cancer-causing, hormone-disrupting chemicals.

Potent Endocrine Disruptor

One of the most prevalent chemicals applied to cranberry bogs across the states, chlorpyrifos, is a known endocrine disruptor, linked to serious developmental damages even in “safe” low-dose amounts.

Highest Dietary Risk Score

According to the Organic Center, a 2008 report found that cranberries had the highest dietary risk index score across all tested domestically grown fruits due to both the number of chemicals used and the toxicity of those chemicals.

Massachusetts Exempt From Pesticide Rulings?

Because Massachusetts is such a large producer of cranberries, the state has a trend of applying for exemption whenever chemicals used in cranberry production are banned. Since the cranberry crop is so important to the economy there, their requests are usually granted. This means cranberries coming out of Massachusetts may contain chemicals that are banned elsewhere in the United States.

Organic Cranberries Contain Higher Levels Of Antioxidants

Organic farming methods can raise the antioxidants in fruits and vegetables by an average of 30%. Vitamins, minerals, and and other nutrients are also more abundant in organic cranberries.

These results are from the (USDA) Pesticide Data Program (PDP).

Infographic adapted from What’s On My Food.