are people really buying organic produce and not washing it? this seems insane to me since no pesticides really translates to - nothing to keep the bugs away. I could see tomatoes, but anything leafy like lettuces, broccoli, bok choy etc. must be washed. I've found tiny insects in those cervices! I'm solidly in the "a little dirt is good for you" camp, but you've got to draw the line somewhere

And I don't think "organic" means they haven't been sprayed with pesticides. I know our organic CSA uses some pesticides.

STH is right. Organic doesn't necessarily mean that crops haven't been sprayed with anything. There are all sorts of insecticides and fungicides that are approved for organic use, but that doesn't mean they are harmless. For example, tomatoes are often sprayed with organic copper fungicide to prevent the spread of late blight. Definitely not something you want to be ingesting.

Many organic crops are fertilized with the most organic of all products - manure. Yes, wash your produce thoroughly.

Right, can't emphasize enough that "organic" definitely does NOT equal pesticide free. Additionally, it does NOT mean that the pesticides used are ones that are safe for you.

Totally naive thinking that's typical of an overly-simplistic understanding of agriculture. It's hardly a situation in which conventional = lots of bad pesticides and organic = no impact cultivation resulting in perfect produce. Organic can have a really high environmental impact as well, as when farmers dump massive amounts of organic pesticides, and some conventional growers use conventional pesticides but are very strategic about timing and so use relatively little.

So much more complicated...

my organic CSA veggies show up covered in dirt haha I can't imagine not washing them all when I got home

Everyone is focusing too much on the pesticides when the real danger is e coli (as stated in the post).

I have a coworker who firmly believes there is no need to wash organic produce. I pointed out that the person in front of her at the farmer's market could be about to come down in an hour with a horrific virus and just touched the apple my coworker bought; or the person working the booth; or the truck driver; or other folks back at the farm that loaded up the produce.

That, in face, aside from the organic/chemical/farming methods issue, that animals defecate, urinate, and die in the fields where her veggies are grown. In other words: GERMS.

My uncle used to own an organic blueberry farm and just laughed when people said they didn't wash his berries, for all the reasons previously stated.

You don't know what your produce has come in contact with. There are plenty of organic pesticides out there that you still probably don't want to eat. Manure also factors into organic gardening -- that dirt on your carrot might not be dirt. In addition to just generally being gross, that's how e coli outbreaks start.

And it's not like grocery stores are totally sanitary environments. I've squeezed fruit when I had the flu. I've seen runny-nosed children grab produce and hold it near their face before their parents put it back. I've seen elderly people who frankly stank of urine handling produce. It's not like I live in fear of produce (you gotta eat), but it all gets a good wash before I let myself or anyone else eat it.

Considering I find organic to be nothing more than a cheap marketing term with no real value, yep I wash all produce regardless of what the label says about it.

The only produce I don't wash are carrots since I peel them.

If you don't wash your carrots before peeling them, you are contaminating them as you peel.

wash BEFORE you peel, folks! that includes veggies and fruits! just think about it!

Go to your local garden center and take a look at all the pesticides and disease control chemicals that are listed as "organic" and then look at the labels. THEY ALL SAY "do not eat, do not breath, do not get on your skin, keep out of reach of children and pets, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after use" etc.

For example, copper fungicide is organic but it's also toxic to fish and you shouldn't let it drain off into water that might be swum in or drank. The label also says to immediately wash your clothes and not to wear them again without washing them after you've been working with copper fungicide.

Organic does not mean "safe to eat" for people or animals.

Ugh, I'm so sick of seeing that Orgaincs are pesticide free! Lots of organic produce IS grown with pesticides and funicides; they just use organic ones! You can look at the research and see which you think is safer, but you should wash or rub everything. ---Good point LITENARATA about the copper fungicide