peanut butter -- has anyone heard of this?

daisygirl17

Soooo I wrote a post on my blog about peanut butter and why you should buy organic and fair trade, and someone left the following comment...do any of you know if this is true? or know where i could find more info about it?

thanks!!!

I have a friend that told me that peanuts are chock full of pesticides and all the crap in the ground, even if they are grown organically. I wonder if you ever heard anything like this??

suzymarie

It makes sense if they were grown in a field that has been conventionally farmed for decades.  I though there was a transitional period between when yous top using pesticides and when you can start beinorgnaically labeled, though.

Either way they must be better than regular PB with fresh pesticides dumped on every year!

SuperGreen

Well you can't use pesticides on organic crops so that point is moot.  The grown could be contaminanted with heavy metals or something else from its prior life before it was farm land, but that's true of any ground anywhere.  Ground is ground, you kind of have to accept that your organic farm may not always have been a farm.  However, I would think that the likelihood the ground organic peanuts are grown in is contaminated with lead or something is very small.  Plus, peanuts are encased in their shells so you can't get contaminants on the actual peanut, like say you could with a potato. 

daisygirl17

that's what I was thinking...thanks guys!

Alisha_A

And like pp said, there's a period where you have to farm organically (I think 3 years at least) before you can be certified organic. Its not like you can dump chemicals on your land and then be certified organic tomorrow.

marylynn07

To be "certified organic" you have to know and be able to document the soil history for something like seven years.  My MIL is a farmer, but can't sell her produce as certified organic because she's only owned the land for two years and can't document what was used on it before she owned it.

marylynn07

marylynn07:

To be "certified organic" you have to know and be able to document the soil history for something like seven years.  My MIL is a farmer, but can't sell her produce as certified organic because she's only owned the land for two years and can't document what was used on it before she owned it.

 

Sorry, it's three years (pp was right).

Found this on the USDA National Organic Program Website.

 http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?navid=ORGANIC_CERTIFICATIO&navtype=RT&parentnav=AGRICULTURE

Any field or farm parcel used to produce an organic crop must have been managed in accordance with the requirements in sections 205.203 through 205.206 and have had no prohibited substances applied to it for at least 3 years prior to harvest of the crop. Such fields and farm parcels must also have distinct, defined boundaries and buffer zones to prevent contact with the land or crop by prohibited substances applied to adjoining land. Here's the link to that specific text: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELDEV3003494&acct=noprulemaking

foundmylazybum

Alisha_A:

And like pp said, there's a period where you have to farm organically (I think 3 years at least) before you can be certified organic. Its not like you can dump chemicals on your land and then be certified organic tomorrow.

Alisha, I can totally see you saying this out loud. I keep smiling at it

"I dumped some pesticides on this soil yesterday...can I have my organic certificate now?"

uncannycanuck

Commercial pesticides degrade well in soil. If applied correctly (that is, if they don't wash into waterways), after the 3 year waiting period, the levels would be negligible. Modern pesticides are generally not very persistent.

daisygirl17

Thanks so much everyone! I created a new post in my blog answering the question using the information here I appreciate it!

luckiestgurl

Peanuts are known to have high levels of aflatoxins (a fungal toxin that can cause liver damage), which can occur in organic and non-organic varieties.  Good companies test their products for aflatoxins.  I know Whole Foods tests for aflatoxins, and I'm sure there are other companies out there that do the same.