When you hear about pesticides and other chemicals contaminating fruits and vegetables, it can make those foods sound less appealing. That’s the effect that a recent report, claiming that even conventionally grown fruits and vegetables face pesticide contamination, might have.
Some fruits and veggies are more prone to contain pesticides than others. For example, an annual report regularly names strawberries as one of the most contaminated items out there. But experts say that even foods that do contain pesticides only have a negligible amount of them. Sure, it’s theoretically better to buy organic where possible. But no matter what, it’s better to get your daily share of fruits and vegetables than to steer clear of them due to fear about pesticides.
Unfortunately, it’s not that easy when it comes to convincing consumers. Especially with all the food safety issues that big name restaurants and grocery chains have faced in recent years, people tend to be fearful about any outside substance being part of the foods they buy.
The Takeaway from this Example of Bad PR
So produce sellers, grocery stores and other food businesses may have to do some damage control when reports like this surface. Convincing people that fruits and vegetables are healthy shouldn’t be that difficult of a task. But when you’re dealing with outside factors (like this example of bad PR) and concepts that not everyone fully understands, it can make maintaining sales a bit more difficult.
Farmers Market Photo via Shutterstock
This article, “New Pesticide Report Could Do More Harm Than Good for Produce Sellers (Watch)” was first published on Small Business Trends