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my research, I have found the largest percentage of people who get cancer and other diseases from pesticides are mostly the farm workers who are constantly exposed to them," said Burns-Whitmore. "As far as we know, the pesticides used here in the United States to protect fruits and vegetables are not a health threat to the general public."

Despite the EPA's assurance that pesticide levels on conventional produce are safe, the demand for organic produce appears to be increasing. But Wiles said there are still not enough stores selling it. Health food markets such as Whole Foods, Wild Oats and Trader Joe's carry an ample supply. But organic produce can be difficult to find in most conventional grocery stores.

In Southern California, 10 percent to 20 percent of produce in most Vons and Albertsons stores is organic. Additionally, some Stater Brothers stores offer a small organic selection. Paul McCallion, produce manager for Vons on Broadway Street in Long Beach, CA said the demand for organic produce in his store is low. He hopes that as awareness is raised about the health benefits of organic food, requests to stock it will increase.

"I may have one in every 500 customers request organic produce," said McCallion. "And let's say I have organic Fuji apples on sale and they are cheaper than the conventional Fuji apples. People will still say they don't trust that organic stuff. I think customers will begin to trust as they become more informed."

Wiles believes another reason for lack of demand in some areas could be the price. One will typically pay 20 percent to 50 percent more for organic produce than conventional, according to Peggy Miars, executive director for the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). She blames the higher cost primarily on labor costs.

"The higher price of organic food is directly related to the cost of producing it," said Miars, whose organization promotes and supports organic food and agriculture through a premier organic certification program.

"It's very labor intensive because organic farmers have to send out a whole field of workers to hand weed it."

Other than the price, Wiles feels people may be wary of buying organic produce because of the recent E.coli O157:H7 outbreaks. He suspects the outbreaks could have led some to believe that food not grown with pesticides to protect it is more susceptible to dangerous bacteria.

"The public might have the impression there's a link between E. coli and organic produce, but it's not true," said

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