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Wiles. "People should be confident that organic produce is safe. To our knowledge, there have never been any E.coli outbreaks linked to organic produce."

Tricia DiPersio, PhD, R.D., food safety specialist and dietitian for Wild Oats Markets in Boulder, Colo., backs up Wiles' statements about the safety record of organic produce. She said she has found that organic food suppliers for her stores have extremely high food-safety standards. Additionally, Wild Oats Markets takes steps to protect its customers by conducting in-depth reviews of these suppliers' food safety systems.

"The bottom line is that bacterial contamination can occur in any kind of produce, whether it's conventional or organic," said DiPersio, who noted Wild Oats stores stock 70 percent to 80 percent organic produce. "But because our standards for food safety are so high, our customers trust us."

Long Beach, CA resident Sheila Hart is one consumer who puts her faith in organic food. Hart, a stay-at-home mother of two, said she and her family feel a lot safer eating fruits and vegetables that haven't been grown with pesticides. And she's willing to drive 20 minutes to Wild Oats Market to purchase them.

"I have an Albertson's that's really close to me and they do have some organic produce," said Hart, who admits there's not much taste difference between organic and conventional produce. "But their selection is limited. If they had a large selection like Wild Oats, I'd be just as happy to buy it there."

Whether organic or conventional, Wiles advocates eating lots of fruits and vegetables to maintain good health. And he and Burns-Whitmore agree that even though conventional produce is exposed to toxic substances, there is no evidence it is any less nutritious than organic produce.

"Here at the EWG, we're big fans of eating fruits and vegetables no matter what," Wiles said.

"Nutritionally, there is really no difference between organic and conventional produce," said Burns-Whitmore. "The only thing that might be slightly higher is Vitamin C in organically grown leafy vegetables. No one really knows why."

For more information about food safety and organic produce, and to view the EWG's Shoppers Guide, log on to www.ewg.com

Learn more about this author, Luanne Hunt.
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