Your food must be clean of pesticides. Go for organic or biodynamic labelling. Organic standards tell the food producers how much man-made chemical contamination is permitted in food. Biodynamic is organic food grown according to additional controls. Either is good.
Each country has organic certification bodies, often more than one. These bodies inspect properties and grant them organic status if they meet certain standards. You will need to understand which of these bodies maintain high standards for your country.
If you see the label “organic” on a food without a logo from one of these industry based certification bodies – there is lots of supposedly organic milk out there without this certification for example – then it is dubious that the food has complied with all the requirements of the certification bodies.
It takes a long time for a property to be granted organic status, and there may be food available that is being grown according to organic principles on properties that have not yet attained certification. You may find some fresh fruit and vegetables in your supermarket that is labelled as undergoing certification, or more commonly labelled as being grown “chemical free”. These are certainly preferable to standard fruit and vegetables.
If you cannot get organic, the next best thing is to get as much fresh food as you can and if you must have preserved food, ensure it is preserved and stored without chemicals. It can be dried, frozen or bottled in glass, but check your labels carefully as preservatives and other contaminants are often added to improve the shelf life of the product.
Canned foods pose a problem as many cans are lined with plastics that can degenerate and contaminate the food. You are not going to know until you open the can if the can you are buying is plastic lined. I have purchased organic beans in cans with plastic linings.
Avoid food stored plastic containers if you can, particularly if it has been processed or heated in the plastic. Never cook in plastic yourself.
