Want to know the foods that the “food safety experts” won’t eat? Prevention Magazine decided to ask.

They posed the question, “What foods do you avoid?” to the people whose work is to uncover what’s safe to eat – or not. Here’s what they said:

1. Canned Tomatoes
Fredrick vom Saal, PhD, who studies bisphenol-A (BPA), says the linings of tin cans contain BPA,
a synthetic estrogen linked to reproductive problems, heart disease,
diabetes, and obesity. The acidity in tomatoes causes BPA to leach into
food.

2. Corn-Fed Beef
Joel Salatin, co-owner
of Polyface Farms says cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. Farmers
today feed cows corn and soybeans to fatten them faster. A USDA study found
that grass-fed beef is higher in beta-carotene, vitamin E, omega-3s,
calcium, magnesium and potassium; lower in inflammatory omega-6s; and
lower in saturated fats.

3. Microwave Popcorn
Olga Naidenko, PhD, with the Environmental Working Group
says chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid, in the lining of the
bag, are part of compounds that may be linked to infertility in humans.
In animal testing, the chemicals cause liver, testicular, and
pancreatic cancer.

4. Non-organic Potatoes

Jeffrey Moyer, chair of the National Organic Standards Board
says potatoes are treated with fungicides during the growing season,
then sprayed with herbicides. Then potatoes are treated yet again to
prevent them from sprouting.

5. Farmed Salmon
David Carpenter, MD, wrote a study in the journal Science
on contaminated fish. He says fish shouldn’t be jammed into pens and
fed soy, poultry litter, and hydrolyzed chicken feathers. As a result,
farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants,
including carcinogens, PCBs, brominated flame retardants, and
pesticides such as dioxin and DDT.

6. Milk Produced with Artificial Hormones

Rick North, from the Campaign for Safe Food,
says milk producers treat dairy cattle with recombinant bovine growth
hormone(rBGH). And rBGH increases udder infections and even pus in the
milk. It leads to higher levels of the hormone insulin-like growth
factor(IGF-1). In people, high levels of IGF-1 may contribute to
breast, prostate, and colon cancers.

7. Non-organic Apples

Mark Kastel, from the Cornucopia Institute,
says apples are sprayed very frequently. The industry maintains that
these residues are not dangerous. But Kastel counters that it’s common
sense to minimize exposure by avoiding the most sprayed produce, like
apples.

 For a list of the top 12 most pesticide contaminated foods, click here for the “Dirty Dozen.”