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The "Dirty Dozen" Fruits and Vegetables Containing the Most Pesticides

Some three years ago, I warned you about the fruits and vegetables containing the highest amount of pesticides as determined by the Environmental Working Group. The EWG recently issued new lists of the worst fruits and vegetables at your grocery store as well as a "Cleanest 12" based on some 43,000 tests conducted by the USDA and FDA.

What's more, an analysis by the EWG estimated consumers could reduce their exposure to pesticides by almost 90 percent merely by avoiding foods on their "Dirty Dozen" list. A few members of this year's "Dirty Dozen" list:

  • Peaches
  • Apples
  • Sweet bell peppers
  • Celery
  • Strawberries
  • Spinach

Conversely, the "Cleanest 12" whole foods you can buy, according to the EWG, only expose you to less than two pesticides per day, a huge difference from the 15 pesticides you'd be exposed to daily on the "Dirty Dozen" list. Among the cleanest fruits and vegetables you can buy at your grocery store:

  • Onions
  • Avocado
  • Pineapple
  • Asparagus
  • Broccoli

To stay away from pesticides that do great harm to your health, I urge you to download the EWG's complete listings of the best and worst whole foods at their Web site today. And, when in doubt, always be on the lookout first for organically-grown fruits and vegetables.

Epicurious November 6, 2006

Environmental Working Group October 4, 2006




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Article's Comment     ( 15 Comments )
 
 
 +6 Points           
 
Author of the Article
BY Laserman   
  
[ Joined on 06/06 ]
[ Posted on November 19, 2006 ]
Post Reply

Here are the rest of the 12 fruits and vegetables most and least treated with pesticides:     

In addition to those mentioned:

  1. Most treated: Cherries, Imported Grapes, Nectarines, Pears, Potatoes, Red Raspberries.
  2. Least treated: Bananas, Cauliflower, Sweet Corn, Kiwi, Mangoes, Papaya, Sweet Peas.

So if your produce budget doesn't allow you to buy all organic (or all the items are simply not available to you), you could divide your money between organic and conventional produce based on what is affordable, and what is most and least pesticide treated. Where I live organic bananas are only 10 cents more per lb. than conventional (low pesticide treated). Organic grapes on the other hand, are twice the price (high pesticide usage). Go figure. (I know grapes are harder to grow successfully without pesticides and fungicides.)


 
 +4 Points           
 
Author of the Article
BY Tixona   
  
[ Joined on 06/06 ]
[ Posted on November 16, 2006 ]
Post Reply
I would simply buy organic and save the hassle of wondering if it is safe. 
 

 -4 Points           
 
Author of the Article
BY saramarie   
  
[ Joined on 12/06 ]
Author of the Article [ Posted on December 26, 2006 ]
 
Amen to that!!  I have fibromyalgia, and natural foods are what are best for me - getting rid of the toxins, etc. is so helpful. 

Mangosteen juice also helps to rid your body of the poisins, and I have found it to help me, my friends, and my family.  The studies showing what it does are available at www.mangosteenexperiences.com and www.saramarie.discovermangosteen.com.  Even though I own other businesses and keep quite busy with them, I have become a distibutor because I believe so much in what it has done for me and members of my family. 

SaraMarie


 
            
 
Author of the Article
BY Karen1   
  
[ Joined on 11/07 ]
[ Posted on November 16, 2007 ]
Post Reply
I would consider your "Dirty Dozen" list to be more valueable if you could explain what the process is of creating this list.  Are you testing the produce before washing or after?  If you are doing it before washing then there's a possibility that you are placing the red flags on produce that is not necessarily the most dangerous.  Granted, no one wants pesticides but a little background on your procedures for evaluating the variables would be appreciated.  Which specific compounds and levels need to be present to be placed on this list.  I'd like to do further research into this topic and can only find hypothesis without a scientific procedure for the conclusions...at this point, I can only assume that this is someone's opinion and nothing more.  Thank you. KM 
 

            
 
Author of the Article
BY microbiohi   
  
[ Joined on 05/07 ]
Author of the Article [ Posted on July 27, 2008 ]
 
Follow the link in the article "their website".  Then under "How this Guide was developed"  click on "criteria used in developing rankings."  Then scroll down to the "Methodology" section.  They washed the fruits and vegetables and did at least 100 samples for each type. 

 
            
 
Author of the Article
BY Joan McGovern Tendler