People who eat the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables – or the “Dirty Dozen” as they’re colorfully known – consume an average of 10 pesticides a day. These findings are the work of the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a public-health nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. and should be of the utmost concern to shoppers who are pregnant or are feeding young children.
The Dirty Dozen
- peaches
- apples
- bell peppers
- celery
- nectarines
- strawberries
- cherries
- lettuce
- kale
- imported grapes
- carrots
- pears
Choosing organically grown produce is one choice but it’s not one available to everyone these days for a number of reasons. Most grocery stores are getting pretty savvy about offering organic goods alongside their regular stock. Now we can get organic cereal, canned tomatoes, milk, apples and who knows – I haven’t checked the paper goods aisle but I wouldn’t be surprised to find sustainable forest certified TP! There’s a lot of “green washing” going on in the marketplace; it’s good business to rework your label and align yourself with the growing market for organics. Hey, I understand money makes the world go ’round and everyone is trying to make a buck. Frankly, if that’s the motivation it takes to expand organic offerings I’m all for it.
However, organic fruits and vegetables are generally more expensive than regular produce. During these challenging times we’re all having to pick and choose our purchases wisely. EWG has devised their lists so people can easily make informed choices and concentrate on eliminating those non-organic choices that pose the highest risk.
The growing consensus among scientists is that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can cause lasting damage to human health, especially during fetal development and early childhood. Scientists now know enough about the long-term consequences of ingesting these powerful chemicals to advise that we minimize our consumption of pesticides.
Nearly all the studies used to create these lists assume that people rinse or peel fresh produce. Rinsing reduces but does not eliminate pesticides. Peeling helps, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the skin. The best approach: eat a varied diet, rinse all produce and buy organic when possible.
EWG analysts have developed the Guide based on data from nearly 87,000 tests for pesticide residues in produce conducted between 2000 and 2007 and collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
- from the Shoppers Guide to Pesticides
But it’s not all bad news. Alongside the “Dirty Dozen”, the EWG lists the “Clean 15″ – those crops which retain the least traces of pesticide when not grown organically. Save those organic dollars for dirty dozen purchases and when finances are tight know you can take a relatively safe pass on the clean 15. Practical information you can bank on.
The Clean 15
- onions
- avocados
- sweet corn
- pineapple
- mango
- asparagus
- peas
- kiwi
- cabbage
- eggplants
- papaya
- watermelon
- broccoli
- tomatoes
- sweet potatoes
Learn more at Foodnews.org and download your own full copy of the Guide here.
