Thursday, September 15, 2011

Are You Getting Your Daily Allowance of Pesticides?

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes an annual shopper's guide detailing the fruits and vegetables that contain the most and least amounts of pesticides. 

How sad is it that we even need a guide like this??? 

Anyway, they call it the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen.  The Dirty Dozen are the twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables that you need to avoid if possible - buy organic!  The Clean Fifteen are - as obvious as it sounds - the fruits and vegetables that are lowest in pesticide residue.

So, here they are:
     The Dirty Dozen                                                     
     1. Apples                                                             
     2. Celery                                                                 
     3. Strawberries                                                      
     4. Peaches                                                              
     5. Spinach
     6.  Nectarines, imported
     7. Grapes, imported
     8. Sweet bell peppers
     9.  Potatoes
     10. Blueberries, domestic
     11. Lettuce
     12. Kale / Collard greens


     The Sweet Fifteen
     1. Onions
     2. Sweet Corn
     3. Pineapples
     4. Avocado
     5. Asparagus
     6. Sweet Peas
     7. Mangoes
     8. Eggplant
     9. Cantaloupe, domestic
     10. Kiwi
     11. Cabbage
     12. Watermelon
     13. Sweet Potatoes
     14. Grapefruit
     15. Mushrooms

The best way to make sure you are getting safe food is still to grow your own.  For more information go to the Environmental Working Group website.  But beware, you may find more information than you want.

Get your hands dirty!!  (not your veggies)

5 comments:

  1. Great information! I wonder why they differentiate between domestic and imported? I will check out the website.

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  2. Great post! I'm off to check out the site. BTW, where have you been? The blogging world has missed you!

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  3. This is a really great find.

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  4. Matt, I never saw a list like this one. Thank you for posting and there are a few surprises on both lists. Apples and peaches I did now about though. I did now about the imported fruit and veggies because the regulations vary on the applications types in other countries. I am not sure how or if the FDA limits them being brought into the country. That would be a good one to look up too.

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  5. Oh zoooooooot Matt how much insecticide have I been ingesting?

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