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Pesticides: The 12 Most Tainted Foods
Some fruit and vegetables have more pesticide residues than others.
Buying organic is a great way to go - but availability and price factors put many people off.
The following 12 produce items have the highest pesticide residue.
- Strawberries
- Bell peppers (green and red)
- Spinach (tied with number 2)
- Cherries (grown in the United States)
- Peaches (grown in Chile)
- Cantaloupe (grown in Mexico)
- Celery
- Apples
- Apricots
- Green beans
- Grapes
- Cucumbers
It's sobering - but I believe that the health benefits from eating fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks from ingesting the pesticides on them. Washing and peeling can significantly reduce pesticide levels. Buying locally grown and in-season also helps as produce is often treated (with fungicides) to increase shelf-life and for long-distance distribution.
Sources: Environmental Working Group from FDA data, via the Harvard Healthy Eating Guide.
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31 Comments
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Created / Updated: October 26, 2011
What a timely article! As I'm sitting here, our Pest Control guy is going through our home spraying. I hate for them to spray inside, I've cut them back to once a year.
As far as buying organic only, the "organic" laws are so vague and full of loopholes, don't buy them expecting the foods to have never had pesticides sprayed on them or used in the soil. Do a little research on it and you'll see what I mean.
Don
ReplyI was never aware of what was contained in these foods and I am even a orchardist that grows apples, pears, and cherries. This is a new one for me.
ReplyI agree with you that the health benefits outweigh the risks from sprayed vegetables, I would prefer to buy spray-free but it's not always an option. I know some people who's excuse for not eating fruit and vegetables is that the pesticides cancel out any benefits they would get anyway. I have found that rinsing in hand-hot tap water can often get rid of that chemical taste that you sometimes get on the skins.
ReplyI am fortunate to live in a region where, at least part of the year, I can grow my own stuff... then I KNOW it's organic and pesticide-free. And so I can have at least some of the health benefits all year long, I can or freeze them.
ReplyOrganic is not always the best for the environment. It takes more energy and more land to produce the same amount of non-organic food. Just something to think about. What's best for us or the environment?
Replyhaha, funny you should say :/ organic food IS better for our environment! Lets say this farm is on a hill, at the bottom of that hill is the town's water supply. When the farmer sprays pesticides and chemicals all over our food, it leaks into the water. Animals DRINK from that water. THEY are affected JUST AS MUCH if not more, as we are. Even if it doesn't run off into a water supply, it is sprayed on perhaps grasses that little creatures eat. They DIE. Yea sure, it takes more space! But have you ever thought about what your eating? Next time you buy a thing of spinach, think about this. They have added CHEMICALS that kill animals, and that harm you! Organic is infact better, it has been since 65 million years ago, when the Cenozoic era began, and grass and trees flourished with the land.
Replythank you
Point on! Totally agree with you Mic!!! : )
ReplyUmmm...but unnatural chemical pesticides that keep increasing and genetically altered seeds are...?
ReplyGo organic. That's all I have to say.
And Farmers should focus on polyculture. This type of Agriculture creates organic genetically enhanced fruits and vegetables that naturally resists diseases. Polyculture is done by crop rotation, and doesn't rely on pesticides or genetic altered material.
ReplyActually it takes less energy to produce organic food. There are many calories of fossil fuel used to create each calorie of nonorganic food due to all the fertilizers and chemicals used. In addition, the chemicals and intensive agriculture processes increase soil degradation worse and worse every year so more and more fertilizer needs to be used. When you think in long term(even just in terms of years, not decades) organic agriculture is much superior in terms of land usage and energy. And definitely agree with James, polyculture is so much better for the environment than monoculture and helps diversify risk so one pest or pathogen doesn't destroy an entire field of crops.
ReplyI'm a little surprised by that list. I understood that tomatoes were one of the worst offenders, and I really wouldn't have expected strawberries to be a problem. The only pests my strawberries get are birds and snails. Thank goodness I have my own orchard.
ReplyI just started washing my fruits and vegetables. I had been using cold water. I never thought about it, dirt doesn't come off my hands when I use cold water, so why would chemicaes come off fruit and vegetables.
ReplyI FOUND THAT JUST WASHING THE VEGGIE IS NOT NEAR ENOUGHT , YOU USE , VINGER AND SALT WATER IN TUB OR BASIN AND LET SIT FOR 5 TO TEM MIN , IT WILL NOT MAKE THE FOODS TASTE LIKE THAT IT WILL HELP TO RID OFO THE PESTESCIDES AND PARISITES
ReplyThanks. I had a neighbour who farmed strawberries commercially and they didn't spray with fungicides but perhaps botrytis isn't an issue in this geographic location?
I think I read that you're meant to wash them in a mild hydrogen peroxide solution. I would have to find the book where I read about it, but detergents have a lot of nasty chemicals in them, or at least they do in New Zealand where detergents are unregulated.ReplyIn another thread a while back Spectra suggested spraying produce with a baking soda solution, then rinsing it off to remove pesticide residue. So, I started keeping a spray bottle of weak baking soda solution in the kitchen for that purpose, and then use hot water to rinse (sometimes only hot water if I'm in a hurry). Could be my imagination but I think it's made quite a difference, especially to veges like brocolli, with all it's little nooks and crannies perfect for hiding chemical residue. A good thing about the baking soda is that it can be used for so many other things as well, like neutralizing odours.
ReplyI was surprised to see strawberries at #1 on that list, too. You've inspired me to do more research. Washing the fruit is fine. But I'm not sure I want to peel it unless necessary. You can lose a lot of nutrients that way.
Thanks for the great info.
ReplyCaramelle-oh, I've also started using the baking soda. I first leave them soaking in a solution of water and 2 drops bleach, cause people here still get cholera, then do the baking soda spray.
ReplyI eat alot of frozen strawberries. I am thinking they are probably not sprayed with fungicide after picking. Have you come accross any info on this, Jim?
Thanks for sharing another great topic!
Andrew
Reply