List of 12 Fruits, Vegetables which has most pesticides – List of 15 Fruits and Vegetables which are least contaminated Apple Tops in which List

List of 12 Fruits, Vegetables which has most pesticides – List of 15 Fruits and Vegetables which are least contaminated Apple Tops in which List


Environmental Working Group has released the seventh edition of its Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce with updated information on 53 fruits and vegetables and their total pesticide loads. EWG highlights the worst offenders with its “Dirty Dozen” list and the cleanest conventional produce with its “Clean 15” list.


The Environmental Working Group, an advocacy nonprofit, released its latest "Dirty Dozen" list of the 12 fruits and vegetables that are most contaminated with pesticides.

Picking 5 servings of fruits and vegetables from the 12 most contaminated would cause you to consume an average of 14 different pesticides a day.

According to EWG calculations if you choose 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day from EWG's Clean 15 rather than the Dirty Dozen, you can lower the volume of pesticide you consume daily by 92 percent

If you choose 5 servings from the 15 least contaminated fruits and vegetables, you'll consume fewer than 2 pesticides per day.

Notable changes in the new guide included apples’ rank as the most contaminated produce, jumping three spots from last year to replace celery at the top of the “Dirty Dozen” list.
According to USDA, pesticides showed up on 98 percent of the more than 700 apple samples tested.

Following is the list of dirty 12 fruits and vegetables which are highly contaminated, has most pesticides.

1. apples

2. strawberries

3. peaches

4. domestic nectarines

5. imported grapes

6. Domestic blueberries

7. Celery

8. spinach

9. sweet bell peppers

10. potatoes

11. lettuce

12. greens (kale and collards)

Following is the list of 15 clean fruits and Vegetables –

EWG calls it clean 15 –

1. onions

2. sweet corn

3. asparagus

4. sweet peas

5. eggplant

6. cabbage

7. sweet potatoes

8. mushrooms

9. pineapples

10. avocados

11. mangoes

12. domestic cantaloupe

13. kiwi

14. watermelon

15. grapefruit

Methodology of testing –

The Shopper's Guide to Pesticides ranks pesticide contamination for 50 popular fruits and vegetables based on an analysis of 89,000 tests for pesticides on these foods, conducted from 2000 to 2008 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the federal Food and Drug Administration.

Nearly all the studies on which the guide is based tested produce after it had been rinsed or peeled.

Contamination was measured in 6 different ways:

1. Percent of samples tested with detectable pesticides

2. Percent of samples with two or more pesticides

3. Average number of pesticides found on a single sample

4. Average amount (level in parts per million) of all pesticides found

5. Maximum number of pesticides found on a single sample

6. Total number of pesticides found on the commodity

The EWG’s Shopper’s Guide is not built on a complex assessment of pesticide risks but instead reflects the overall pesticide loads of common fruits and vegetables

Pesticides can be extremely toxic to human health and the environment. U.S. and international government agencies alike have linked pesticides to nervous system toxicity, cancer, hormone system disruption and IQ deficits among children.

Dr. Harvey Karp, MD, FAAP, creator of the book/DVD the Happiest Baby on the Block said that "I really worry that pesticides on food are unhealthy for the tender, developing brains and bodies of young children,"

"Parents don't realize they're often feeding their little ones fruits and veggies with the highest pesticide residues.

Studies show even small amounts of these chemicals add up and can impair a child's health when they're exposed during the early, critical stages of their development.

When pesticide sprayers have to bundle up in astronaut-like suits for protection, it's clear parents want to feed their families food containing as little of these toxic chemicals as possible."

A study by Harvard School of Public Health found children exposed to pesticides had a higher risk of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Suggested Reading –
Know 46 Health Benefits of Onions Ayurvedic Home Remedies of Onion
http://realityviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/know-46-health-benefits-of-onions.html


Reality views by sm –
Monday, June 13, 2011

Keyword Tag – Shoppers Guide Fruits Vegetables Pesticide Danger USDA

Source - http://www.ewg.org