Dirty Dozen
Healthy organic apples growing on a Swiss farm I visited this summer.
Ever hear of the Dirty Dozen? Not the film, but the infamous list of produce types, rated by which ones have the most pesticides and chemicals. The list, put together by the EWG, actually shows 44 foods and each one's pesticide load. Needless to say, these chemicals are very unhealthy. Here's how we can eat less of these toxins (from Food News):
"...While washing and rinsing fresh produce may reduce levels of some pesticides, it does not eliminate them. Peeling also reduces exposures, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the peel. The best option is to eat a varied diet, wash all produce, and choose organic when possible to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals."
RANK | FRUIT / VEGGIE | SCORE / PESTICIDE LOAD |
1 (worst) | Peaches | 100 (highest pesticide load) |
2 | Apples | 96 |
3 | Sweet Bell Peppers | 86 |
4 | Celery | 85 |
5 | Nectarines | 84 |
6 | Strawberries | 83 |
7 | Cherries | 75 |
8 | Lettuce | 69 |
9 | Grapes - Imported | 68 |
10 | Pears | 65 |
11 | Spinach | 60 |
12 | Potatoes | 58 |
13 | Carrots | 57 |
14 | Green Beans | 55 |
15 | Hot Peppers | 53 |
16 | Cucumbers | 52 |
17 | Raspberries | 47 |
18 | Plums | 46 |
19 | Oranges | 46 |
20 | Grapes - Domestic (USA) | 46 |
21 | Cauliflower | 39 |
22 | Tangerine | 38 |
23 | Mushrooms | 37 |
24 | Cantaloupe | 34 |
25 | Lemon | 31 |
26 | Honeydew Melon | 31 |
27 | Grapefruit | 31 |
28 | Winter Sqash | 31 |
29 | Tomatoes | 30 |
30 | Sweet Potatoes | 30 |
31 | Watermelon | 25 |
32 | Blueberries | 24 |
33 | Papaya | 21 |
34 | Eggplant | 19 |
35 | Broccoli | 18 |
36 | Cabbage | 17 |
37 | Bananas | 16 |
38 | Kiwi | 14 |
39 | Asparagus | 11 |
40 | Sweet Peas - Frozen | 11 |
41 | Mango | 9 |
42 | Pineapples | 7 |
43 | Sweet Corn - Frozen | 2 |
44 | Avocado | 1 |
45 (best) | Onions | 1 (lowest pesticide load) |
"Note: We ranked a total of 44 different fruits and vegetables but grapes are listed twice because we looked at both domestic and imported samples." - EWG