A group called the Environmental Working Group posts an annual report detailing their findings of typical grocery store produce that tests the highest for pesticide residue and are the MOST important to buy organic, grow your own or purchase from a local pesticide free farmer. You can lower your pesticide intake by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables and choosing the least contaminated produce.
Here's some of their post:
For the second year, we have expanded the Dirty Dozen™ with a Plus category to highlight two crops – domestically-grown summer squash and leafy greens, specifically kale and collards. These crops did not meet traditional Dirty Dozen™ criteria but were commonly contaminated with pesticides exceptionally toxic to the nervous system.
Though the Environmental Protection Agency has been restricting the uses of the most toxic pesticides, they are still detected on some foods. For example, green beans were on last year's Plus list because they were often contaminated with two highly toxic organophosphates. Those pesticides are being withdrawn from agriculture. But leafy greens still show residues of organophosphates and other risky pesticides. That's why they are on the Plus list for 2013.
Tests in 2008 found that some domestically-grown summer squash – zucchini and yellow crookneck squash -- contained residues of harmful organochlorine pesticides that were phased out of agriculture in the 1970s and 1980s but that linger on some farm fields.
Genetically modified plants, or GMOs, are not often found in the produce section of grocery stores. Field corn, nearly all of which is produced with genetically modified seeds, is used to make tortillas, chips, corn syrup, animal feed and biofuels. Because it is not sold as a fresh vegetable, it is not included in EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce. Nor is soy, another heavily GMO crop that makes its way into processed food.
The genetically modified crops likely to be found in produce aisles of American supermarkets are zucchini, Hawaiian papaya and some varieties of sweet corn. Most Hawaiian papaya is a GMO. Only a small fraction of zucchini and sweet corn are GMO. Since U.S. law does not require labeling of GMO produce, EWG advises people who want to avoid it to purchase the organically-grown versions of these items.
I found this information quite troubling. Their website also includes information pesticides in baby foods (what?) and that we are literally poisoning ourselves and our children before they are born. Gosh - I thought learning how to garden was just a self sufficiency thing not a POISON issue.
1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Cherry Tomatoes
4. Cucumbers
5. Grapes
6. Hot Peppers
7. Nectarines - imported
8. Peaches
9. Potatoes
10. Spinach
11. Strawberries
12. Sweet bell peppers
13. Kale/collard greens
14. Summer squash
THE CLEAN 15 (had the least)
1. Asparagus
2. Avocados
3. Cabbage
4. Cantalope
5. Sweet Corn (GMO too)
6. Eggplant
7. Grapefruit
8. Kiwi
9. Mangos
10. Mushrooms
11. Onions
12. Papaya
13. Pineapple
14. Sweet Peas - frozen
15. Sweet potatoes
I would strongly encourage you to read their FAQ page. Here's the link http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/faq.php. There are many questions answered here about pesticides, whether you should be worried or not, what you can do about it. (Choose Organic - even though Organic is not pesticide free either ... they have less).
Another important note is that the testing on these products was done "as it is typically eaten" ...
What if I wash and peel my fruits and vegetables?
The data used to create the Shopper’s Guide™ are from produce tested as it is typically eaten. This means washed and, when applicable, peeled. For example, bananas are peeled before testing, and blueberries and peaches are washed. Because all produce has been thoroughly cleaned before analysis, washing a fruit or vegetable would not change its ranking in the EWG’s Shopper’s Guide™. Remember, if you don’t wash conventional produce, the risk of ingesting pesticides is even greater than reflected by USDA test data.
EWG has not evaluated various produce washes for efficacy or potentially toxicity. However, since some plants absorb pesticides systemically, a produce wash would have limited effect. The safest choice is to use the Shopper’s Guide™ to avoid conventional versions of those fruits and vegetables with the highest pesticide residues.
So what to do?
You'll have to make those determinations for yourself. I'm going to:
- Grow as much of my food as I can;
- Find local resources for the others;
- Stay away from processed foods because obviously they are using foods produced on an industrialized level;
- Eat at home because chain stores are also using these commercial farmed foods;
- Ask more questions;
- Find farmers markets;
- Eat seasonally;
- Get better at cooking;
- Help my children feed their children better than I fed them;
- Steer clear of Grocery Store/imported produce as much as possible.
chillylizard@gmail.com
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