Pesticides In Food: What To Eat And What To Avoid Options

[Barbara]

With the latest news that ADHD in children is linked to common pesticides used on fruits and vegetables, it is more important than ever to be aware of what we are putting on our plates. Of the 1.2 billion pounds of pesticides used annually in the US, less than .01% actually reach their intended targets--the bugs! Obviously they are completely contaminating our food, and the consequences are disastrous, with numerous national and international government agencies acknowledging the connection to various health problems--nervous system toxicity, cancer, hormone system effects, and irritation of skin, eyes, and lungs among them.

Unfortunately, due to cost and availability, organic food which is grown without any pesticides, is not a plausible option for every family. Thankfully, the Environmental Working Group has put together a ranked list of the 49 most purchased produce items, based on laboratory tests conducted by the US Department Of Agriculture Pesticide Testing Program. So if you can't get organic, at least you know which foods are the safest, and which should be avoided.

The EWG rated the 49 food items based on a variety of measurements, including percent of detectable pesticide and multiple pesticides, average number and amount of pesticides on samples, and maximum number and amounts of pesticides per item. The list is based on an analysis of 96,000 pesticide tests the USDA and FDA conducted between 2000 and 2008. Most of the tests were conducted on produce that had been rinsed and peeled.

View the EWG's full list of 49 produce items here. http://www.foodnews.org/fulllist.php They've also compiled a handy pocket shopping guide with the "Dirty Dozen" worst and "Clean 15" best of the list here.

We've put together a slideshow of the 5 most contaminated conventionally grown fruits and veggies you'll want to stay away from, as well as the 5 safest to consume with the least amount of toxins.

Celery (WORST)

Celery ranks worst when it comes to pesticide contamination. 95% of celery tested contained pesticides, and 85% contained multiple pesticides. A single celery had 13 different chemicals on it, while 67 different pesticides were used on the entire group of celery.

Peaches (WORST)

Rated 2nd worst, 96% of peaches were positively tested for pesticides. 86% had residue of two or more pesticides. A single peach was tested with 9 different pesticides, while 67 total chemicals were found across the board for peaches.


Strawberries (WORST)

Strawberries come in 3rd place for most-contaminated produce, with 13 different chemicals found on a single sample. Among all the strawberries tested, 53 different pesticides were discovered.

Apples (WORST)

4th worst, Apples were found to contain pesticides 93.6% of the time. They were contaminated with two or more pesticides 82.3% of the time. 47 different pesticides were found to be used on all the apples, while a single one tested for 9 different chemicals.

Blueberries (WORST)

Domestic blueberries are the 5th worst produce, actually ranking more than 10 spots below imported blueberries. A single blueberry was found to have residue from as many as 13 different chemicals.

Onions (BEST)

Onions rank #1 out of the 49 most popular vegetables. 90% or more of the onions tested has no detectable pesticides, and not a single onion tested for multiple pesticides.

Avocados (BEST)

Avocados rank 2nd, with less than 10% tested having any pesticide residue, and less than 1% having multiple pesticides.

Sweet Corn (BEST)

Frozen sweet corn is the third best produce to consume to minimize pesticide intake. Over 90% of the frozen sweet corn tested did not have any detectable pesticides.

Pineapples (BEST)

Pineapples are 4th best. More than 90% were free of pesticides, and less than 1% had multiple pesticides.

Mangoes (BEST)

Subtropical and tropical mangoes are the 5th best produce for clean eating. Like avocados and pineapples, less than 10% of the mangoes sampled had detectable pesticides, and less than 1% had multiple chemicals.

[aurora]

mr aurora and i will simply not eat any non-organic strawberries due to the pesticide issue. probably 90% of what we buy is organic. we would rather go without than put poisons in our bodies.