The 2014 Dirty Dozen List of Pesticide-Laden Produce

A number of factors are related to how much pesticides are in produce. 

The major ones are:

1.  Some produce can grow well with a minimal amount of pesticides. 

2.  Some produce have thick skins that can reduce the amount of pesticides absorbed. 

3.  How toxic are pesticides that were applied?

4. How much of those pesticides were used?

5.  How much of the pesticides were absorbed by the produce?

On Tuesday, the Environmental Working Group released its latest Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce along with its annual “Dirty Dozen” list, which outlines the 12 non-organic fruits and vegetables that contain the most pesticides.

Apples took the not-so-coveted top spot again this year, and EWG notes that the pesticide diphenylamine (which was banned in Europe in 2012) was present on 80%of apples most recently tested. Meanwhile, imported snap peas, absent from last year’s list, were the only newcomer this year, ranking as the 11th “dirtiest” type of produce. Hot peppers — in 12th place in 2013 — along with kale and collard greens were placed on a “Dirty Dozen Plus” list of foods that don't meet the "Dirty Dozen’s" criteria but still contain minimal amounts of insecticides.

The EWG's 2014 Dirty Dozen

Apples
Strawberries
Grapes
Celery
Peaches
Spinach
Sweet bell peppers
Nectarines (imported)
Cucumbers
Cherry tomatoes
Snap peas (imported)
Potatoes

For all produce, wash your fruits and vegetables thoroughly.  That can go a long way to reduce pesticide residue.

According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the health risks of pesticide exposure through food, water, or air are not yet clear. However, EWG states that pesticides are associated with a number of health risks, including cancer, brain and behavioral changes and hormonal disruption.

The EWG also released a companion list called “The Clean Fifteen,” which ranks the fruits and veggies least likely to contain pesticide residue. Most notably, cauliflower made an appearance on the list, avocado jumped from No. 2 to No. 1, and mushrooms were the only item to drop off the list this year. No single fruit sample from the clean list tested positive for more than four types of pesticides, and more than 80% of pineapples, kiwis, papayas, and mangoes had no residues at all.

The EWG's 2014 Clean Fifteen 

Avocado
Sweet corn
Pineapple
Cabbage
Frozen sweet peas
Onions
Asparagus
Mango
Papaya
Kiwi
Eggplant
Grapefruit
Cantaloupe
Cauliflower
Sweet potatoes

The Environmental Working Group also has some great additional information on a number of other environmental issues and is a great resource for consumers!

For More Information:

http://www.ewg.org/

https://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/the-dirty-dozen-environmental-working-group-ewg-clean-fifteen...