One of my most common cravings in the summer is for a fruit salad. But unless it’s all organic, I’ve also been craving a mouthful of pesticides – ew!
The Washington DC-based Environmental Working Group has researched the top twelve fruits and veggies that require the most pesticides to grow. Can you guess what tops the list?
Source : http://www.watchmyfoodgrow.com/
The Dirty Dozen
- Peaches
- Apples
- Bell peppers
- Celery
- Cherries
- Nectarines
- Strawberries
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Imported grapes
- Carrots
- Pears
So should we stop eating these items? Nope, just aim to buy the “dirty dozen” in organic form. EWG analysts have developed the Guide based on data from nearly 87,000 tests for pesticide residues in produce conducted between 2000 and 2007 and collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. For more information on their rankings visit www.foodnews.org
You may be wondering if this list applies to Canadians because the fruits and veggies tested were not grown here. While I was unable to find a similar study by a Canadian agency, pesticide laws are close enough between both countries to take the same precautions. Also, many of these American grown items are for sale in our grocery stores.
Note: Want to know which fruits and veggies contain less pesticide residue? Here are the ”Clean 15”
Onion, Avocado, Sweet Corn, Pineapple, Mango, Asparagus, Sweet Peas, Kiwi, Cabbage, Eggplant, Papaya, Watermelon, Broccoli, Tomato, Sweet Potato
Make a difference − share this environmental tip with your friends.
Backyardavore says:
26 August 2009 at 18 h 04 minThanks for linking my photo back to my blog, Watch My Food Grow. Still, a credit line would be nice.
Cheers,
Matt
Cheryl Gudz says:
27 August 2009 at 13 h 14 minSure thing Matt, no problem!
marianne callahgan says:
29 August 2009 at 9 h 37 minGrowing green and eating green without pesticides and herbicides is wonderfull but we cannot send our children to school with glass containers. Would someone please come up with 1 and 2 size serving baggies that we can put there food into. Also a biodigradeble wrap would be wonderfull too. It doesn’t make sense to me to empty stuff in my green bin then throw the package in the gargage. I would pay more for it. I pay for the liners for the big and small food bins now. Lets put our money were our conscience is.
marianne
p.s. I will try out the first box for you,
Cheryl Gudz says:
2 September 2009 at 9 h 53 minHow about reusable plastic containers? Sure moat are made of non-recyclable plastics, but you can get a lot of use out of them before they’re done. And they come in all shapes and sizes!