The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is out with their annual "Shoppers Guide to Pesticides" report.
This includes The Dirty Dozen, a list of the fruits and vegetables
likely to contain the highest amounts of pesticide residue. It features
the Clean 15, a list of fruits and vegetables least likely to contain
pesticides.
How this helps you: Choose organic
produce when buying anything listed on The Dirty Dozen. And while we
always encourage buying local and organic, if money's tight, then it's
not going to kill you to buy conventional from the second group. As the
EWG says, "The health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables
outweigh the risks of pesticide exposure."
What's new this year? Once
again, apples, strawberries, and spinach are included in the Dirty
Dozen. Blueberries and lettuce fell off the list, but cherry tomatoes
and cucumbers are on there.
The Dirty Dozen for 2013
- Apples
- Celery
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Grapes
- Hot peppers
- Nectarines (imported)
- Peaches
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Strawberries
- Sweet bell peppers
The Clean Fifteen for 2013
- Asparagus
- Avocados
- Cabbage
- Cantaloupe
- Sweet corn
- Eggplant
- Grapefruit
- Kiwi
- Mangoes
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Papayas
- Pineapples
- Sweet peas (frozen)
- Sweet potatoes
