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Every year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) compiles their list of the 12 most pesticide laden fruits and veggies currently on the market as well as the 15 cleanest fruits and veggies. This list is intended to not only show us the amount of pesticide residue on our foods but to help us choose which produce we might feel compelled to purchase organic if we are not already doing so. Since 2004, the group has sampled and studied our produce, sharing with us the results of their findings. Let's take a look at the dirty dozen first. THE DIRTY DOZEN The 12 fruits / veggies that were found to have the most pesticide residue per part end up on the dirty dozen list for that year. Some of the fruits and veggies on the list are repeat offenders but this year we saw a new addition to the list, kale! Along with veggies like potatoes, celery and spinach, and fruit like strawberries, nectarines, and peaches, kale was tested and found to be among the 12 top pesticide laden fruits / veg currently on the market. This is likely due to the fact that kale has recently garnered a lot of attention for its health benefits leading to increased purchasing which ultimately leads to a need to grow more and quickly. Let's look at the dirty dozen.
Strawberries find themselves at the top of the list for the fourth year in a row and despite the addition of kale, most of the list is similar to previous years. As the article suggests, the list is not meant to deter us from eating fruits and veggies, simply to inform us and allow us to make the decision to choose organic in these cases. There is no way to avoid pesticides, even in the case of organic produce, but there are opportunities to consume less pesticides, and that's what the list aims to allow us to do. A safe rule of thumb when it comes to eating non-organic produce is to keep in mind that any fruit or veggie whose skin we consume, likely has a high amount of pesticide residue. Despite washing / peeling, there is nothing protecting the produce from the pesticides seeping into the flesh that we consume. That's why fruits like apples, pears, and strawberries end up on this list because their skins are thin and offer no protection from the pesticide residue. Fruits and veggies with a tough and often inedible outer skin, usually offer up less pesticide residue per part. Avocados, bananas, and pineapples for example, all have thick, inedible outer skins that protect the flesh inside much better from the pesticides being sprayed on them. Let's take a look at the clean 15 list!
As you can see from the clean 15 list, almost all of these fruits / veggies have protection from pesticides thanks to an often inedible outer skin. As mentioned, this protects the edible flesh of the produce from being exposed to as much pesticides as those on the dirty dozen. This in no way means that these fruits and veg don't come into contact with pesticides, simply that they had less of the residue on the edible portions.
These lists are important for us to keep in mind if there's something on the dirty dozen list we consume quite regularly, we can at the very least look for organic options in those cases. Organic produce tends to be more expensive because there is more labour put into caring for the crops so the price can often spook us away from choosing organic. That's why having this list is handy because we can identify what we're consuming on that list quite frequently and make an effort to source cost efficient, organic options in these cases. As I said, pesticides are unavoidable in this day and age as we continue to need more and more to provide for the constantly increasing population but we can at least try to make organic choices based on our knowledge of these lists. Don't ever let a list deter you from eating enough fruits and veggies. If organic is unavailable, don't be discouraged from purchasing a product. The pros of eating fresh veggies and fruits outweigh the possible negatives. Simply make sure to thoroughly wash your non-organic produce to remove as much of the residue as possible and eat away! Are you guys familiar with the dirty dozen list? Does it impact your choices when shopping? HAPPY VEG
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