2016 Dirty Dozen & Clean Fifteen- Most & Least Pesticide Contaminated Fruits & Vegetables

If you’re looking fresh fruit and vegetables for this season, it would be better to look at this year’s 2016 Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen – a list of Environmental Working Group (EWG’s). If you’re eating any fruit and vegetables, you may be ingesting 146 pesticides, according to a new report from the Environmental Working Group.

 2016 Dirty Dozen

Strawberries
Apples
Nectarines
Peaches
Celery
Grapes
Cherries
Spinach
Tomatoes
Sweet bell peppers
Cherry tomatoes
Cucumbers

2016 Dirty Dozen Key Findings-:

-More than 98% of strawberry, peaches, nectarines, and apples tested positive for at least one pesticide residue.
-The average potato had more pesticides by weight than any other produce.
-Single grape and a sweet bell pepper sample contained with 15 pesticides.
-Strawberries showed upto 17 different pesticides.

Health Risks of Pesticides

Pesticides are toxic and different pesticides have been linked to a variety disease, including hormone disruption, cancer and brain toxicity, respiratory problems, memory disorders, skin conditions, depression, birth defects and neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease.

EWG’s Clean Fifteen list of produce least likely to hold pesticide residues.

2016 Clean Fifteen:

Avocados
Sweet corn
Pineapples
Cabbage
Sweet peas
Onions
Asparagus
Mangoes
Papayas
Kiwi
Eggplant
Honeydew Melon
Grapefruit
Cantaloupe
Cauliflower

Clean Fifteen Key findings-:

-Avocados were the only 1% of avocado samples showed any pesticides.
-89% of pineapples, 81% of papayas, 78% of mangoes, 73% of kiwi and 62% of cantaloupes had no pesticides.
-No fruit from the Clean Fifteen tested positive for more than 4 types of pesticides.
-Multiple pesticide residues are extremely rare on Clean Fifteen.

Can Pesticides Be Washed Away?

No, not entirely. According to the National Pesticide Information Center, washing fruit and vegetables doesn’t completely remove pesticide. Also, although some pesticides are found on the surface of foods, other taken up through the roots and into the plant and cannot be removed. If pesticides are present on the surfaces of your fruits and vegetables, you can remove a substantial amount of those surface pesticides.

Sources:

–https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php

–https://draxe.com/2016-dirty-dozen/

–http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-13571/12-fruits-veggies-with-the-most-pesticides-2014-dirty-dozen.html

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2016 Dirty Dozen & Clean Fifteen- Most & Least Pesticide Contaminated Fruits & Vegetables