Just An FYI - The new Dirty Dozen: 12 foods to eat organic and avoid pesticide residue

Fruits and veggies are an essential part of a healthy diet, but many conventional varieties contain pesticide residues.

And not all the pesticides used to kill bugs, grubs, or fungus on the farm washes off under the tap at home. Government tests show which fruits and vegetables, prepared typically at home, still have a pesticide residue.

You can reduce your exposure to pesticides by as much as 80% if you avoiding the most contaminated foods in the grocery store.

To do so, you need the latest info from the why the Environmental Working Group's "Dirty Dozen" list of foods most likely to have high pesticide residues. Since 1995, the organization has taken the government data and identified which type of produce has the most chemicals.

This year, celery takes the number one spot and both blueberries and spinach make an appearance (displacing lettuce and pears).

The best way to avoid pesticide residue on foods is to buy organic produce -- USDA rules prohibit the use of pesticides on any crop with the certified organic label.

Here's a closer look at the 2010 Dirty Dozen:

1. Celery
Celery has no protective skin, which makes it almost impossible to wash off the chemicals (64 of them!) that are used on crops. Buy organic celery, or choose alternatives like broccoli, radishes, and onions.

2. Peaches
Multiple pesticides (as many as 62 of them) are regularly applied to these delicately skinned fruits in conventional orchards. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include watermelon, tangerines, oranges, and grapefruit.

3. Strawberries
If you buy strawberries, especially out of season, they're most likely imported from countries that have less-stringent regulations for pesticide use. 59 pesticides have been detected in residue on strawberries. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include kiwi and pineapples.

4. Apples
Like peaches, apples are typically grown with poisons to kill a variety of pests, from fungi to insects. Tests have found 42 different pesticides as residue on apples. Scrubbing and peeling doesn't eliminate chemical residue completely, so it's best to buy organic when it comes to apples. Peeling a fruit or vegetable also strips away many of their beneficial nutrients. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include watermelon, bananas, and tangerines.

5. Blueberries
New on the Dirty Dozen list in 2010, blueberries are treated with as many as 52 pesticides, making them one of the dirtiest berries on the market.

6. Nectarines
With 33 different types of pesticides found on nectarines, they rank up there with apples and peaches among the dirtiest tree fruit. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include, watermelon, papaya, and mango.

7. Bell peppers
Peppers have thin skins that don't offer much of a barrier to pesticides. They're often heavily sprayed with insecticides. (Tests have found 49 different pesticides on sweet bell peppers.) Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include green peas, broccoli, and cabbage.

8. Spinach
New on the list for 2010, spinach can be laced with as many as 48 different pesticides, making it one of the most contaminated green leafy vegetable.

9. Kale
Traditionally, kale is known as a hardier vegetable that rarely suffers from pests and disease, but it was found to have high amounts of pesticide residue when tested this year. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include cabbage, asparagus, and broccoli.

10. Cherries
Even locally grown cherries are not necessarily safe. In fact, in one survey in recent years, cherries grown in the U.S. were found to have three times more pesticide residue then imported cherries. Government testing has found 42 different pesticides on cherries. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include raspberries and cranberries.

11. Potatoes
America's popular spud reappears on the 2010 Dirty Dozen list, after a year hiatus. America's favorite vegetable can be laced with as many as 37 different pesticides. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include eggplant, cabbage, and earthy mushrooms.

12. Grapes
Imported grapes run a much greater risk of contamination than those grown domestically. Only imported grapes make the 2010 Dirty Dozen list. Vineyards can be sprayed with different pesticides during different growth periods of the grape, and no amount of washing or peeling will eliminate contamination because of the grape's thin skin. Remember, wine is made from grapes, which testing shows can harbor as many as 34 different pesticides. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include kiwi and raspberries.

source: http://green.yahoo.com/blog/daily_green_news/332/the-new-dirty-dozen-12-foods-to-eat-organic-and-avoid-pesticide-residue.html

Re: Just An FYI - The new Dirty Dozen: 12 foods to eat organic and avoid pesticide residue

Thanks for the info!!

Re: Just An FYI - The new Dirty Dozen: 12 foods to eat organic and avoid pesticide residue

oh boy! thanks for the info! too bad it's hard to find some of these grown organically in convenient stores, like stop and shop!

Re: Just An FYI - The new Dirty Dozen: 12 foods to eat organic and avoid pesticide residue

A further FYI. Most of Stop and Shop's frozen organics are from China. Considering China's environmental record and the fact that it's impossible to regulate US Organic standards on China, I personally consider them far from "organic". Considering they poison our toys, I'd be a fool to believe the fruits and vegs are organic.

True organic fruits and vegs are hard to find, especially off-season. Any organic fruits and veg that you see off-season you should be suspicious of as they are almost always grown outside of the US.

Trader Joe's labels all of their single product produce with the country's origin. For that reason, and their prices, I buy most of the above fruits and veg from them.

Re: Just An FYI - The new Dirty Dozen: 12 foods to eat organic and avoid pesticide residue

Re: Just An FYI - The new Dirty Dozen: 12 foods to eat organic and avoid pesticide residue

This is great info, thanks for posting.

Unfortunately, I'm stuck with Whole Foods as my best organic food option which I find very $$$, but some of these things I try to get there if possible. We do have an organic farmer's market too, which helps, but I don't make it there every week.

Re: Just An FYI - The new Dirty Dozen: 12 foods to eat organic and avoid pesticide residue

Good info !! Thank you !

Re: Just An FYI - The new Dirty Dozen: 12 foods to eat organic and avoid pesticide residue

Thank you for posting this. I knew about the dirty dozen, but didn't realize there were some changes made to the list.

Re: Just An FYI - The new Dirty Dozen: 12 foods to eat organic and avoid pesticide residue

Re: Just An FYI - The new Dirty Dozen: 12 foods to eat organic and avoid pesticide residue

Re: Just An FYI - The new Dirty Dozen: 12 foods to eat organic and avoid pesticide residue

lovely..its like every fruit i like to eat..

Re: Just An FYI - The new Dirty Dozen: 12 foods to eat organic and avoid pesticide residue

Oh man, my new knowledge is going to cost an arm and a leg!