The Environmental Working Group has come up with a list of foods and rated their pesticide content. Given the fact that the scientific community has stated that small does of pesticides and other chemicals can affect people negatively, especially during fetal development and childhood, we thought we would share with you what the research has shown.
EWG is a not-for-profit environmental research organization dedicated to improving public health and protecting the environment by reducing pollution in air, water and food. For more information please visit
The Environmental Working Group's Website.
Will Washing and Peeling Help?
Nearly all of the data used to create these lists already considers how people typically wash and prepare produce (for example, apples are washed before testing, bananas are peeled). While washing and rinsing fresh produce may reduce levels of some pesticides, it does not eliminate them. Peeling also reduces exposures, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the peel. The best option is to eat a varied diet, wash all produce, and choose organic when possible to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.
The Full List: 43 Fruits & Veggies
|
RANK
|
FRUIT OR VEGGIE
|
SCORE
|
|
1 (Worst)
|
Peaches
|
100 (highest pesticide load)
|
|
2
|
Apples
|
96
|
|
3
|
Sweet Bell Peppers
|
86
|
|
4
|
Celery
|
85
|
|
5
|
Nectarines
|
84
|
|
6
|
Strawberries
|
83
|
|
7
|
Cherries
|
75
|
|
8
|
Lettuce
|
69
|
|
9
|
Grapes - Imported
|
68
|
|
10
|
Pears
|
65
|
|
11
|
Spinach
|
60
|
|
12
|
Potatoes
|
58
|
|
13
|
Carrots
|
57
|
|
14
|
Green Beans
|
55
|
|
15
|
Hot Peppers
|
53
|
|
16
|
Cucumbers
|
52
|
|
17
|
Raspberries
|
47
|
|
18
|
Plums
|
46
|
|
19
|
Oranges
|
46
|
|
20
|
Grapes - Domestic
|
46
|
|
21
|
Cauliflower
|
39
|
|
22
|
Tangerine
|
38
|
|
23
|
Mushrooms
|
37
|
|
24
|
Cantaloupe
|
34
|
|
25
|
Lemon
|
31
|
|
26
|
Honeydew Melon
|
31
|
|
27
|
Grapefruit
|
31
|
|
28
|
Winter Squash
|
31
|
|
29
|
Tomatoes
|
30
|
|
30
|
Sweet Potatoes
|
30
|
|
31
|
Watermelon
|
25
|
|
32
|
Blueberries
|
24
|
|
33
|
Papaya
|
21
|
|
34
|
Eggplant
|
19
|
|
35
|
Broccoli
|
18
|
|
36
|
Cabbage
|
17
|
|
37
|
Bananas
|
16
|
|
38
|
Kiwi
|
14
|
|
39
|
Asparagus
|
11
|
|
40
|
Sweet Peas - Frozen
|
11
|
|
41
|
Mango
|
9
|
|
42
|
Pineapples
|
7
|
|
43
|
Sweet Corn - Frozen
|
2
|
|
44
|
Avocado
|
1
|
|
45 (Best)
|
Onions
|
1 (Lowest pesticide load)
|
Note: We ranked a total of 44 different fruits and vegetables but grapes are listed twice because we looked at both domestic and imported samples.
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