Are you consuming the most pesticide laden produce?  Are they on your grocery list?  If so, could they be harming you? Let’s take a look at the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) 2022 “Dirty Dozen” list, which ranks produce based on the amount of pesticides found on them.  They have created a ‘Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce’ and it found that 70% of non-organic produce had some level of potentially harmful chemical residue on them.  In fact, ‘kale, collard and mustard greens, as well as hot peppers and bell peppers, had the most pesticides detected, 103 and 101 pesticides in total, respectively.’¹ Wow, that is frightening.  And what gets even more wild is that several of these pesticides are banned by the EU and classified by the EPA as a possible human carcinogen and many others are linked to cancer, obesity, hormone issues, reproductive issues, and neurological issues.²   

“This year’s version of the guide, which analyzes the latest test data from the Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration, also reveals that over 50 percent of potatoes, spinach, lettuce and eggplant had detectable levels of at least one of three bee-killing neonic insecticides banned in the European Union but still allowed for use on U.S. produce.”³

So you may be asking where are these pesticides?  Are they in the plant, on the plant, just surrounding the plant?  Well, studies have shown that in fruit the highest concentrations of pesticides are on the stalk and skin and for vegetables the highest concentrations are on the stalk, stems and leaves.⁴  Now they do absorb these toxins through the roots and stems and make their way into the fruit of the plant, although they are less concentrated at this point. 

I know this information may be very alarming, but its purpose is to inform so you can make the best decisions for you and your family.  The EWG not only puts out a dirty dozen list but also a clean fifteen list and later on in this blog I will share some tips to eating in this environment of dirty foods.  

Dirty Dozen List:

1. Strawberries
2. Spinach
3. Kale, Collard, and Mustard Greens
4. Nectarines
5. Apples
6. Grapes
7. Bell & Hot Peppers
8. Cherries
9. Peaches
10. Pears
11. Celery
12. Tomatoes

*Green Beans and Blueberries should be added to the list, they also had residue from 17+ pesticides.⁵ 

Clean Fifteen List:

1. Avocados 
2. Sweet Corn*
3. Pineapple
4. Onions
5. Papaya*
6. Sweet Peas
7. Asparagus
8. Honeydew Melon
9. Kiwi
10. Cabbage
11. Mushrooms
12. Cantaloupe
13. Mangoes
14. Watermelon
15. Sweet Potatoes

*Some sweet corn, papaya and summer squash sold in the USA is produced using genetically modified seeds, so buy organic in order to avoid GMO produce.⁶

What can you do?

1. If your budget allows, buy 100% organic (we will discuss organic in a future blog) or buy at your local farmers market and ask lots of questions. 
2. Going organic doesn’t have to break the bank. Focus your budget on the “Dirty Dozen” items, buying organic for those and opt for nonorganic options when it comes to everything else–you’ll still be making a healthy decision!  
3. No matter if you buy organic or nonorganic, you need to wash your produce throughly to get off all the toxins that are on the outside of the produce.  If you cut into unwashed produce you will introduce a high concentration of pesticides / insecticides into the flesh through the contamination of your knife going through the skin first.  Wash with a natural cleaner such as, vinegar.  I like to use Thieves Veggie wash.  Stay away from traditional soaps, because you will just introduce more chemicals to the mix, defeating the point of washing.  
4. Peel and deseed all fruit before consuming.
5. Best thing to do if you have time is to grow your own fruits and vegetables.    

I hope this was informative for you and you are able to live whole and walk strong.  Please see my other blogs regarding other nutrition topics.

Sources:

1. https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4947579/
3. https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3907644/ 
5. https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/2021PDPAnnualSummary.pdf
6. https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/clean-fifteen.php

*This article is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at the choice and risk of the reader.

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