As many shoppers cut down their budgets in response to the economy, they may also scaling back on organic purchases. Although organic products may be a bit more costly compared to non-organic produced products they are healthier with a higher nutritional value. Below are some suggested organic fruits and vegetables you should add to your grocery list because they are considered to be the most contaminated when purchased conventionally.
The Environment Working Group (EWG) a not-for-profit environmental research organization released a list of fruits and vegetables that are most and least contaminated with pesticide residues. By eating some of the most contaminated fruits and vegetables, you and your children are exposed to about 10 different pesticides a day, according to EWG. Fortunately, by avoiding the most-contaminated produce out there and concentration on the least contaminated instead, you can reduce your exposure to pesticides by almost 80 percent and be exposed to less than 2 pesticides per day, EWG says.
- Apples
- Celery
- Strawberries
- Peaches
- Spinach
- Nectarines – imported
- Grapes – imported
- Sweet bell peppers
- Potatoes
- Blueberries – domestic
- Lettuce
- Kale/ collard greens
Who would have known that the fruits and vegetables listed above would be beneficial when brought organically.
Peaches and apples had the most pesticide detected on a single sample, followed by strawberries and imported grapes where eight pesticides were found on a single sample of each fruit, according to EWG.
On the flipside, the produce with the LEAST amount of contamination are listed below.
- Onions
- Sweet corn
- Pineapples
- Avocado
- Asparagus
- Sweet peas
- Mangos
- Eggplant
- Cantaloupe – domestic
- Kiwi
- Cabbage
- Watermelon
- Sweet potatoes
- Grapefruit
- Mushrooms
The simplest way to ensure your produce is not contaminated with pesticides is to buy organic. By definition, organic produce must “abstain from the application or prohibited materials (including synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and sewage sludge) for 3 years prior to certification and then continually throughout their organic license.
