According to the ‘Dirty Dozen’ list for 2022, these fruits and vegetables have the most pesticides
What are the most filthy fruits and veggies at the supermarket? According to a new study, strawberries, spinach, and kale are all good for you.
The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit advocacy organization, released its annual “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen” lists on Thursday, based on data from the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration.
More than 90% of strawberry, apple, cherry, spinach, nectarine, and grape samples tested positive for residues of two or more pesticides, according to the Washington, D.C.-based group.
Pesticides were found in the highest concentrations in kale, collard and mustard greens, hot peppers, and bell peppers. kale, collards, and mustard greens were found to have pesticides in up to 21 different ways.
Strawberries and leafy greens have consistently ranked at the top of the list over the last two years. Pesticide residue levels in bell and hot peppers were higher this year, jumping from No. 10 last year to No. 7 this year.
Which fruit contains the fewest pesticides? The group’s “Clean Fifteen” included avocados, sweet corn, and pineapple.
Take a peek at the top ten lists from this year.
‘Dirty Dozen’ for 2022
- Strawberries
- Spinach
- Kale, collard and mustard greens
- Nectarines
- Apples
- Grapes
- Bell and hot peppers
- Cherries
- Peaches
- Pears
- Celery
- Tomatoes
‘Clean Fifteen’ for 2022
- Avocados
- Sweet corn
- Pineapple
- Onions
- Papaya
- Sweet peas (frozen)
- Asparagus
- Honeydew melon
- Kiwi
- Cabbage
- Mushrooms
- Cantaloupe
- Mangoes
- Watermelon
- Sweet Potatoes
The results from almost 45,000 samples of products from 2020 are included in this year’s report.
Pesticides have been connected to a variety of health problems, including the development of the brain. According to Alexis Temkin, an EWG toxicologist, their effects on fertility disorders have the most evidence.
Temkin remarked, “I believe there are still a lot of unknown repercussions.” If you reduce your exposure in the first place, you’ll have a considerably lower chance of having negative health repercussions.
USDA researchers cleaned and peeled the fruits and vegetables before examining them, just like customers who rely on store-bought goods.
According to experts, washing food with only cold water is the best method. Pesticide residue was found on more than 70% of non-organic foods examined. According to EWG, nearly all of the values were below the legal limits set by national laws.
Some of EWG’s lists make Teresa Thorne, the head of the Alliance for Food and Farming, a group of organic and conventional farmers, very worried.
First, peer-reviewed research has revealed that it is scientifically unsupportable, particularly the claim that consuming organic foods will result in lower pesticide exposure than eating conventionally farmed foods.
She explained that residues from conventionally cultivated produce are already so minute, if they exist at all. The second point is that this list has been proven to have a negative influence on consumers in peer-reviewed research.
When low-income customers saw this list and some of the messaging in the Dirty Dozen list, they said they were less likely to buy any produce, organic or conventional. “
People can get pesticide-free fruits and vegetables from EWG now, she said.
According to Thorne, 99.8% of the fruits and vegetables evaluated by the USDA’s Pesticide Data Program are well below the EPA’s safety standards. A third of the samples have no residues at all.
“Currently, 13 million children live in food-insecure households. To scare people away from conventionally farmed fruits and vegetables, which are more economical and accessible in today’s climate, more thought must be put into it. “