The Environmental Working Group has published their updated 2016 version of the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce. This guide looked at pesticide residue data from the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration to rank 50 common fruits and vegetables by the amount of pesticides on them. The results were a bit surprising, and yet another reason why it’s better to buy organic when possible!
Here’s the full list, from worst to best:
- Strawberries
- Apples
- Nectarines
- Peaches
- Celery
- Grapes
- Cherries
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
- Sweet bell peppers
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Snap peas (imported)
- Blueberries (domestic)
- Potatoes
- Hot peppers
- Lettuce
- Kale/collard greens
- Blueberries (imported)
- Green beans
- Plums
- Pears
- Raspberries
- Carrots
- Winter squash
- Tangerines
- Summer squash
- Snap peas (domestic)
- Green onions
- Bananas
- Oranges
- Watermelon
- Broccoli
- Sweet potatoes
- Mushrooms
- Cauliflower
- Cantaloupe
- Grapefruit
- Honeydew melon
- Eggplant
- Kiwi
- Papayas
- Mangos
- Asparagus
- Onions
- Sweet peas (frozen)
- Cabbage
- Pineapples
- Sweet corn
- Avocados
Until there’s proper, scientific human testing of the effects of long term exposure to pesticides as well as the combination of pesticides used on different produce…I recommend sticking with organic!
You can read more at Treehugger.