The Most Consumed Veggie in the U.S. Is Full of Pesticides
You've probably heard of the "Dirty Dozen" list. Each year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) uses data from the USDA to pinpoint the produce with the most pesticides. Last year, strawberries have took the lead. But in the new Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce, which was released on June 12, strawberries have been knocked out of their number one spot. And there are two newcomers to the list.
So what's the "dirtiest" fruit or veggie? In this year's list, spinach swapped places with strawberries for the number one spot. The leafy green was found to have "more pesticide residues by weight than any other type of produce," according to the site. And the samples contained more pesticides by weight than any other produce. 75% of non-organic samples contained permethrin, a neurotoxic insecticide banned in Europe.
New to the list are blackberries, which were tested by the USDA for the first time in 2023. And, potatoes, the most-consumed vegetable in the country, also made it to the Dirty Dozen. 90% of potato samples tested positive for chlorpropham, a chemical that prevents sprout growth—and a chemical that's banned in the European Union.
"EWG's Shopper's Guide is a tool to inform consumers and help them with their produce shopping choices, with the goal of everyone eating more fruits and vegetables,' says Alexis Temkin, Ph.D., EWG Vice President for Science, in the press release.
Other fruits and veggies that made it to the Dirty Dozen include dark leafy greens such as kale, collard greens, and mustard greens; grapes; peaches; cherries; nectarines; pears; and apples.
Produce with the lowest amounts of pesticide residue made it to the "Clean Fifteen." The top five include pineapples, sweet corn, avocados, papayas, and onions.
To determine the list, the EWG looks at pesticide residue from tests performed by the USDA. These tests included over 53,000 samples of 47 washed fruits and vegetables. This year's list used a new methodology to get a more accurate depiction of just how harmful dirty some fruits and veggies may be. In addition to the amount of pesticides, the study looked at toxicity, meaning how harmful the pesticides could be.
'Our research takes into account the potency of each chemical and can help shoppers reduce their overall pesticide burden," says Dayna de Montagnac, M.P.H., an associate scientist for the EWG.
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15 hours ago
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The Most Consumed Veggie in the U.S. Is Full of Pesticides
You've probably heard of the "Dirty Dozen" list. Each year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) uses data from the USDA to pinpoint the produce with the most pesticides. Last year, strawberries have took the lead. But in the new Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce, which was released on June 12, strawberries have been knocked out of their number one spot. And there are two newcomers to the list. So what's the "dirtiest" fruit or veggie? In this year's list, spinach swapped places with strawberries for the number one spot. The leafy green was found to have "more pesticide residues by weight than any other type of produce," according to the site. And the samples contained more pesticides by weight than any other produce. 75% of non-organic samples contained permethrin, a neurotoxic insecticide banned in Europe. New to the list are blackberries, which were tested by the USDA for the first time in 2023. And, potatoes, the most-consumed vegetable in the country, also made it to the Dirty Dozen. 90% of potato samples tested positive for chlorpropham, a chemical that prevents sprout growth—and a chemical that's banned in the European Union. "EWG's Shopper's Guide is a tool to inform consumers and help them with their produce shopping choices, with the goal of everyone eating more fruits and vegetables,' says Alexis Temkin, Ph.D., EWG Vice President for Science, in the press release. Other fruits and veggies that made it to the Dirty Dozen include dark leafy greens such as kale, collard greens, and mustard greens; grapes; peaches; cherries; nectarines; pears; and apples. Produce with the lowest amounts of pesticide residue made it to the "Clean Fifteen." The top five include pineapples, sweet corn, avocados, papayas, and onions. To determine the list, the EWG looks at pesticide residue from tests performed by the USDA. These tests included over 53,000 samples of 47 washed fruits and vegetables. This year's list used a new methodology to get a more accurate depiction of just how harmful dirty some fruits and veggies may be. In addition to the amount of pesticides, the study looked at toxicity, meaning how harmful the pesticides could be. 'Our research takes into account the potency of each chemical and can help shoppers reduce their overall pesticide burden," says Dayna de Montagnac, M.P.H., an associate scientist for the EWG. You Might Also Like 67 Best Gifts for Women That'll Make Her Smile The Best Pillows for Every Type of Sleeper
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These 12 Fruits and Vegetables Have the Most Pesticides — Does Your Family Eat Them?
The advocacy and watchdog organization Environmental Working Group has released its annual 'Dirty Dozen' list of the produce items with the highest levels of pesticides Topping the list is spinach, which EWG says includes a pesticide that's banned in Europe Potatoes were also found to have a pesticide that's banned in EuropeAn annual list of of produce items with high levels of pesticides says leafy greens and fruit are loaded with toxins — including some that are banned in Europe. Dubbed the 'Dirty Dozen,' twelve popular produce items were found to contain high levels of pesticides and fungicides, according to a new report from nonprofit activist and watchdog group, Environmental Working Group. Topping the list was spinach; EWG's report says they found an average of seven pesticides on the leafy greens sampled, and 76% of the samples contained permethrin, which was banned in Europe in 2002. As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says, it's 'classified permethrin as 'Likely to be Carcinogenic to Humans' by the oral route' and is restricted to use on crops and farms only. Rounding out the list were strawberries, kale (and mustard greens and collards), grapes, peaches, cherries, nectarines, pears, apples, blackberries, blueberries and potatoes. The spuds also include a pesticide that's banned in Europe, chlorpropham, which the EPA says is used to 'inhibit sprouting in stored potatoes.' The research was conducted using data from the 53,692 samples of 47 fruits and vegetables from the USDA, and found that 75% of the non-organic samples contained pesticides. Blackberries made the list for the first time, with EWG saying one sample had 14 different pesticide residues. The advocacy group's vice president of science, Alexis Temkin, told CNN, 'The guide is there to help consumers eat a lot of fruits and vegetables while trying to reduce pesticide exposure … One of the things that a lot of peer-reviewed studies have shown over and over again [is] that when people switch to an organic diet from a conventional diet, you can really see measurable levels in the reduction of pesticide levels in the urine.' The group also releases a list of the 'Clean Fifteen' — aka, the produce items with the lowest amount of pesticides. These include pineapples, sweet corn (both fresh and frozen), avocados, papaya, onions, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, cabbage, watermelon, cauliflower, bananas, mangos, carrots, mushrooms and kiwis. Most of these produce items do not have an edible skin, which is a common thread with the fruit and vegetables that the group says have high pesticide levels. The Alliance for Food and Farming's executive director, Teresa Thorne, told CNN, 'consumers should be reassured by decades of toxicology studies, government data and nutrition research which underscores the importance of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables on health and the safety of both organic and conventionally grown produce.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Read the original article on People
