Latest news with #Shopper'sGuide
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Shoppers guide lists a dozen fruits and vegetables with pesticide residue
Eating more fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy diet is a message often touted by health and nutrition experts. But does it matter which fruits and vegetables? Or whether those fruits or vegetables are organic or not? And does it make a difference if they were treated with pesticides? An annual list created by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is billed as helping shoppers identify specific fruits and vegetables. However, another group has concerns with the list recommendations and questions its methodology. Since 2004, the EWG, a nonprofit advocacy group, has released its Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce, containing a list of fruits and vegetables the group calls the "Dirty Dozen," or those deemed to have the most pesticide up with its annual list, the EWG said it reviewed pesticide residue data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on many fruits and vegetables.'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,' said EWG Vice President for Science Alexis Temkin, Ph.D., in a news release. 'For people looking to reduce pesticide exposure, buying from the Clean Fifteen is a great place to start.' This year, the EWG list also reflected the overall toxicity of the detected pesticides. The Alliance for Food and Farming (AFF), which represents organic and conventional produce farmers, has long criticized EWG's annual list. 'We strongly support consumer choice when shopping for fruits and vegetables,' said Teresa Thorne, AFF's executive director, in an email to the Free Press. 'But this choice should not be influenced by this list, which peer-reviewed research has shown is not scientifically credible, nor are its recommendations supportable.' Instead, she said, consumers should be reassured by decades of toxicology studies, government data and nutrition research, which confirm the importance of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables on health as well as the exceptional safety of both organic and conventionally grown produce. In addition, the AFF cited in its news release that the USDA's Pesticide Data Program (PDP) found that more than '99% of foods sampled had residue levels well below EPA safety standards.' Only 1 in 10 Americans eats enough fruits and vegetables daily, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Consumers can and should disregard these types of lists," said Dr. Sylvia Klinger, DBA, MS, RD, founder of Hispanic and Multicultural Nutrition Communications," per AFF's news release. 'Simply follow the advice of dietitians and health experts and choose to eat more fruits and vegetables, which are rich in the vitamins and antioxidants that help our bodies fight and prevent diseases, improve overall health and increase lifespan," Klinger states in AFF's news release. This year, the EWG list also reflected the overall toxicity of the detected its Dirty Dozen list, the group says 'more than 9 in 10 samples of conventional, or non-organic produce contained residues of potentially harmful pesticides.' Leading the Dirty Dozen list is spinach, followed by strawberries, a group of kale, collard and mustard greens, grapes and peaches rounded out the top five. According to the EWG, more than 50 different pesticides were found on samples of the Dirty Dozen fruits and vegetables, except for cherries. The group's Dirty Dozen has two new additions — blackberries and or conventional blackberries and potatoes came in at No. 10 and No. 12, respectively, on the 2025 list. Blackberries, which were never before tested by the USDA, the EWG says, revealed '93% of samples had pesticide residues, for an average of four different pesticides per sample.' One of the four pesticides is cypermethrin, which the group says is classified as a possible human carcinogen by the Environmental Protection were added to the list because the EWG found USDA data revealing samples containing chlorpropham, a sprout inhibitor. In 2019, the European Union banned chlorpropham, the EWG says, out of health concerns for farmers and consumers. The EWG's annual list also features the group's 'Clean Fifteen' or fruits and vegetables deemed by them to contain the least pesticides. The group touts that 60% of samples of conventionally grown fruit and vegetables on its Clean Fifteen list in the Environmental Working Group's new Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce had no 'detectable pesticide residues.'Consumers can follow these produce-washing steps provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration at to help remove pesticide residue, dirt and bacteria. Wash fruits and produce with cold or warm running tap water. If needed, scrub fruits and produce with a brush, but do not use soap or detergents. Throw away the outer leaves of leafy vegetables like lettuce and cabbage. Clean hands, scrub brushes, utensils, cutting boards, colanders and sink before using to wash fresh fruits and vegetables. Spinach Strawberries Kale, collard and mustard greens Grapes Peaches Cherries Nectarines Pears Apples Blackberries Blueberries Potatoes Pineapples Sweet corn (fresh and frozen) Avocados Papaya Onion Sweet peas (frozen) Asparagus Cabbage Watermelon Cauliflower Bananas Mangoes Carrots Mushrooms Kiwi For a copy of the guide, go to Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@ Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 'Dirty Dozen' lists fruits and vegetables with pesticide residue
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
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
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New to the ‘Dirty Dozen' list: Blackberries and potatoes
More than 90% of samples of a dozen fruits and vegetables tested positive for potentially harmful pesticide residues, according to the 2025 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce. Dubbed the 'Dirty Dozen,' the list is compiled from the latest government testing data on nonorganic produce by the Environmental Working Group, or EWG, a health advocacy organization that has produced the annual report since 2004. Spinach topped the list, with more pesticide residue by weight than any other produce tested, followed by strawberries, kale (along with mustard greens and collards), grapes, peaches, cherries, nectarines, pears, apples, blackberries, blueberries and potatoes. The annual report is not meant to discourage consumers from eating fruits and vegetables, which are key to good health, but instead to provide tools for decisions on whether to buy organic for the fruits or vegetables their families consume the most, said Alexis Temkin, EWG's vice president of science. 'The guide is there to help consumers eat a lot of fruits and vegetables while trying to reduce pesticide exposure,' Temkin said. '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 Alliance for Food and Farming, which represents organic and conventional produce farmers, has been a long-standing critic of the annual report. 'We strongly support consumer choice when shopping for fruits and vegetables. But this choice should not be influenced by this list,' Teresa Thorne, the alliance's executive director, said in an email. 'Instead 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,' Thorne added. Blackberries were new to the list, having never been tested before by the US Department of Agriculture, while potatoes joined the rankings after being absent in recent years — mainly due to the use of a plant growth regulator called chlorpropham. The chemical has been banned in the European Union, Temkin said. 'It's applied after harvest to essentially prevent potatoes from sprouting while they're in storage or in transit,' Temkin said. 'Because it's applied so late after harvest and so close to when consumers might be exposed or eating potatoes, that's partially what leads to some of these really high concentrations.' More than 50 different pesticides were detected on each of several crops on the Dirty Dozen section of the Shopper's Guide, which was updated this year to measure pesticide toxicity, Temkin said. 'We still have measurements of the detection frequency of pesticides, how many different pesticides are found on produce, as well as the overall concentration. We also have an indicator of that concentration relative to a dose that might cause harm in an animal study,' she said. 'A lot of the Dirty Dozen produce rank really highly when you look at pesticide toxicity, especially relative to the 'Clean Fifteen' items, which have fewer detections of pesticide residues,' Temkin added. As part of the report, EWG also creates an annual 'Clean Fifteen' — a list of conventional produce with the least amount of pesticide residue. Many of these fruits and vegetables are protected by skins you peel before eating — but not all. Pineapple was the least contaminated produce tested, followed by sweet corn (fresh and frozen), avocados, papaya, onions, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, cabbage, watermelon, cauliflower, bananas, mangos, carrots, mushrooms and kiwi. 'An important aspect of the USDA pesticide testing is they really try to mimic consumer behavior. … They wash fruits or vegetables for about 15 or 20 seconds under running water, and then they also peel something like citrus or a mango or a banana,' Temkin said. 'If there are any pesticides on that outer layer, that is removed, and that might be one of the reasons why some of these fruits or vegetables that are on the Clean Fifteen tend to have less detectable pesticide residues.' More tips: All produce, even organic, should be washed before peeling so dirt and bacteria aren't transferred from a knife onto the fruit or vegetable, according to the US Food and Drug Administration. After washing, dry with a clean cloth or paper towel. Firm produce such as carrots, cucumbers, melons and potatoes can be scrubbed with a clean vegetable brush under running water, the FDA said. All other produce can be gently rubbed while being rinsed. There's no need to use bleach, soap or a produce wash — fruits and vegetables are porous and can absorb the chemicals. Remove the outermost leaves of cabbage, lettuce and other leafy greens and rinse each leaf carefully — but don't blast your greens with water, or you'll bruise them. Experts said it's best to use low-pressure water that is warmer than your produce and a colander to spin the greens dry. Don't forget to wash the colander afterward. Exceptions are 'triple-washed' bagged greens, which the FDA said do not need an additional wash. Pesticides have been linked in studies to premature births, congenital malformations such as neural tube defects, spontaneous abortions and an increase in genetic damage in humans. Exposure to pesticides has also been associated with lower sperm concentrations, heart disease, cancer and other disorders. Farmworkers who use or are exposed to pesticides are at highest risk, according to studies. A 2022 meta-analysis found workers exposed to pesticides were nearly five times as likely to have DNA damage, while a February 2024 study concluded children exposed at an early age showed poorer neurodevelopment from infancy to adolescence. Children are the most suspectable to the dangers of pesticides due to their small size and developing body and brain, experts say. The risk can actually begin in the womb. 'Pesticide exposure during pregnancy may lead to an increased risk of birth defects, low birth weight, and fetal death,' according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. 'Exposure in childhood has been linked to attention and learning problems, as well as cancer.'
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New to the ‘Dirty Dozen' list: Blackberries and potatoes
More than 90% of samples of a dozen fruits and vegetables tested positive for potentially harmful pesticide residues, according to the 2025 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce. Dubbed the 'Dirty Dozen,' the list is compiled from the latest government testing data on nonorganic produce by the Environmental Working Group, or EWG, a health advocacy organization that has produced the annual report since 2004. Spinach topped the list, with more pesticide residue by weight than any other produce tested, followed by strawberries, kale (along with mustard greens and collards), grapes, peaches, cherries, nectarines, pears, apples, blackberries, blueberries and potatoes. The annual report is not meant to discourage consumers from eating fruits and vegetables, which are key to good health, but instead to provide tools for decisions on whether to buy organic for the fruits or vegetables their families consume the most, said Alexis Temkin, EWG's vice president of science. 'The guide is there to help consumers eat a lot of fruits and vegetables while trying to reduce pesticide exposure,' Temkin said. '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 Alliance for Food and Farming, which represents organic and conventional produce farmers, has been a long-standing critic of the annual report. 'We strongly support consumer choice when shopping for fruits and vegetables. But this choice should not be influenced by this list,' Teresa Thorne, the alliance's executive director, said in an email. 'Instead 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,' Thorne added. Blackberries were new to the list, having never been tested before by the US Department of Agriculture, while potatoes joined the rankings after being absent in recent years — mainly due to the use of a plant growth regulator called chlorpropham. The chemical has been banned in the European Union, Temkin said. 'It's applied after harvest to essentially prevent potatoes from sprouting while they're in storage or in transit,' Temkin said. 'Because it's applied so late after harvest and so close to when consumers might be exposed or eating potatoes, that's partially what leads to some of these really high concentrations.' More than 50 different pesticides were detected on each of several crops on the Dirty Dozen section of the Shopper's Guide, which was updated this year to measure pesticide toxicity, Temkin said. 'We still have measurements of the detection frequency of pesticides, how many different pesticides are found on produce, as well as the overall concentration. We also have an indicator of that concentration relative to a dose that might cause harm in an animal study,' she said. 'A lot of the Dirty Dozen produce rank really highly when you look at pesticide toxicity, especially relative to the 'Clean Fifteen' items, which have fewer detections of pesticide residues,' Temkin added. As part of the report, EWG also creates an annual 'Clean Fifteen' — a list of conventional produce with the least amount of pesticide residue. Many of these fruits and vegetables are protected by skins you peel before eating — but not all. Pineapple was the least contaminated produce tested, followed by sweet corn (fresh and frozen), avocados, papaya, onions, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, cabbage, watermelon, cauliflower, bananas, mangos, carrots, mushrooms and kiwi. 'An important aspect of the USDA pesticide testing is they really try to mimic consumer behavior. … They wash fruits or vegetables for about 15 or 20 seconds under running water, and then they also peel something like citrus or a mango or a banana,' Temkin said. 'If there are any pesticides on that outer layer, that is removed, and that might be one of the reasons why some of these fruits or vegetables that are on the Clean Fifteen tend to have less detectable pesticide residues.' More tips: All produce, even organic, should be washed before peeling so dirt and bacteria aren't transferred from a knife onto the fruit or vegetable, according to the US Food and Drug Administration. After washing, dry with a clean cloth or paper towel. Firm produce such as carrots, cucumbers, melons and potatoes can be scrubbed with a clean vegetable brush under running water, the FDA said. All other produce can be gently rubbed while being rinsed. There's no need to use bleach, soap or a produce wash — fruits and vegetables are porous and can absorb the chemicals. Remove the outermost leaves of cabbage, lettuce and other leafy greens and rinse each leaf carefully — but don't blast your greens with water, or you'll bruise them. Experts said it's best to use low-pressure water that is warmer than your produce and a colander to spin the greens dry. Don't forget to wash the colander afterward. Exceptions are 'triple-washed' bagged greens, which the FDA said do not need an additional wash. Pesticides have been linked in studies to premature births, congenital malformations such as neural tube defects, spontaneous abortions and an increase in genetic damage in humans. Exposure to pesticides has also been associated with lower sperm concentrations, heart disease, cancer and other disorders. Farmworkers who use or are exposed to pesticides are at highest risk, according to studies. A 2022 meta-analysis found workers exposed to pesticides were nearly five times as likely to have DNA damage, while a February 2024 study concluded children exposed at an early age showed poorer neurodevelopment from infancy to adolescence. Children are the most suspectable to the dangers of pesticides due to their small size and developing body and brain, experts say. The risk can actually begin in the womb. 'Pesticide exposure during pregnancy may lead to an increased risk of birth defects, low birth weight, and fetal death,' according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. 'Exposure in childhood has been linked to attention and learning problems, as well as cancer.'
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
These foods are new to the ‘dirty dozen' list of those with pesticide residue
Eating healthy can be enough of a chore without having to worry about consuming potentially harmful pesticides. But, new research from Environmental Working Group, a U.S. advocacy group also known as EWG, has found that more than 17 percent of non-organic fresh produce sold to Americans contains the residues of harmful pesticides. Relying on data from the Department of Agriculture, the group has released its annual list of foods they deem 'dirty' and 'clean' to help consumers make better-informed choices at the grocery store. 'EWG recommends shoppers seeking fresh produce with low pesticide residues buy organic versions of items on EWG's Dirty Dozen and either organic or conventional versions of produce on the Clean Fifteen,' EWG Senior Scientist Dr. Alexa Friedman said in a statement. 'There are also many organic and Clean Fifteen options in the frozen food aisle.' In total, more than 50 different pesticides were found on samples from each of the Dirty Dozen fruits and vegetables, with the exception of cherries. But, that doesn't mean people should stop eating the produce. 'Everyone should eat more fruits and vegetables – organic or conventional,' said Friedman. 'But for those who want to reduce their exposure to pesticides, the Shopper's Guide can be a powerful tool to avoid consuming potentially harmful chemicals.' So, which foods do they advise you avoid of the nearly 50 in their analysis? Here's what to know... Spinach had more pesticide residue by weight than any other produce the group tested. Three-quarters of non-organic or conventional samples of the nutrient-rich vegetable are contaminated with a neurotoxic insecticide known as permethrin. It's often used to ward off mosquitoes, but can overwhelm the nervous system and result in tremors and seizures. Previous research has also found a link between lower-level exposure and neurological effects in children. Other fungicides have been used on spinach, including mandipropamid, fluopicolide, and ametoctradin, EWG said. The average American eats approximately eight pounds of strawberries annually. However, testing has found that the red fruit were the fresh produce item most likely to be contaminated with pesticide residues – even after they are picked and washed. They may come with dozens of pesticides, including the hormone-disrupting carbendazim and insecticide bifenthrin Some 86 percent of samples of leafy greens had detectable levels of two or more pesticide residues and nearly 60 percent of kale samples were contaminated with residues of a pesticide considered to be a possible carcinogen. Some 100 different pesticides have been found in leafy greens, including the potential carcinogen DCPA. Last August, the EPA issued an emergency suspension of all uses of DCPA. It can harm the lungs, liver, kidney, and thyroid. Grapes can also contain insecticides and fungicides. This is also true abroad, in India and Europe. Previously, more than 96 percent of grapes tested positive for pesticide residues. A summer staple, 99 percent of peaches were found to be contaminated in a previous test with 900 samples. 'The pesticides detected on peaches include fungicides, applied to control mold, as well as insecticides that can harm the nervous system of insects, wildlife and people,' the EWG said. The EWG has said in the past that an average of five pesticide residues were found on cherry samples. That includes iprodione, a fungicide that has been classified as a likely human carcinogen. The EWG has detected residues in nearly 94 percent of nectarine samples. One sample contained more than 15 different pesticide residues. More than six out of 10 non-organic pears recently tested by the Department of Agriculture have traces of five or more pesticides. That marks a dramatic jump from earlier tests. Furthermore, 95 percent of samples had at least one pesticide. Diphenylamine is used on apples to prevent them from developing brown or black patches. The chemical was found in 60 percent of tests on 334 raw non-organic samples. The EPA contends that diphenylamine treatment does not pose a risk to human health, but there are concerns regarding the presence of cancer-causing chemicals that may form on apples when diphenylamine is combined with nitrogen-containing compounds. Blackberries are a new addition to the 'dirty dozen.' The first test of the berries found than 93 percent of samples had pesticide residues, for an average of four different pesticides per sample. The pesticide cypermethrin, classified as a possible human carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency, was detected on just over half of conventional blackberry samples. Blueberries are returning with traces of several toxic pesticides. They have been found on 90 percent of conventional samples. The insecticides phosmet and malathion have been found on blueberries. They are toxic to the human nervous system. Potatoes are also new to the list this year. They're also the most consumed vegetable in the U.S. New data, however, has revealed that 90 percent of samples contained chlorpropham, which can cause eye and skin irritation and other more severe problems.
