Latest news with #TeresaThorne
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- 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
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
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
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
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
