EWG’s 2012 list of Produce with Least Amount of Pesticides

In my last post, I went over a list of the most pesticide- laden produce on the market this year also dubbed as the “Dirty Dozen”. Now that we know, which ones are the worst for us you’re probably wondering which ones are the healthiest. Maybe not everyone cares if they ingest pesticides on a daily basis- 40% of consumers are not concerned- but for those who are, like myself, continue reading.

It would be wise to minimize our exposure to these toxins because scientific research has told us that  it’s just simply not healthy. If we are regularly eating produce from the “Dirty D”  list we are ingesting at the very minimum 14 pesticides per day on average. But by eating veggies from the “Clean 15″ list, it would average out to consuming only 2 pesticides per day which is a pretty wide margin. Also according to the Environmental Working Group’s website, we can lower our exposure to pesticides by 90 percent by just avoiding eating items previously mentioned in my last post. So as I said before, if you can’t afford premium priced organic produce, try to stick with items on the following “Clean Fifteen” list until your next bonus or paycheck.

Onions- Onions have many layers to protect them and their pungent flavor makes them not very attractive to pests so their isn’t really a need to douse them in chemicals.

Avocados- Just like the onion, the skin of the avocado protects it from spraying and pests.

Sweet Corn- Apparently it takes quite a bit of fertilizer to grow corn but pesticides are unlikely to end up on the kernels due to their hardy husks.

Pineapple- I don’t know anyone that eats the skin from a pineapple and luckily, they don’t because their thick and rough skin protects them from pesticide residue.

Mango- There seems to be a reoccurring theme with items on this list and it’s thick skins. Mangos are protected from pesticides as well because of it.

Asparagus- Asparagus might turn your pee a funky color but they are one of the least pesticide laced veggies out there. Bugs don’t seem to want to feast on them because they are tough to eat (before they are boiled of course) which means less chemicals that need to be sprayed.

Sweet Peas- Peas are protected by a stiff pod and pests seem less than enthused to feed on them, which landed peas a spot on this list.

Eggplants- Eggplants have a skin similar to that of a Mango and are protected from synthetic toxins.

Kiwi- The fuzzy somewhat prickly skin of a kiwi makes it unattractive to eat to not just humans but pests too. Pesticide use on kiwi farms is pretty minimal as a result.

Cantaloupe- Again the thick skin

Grapefruit- I’m not a huge fan of grapefruit and I could see why bugs wouldn’t be either. It’s bitter and not as good as lets say an orange which of course didn’t make the list for some reason.

Other produce that made the list were papayas, watermelons, broccoli, and tomatoes.

The EWG found that out of all items on the Clean Fifteen each individual sample showed five or less different pesticides which is good news for us consumers. EWG president Ken Cook said in the press release, “Environmentalists have had important successes in forcing pesticides that presented unacceptably high dietary risks off the market. The latest USDA tests show we have much more work to do.”

Photo Credit :  Some rights reserved by bangdoll@flickr

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Angie Tarantino (156 Posts)

Angie Tarantino is a contributor and part founder of The Environmental Blog. She covers animal rights, green tips and general green news topics She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. Follow @EcoChic314

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