Imagine brewing up a cocktail of 67 different pesticides and dipping your celery into it before eating it.  According The Environmental Working Group (EWG), that’s exactly what you’re ingesting when you eat non-organic celery.  The EWG analyzed about 100,000 reports from the Food and Drug Administration and US Department of Agriculture to determine which fruits and vegetables have the most (and least) amounts of chemicals on them even after a thorough “power clean”.

Their analysis resulted in the creation of two separate lists:  The Dirty Dozen and The Clean Fifteen.  The skin of the fruits and vegetables on the Dirty Dozen list has a greater tendency to absorb the pesticides.  The President’s Cancer Panel recommends eating pesticide-free produce to reduce your risk of getting cancer and other diseases.   By choosing the certain organic fruits and vegetables, you can reduce the amount of toxins you consume on a daily basis by as much as 80 percent.

The Dirty Dozen (contains between 47-67 pesticides per serving)

CHOOSE ORGANIC WHEN POSSIBLE

  • Celery
  • Peaches
  • Strawberries  
  • Apples
  • Domestic Blueberries
  • Nectarines
  • Sweet Bell Peppers
  • Spinach, Kale & Collard Greens
  • Cherries
  • Potatoes
  • Imported Grapes
  • Lettuce

The Clean Fifteen (contains trace or no pesticides)

NO NEED TO BUY ORGANIC

  • Onions
  • Avocados
  • Sweet Corn
  • Pineapples  
  • Mango
  • Sweet Peas
  • Asparagus
  • Kiwi Fruit
  • Cabbage
  • Eggplant
  • Cantaloupe
  • Watermelon
  • Grapefruit
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Sweet Onions

If your favorite fruit or veggie isn’t on the list, check out the Environmental Working Group’s website at www.foodnews.org.  There is a complete list of 49 types of produce that were tested for pesticide residue.

The best weapon we have to ward off cancer and other diseases is knowledge.  So take this list with you when you go shopping and keep your daily intake of pesticides to a minimum!

Eat Clean,

Molly