The Dirty Dozen: The Most Contaminated Fruits and Vegetables
By Billy Ha

A new analysis of federal data by Environmental Working Group (EWG) shows that one million American children age 5 and under consume unsafe levels of pesticides everyday. Pesticides are manufactured for a wide variety of purposes, and they come with a wide variety of side effects on the endocrine, nervous, and immune systems of human beings. Adults are susceptible to these effects, but children are even more likely to suffer negative effects from pesticide exposure because of their lower body weight, their less developed immune and detoxification systems, and the fact that they’re still growing.

A University of Washington study found that children fed mostly organic produce and juice had only one-sixth the level of organophosphate pesticide byproducts in their urine compared to children who ate conventionally grown foods. The effects of pesticides may not be immediate, and when they do occur, they may be subtle (or blamed on other causes). How much pesticide exposure a person can take before it begins to affect him or her varies—factors include the level of exposure and the type of chemicals involved, as well as the person’s constitution and nutritional status. But it’s clear that less pesticide exposure is better. Many of the pesticides found in the test subjects have been linked to serious long-term health effects, including infertility, birth defects, childhood and adult cancers.

How do we reduce exposure to pesticides?
We know that the healthful benefits of produce are greater than the risk of pesticide exposure. However, concern is mounting about the ways that pesticides could affect people, especially pregnant women and young children. The government has set some minimal safeguards in place. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under the Food Quality Protection Act of 1997, approves every pesticide before its use on foods and is responsible for setting safety levels for its use. However, more and more people are turning to organic. Currently, buying organic food is the best option to reduce intake of pesticides.

Going Organic
What does organic produce mean?  As defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), organic foods are those grown without the use of pesticides, petroleum- or sewage-based fertilizers, antibiotics, synthetic hormones, genetic engineering, or irradiation.

Reduce the Risk
To reduce the risk of pesticide exposure, follow some of the food-safety tips below to insure the safest and tastiest produce:

1. Eat organic when you can. If this option is too costly or not readily available, select organic produce to replace the most contaminated fruits and veggies from the list below.

2. Choose conventionally grown produce from the least contaminated fruits and veggies from the list below. Eating the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables will expose a person to nearly 20 pesticides per day, on average. Eating the 12 least contaminated will expose a person to a fraction over 2 pesticides per day.

3. Buy locally grown produce when in season. Ask the growers at the farmers’ markets about their pesticide use.

4. Thoroughly wash raw fruits and vegetables with cold, running water. Peel thick-skinned produce and trim outer leaves of greens. Water is effective as a produce wash when it comes to non-waxed fruits and veggies; it can reduce bacteria 10-fold. Edible wax is applied to trap moisture and keep produce fresh longer, but dirt and pesticide residues can get trapped underneath. Don’t use soap, detergents, or bleach solutions. If necessary- and appropriate - use a small vegetable brush to remove surface dirt. Try to cut away damaged or bruised areas - bacteria can thrive in these places. While washing fresh produce may help reduce pesticide residues, it clearly does not eliminate them.

Pesticides are not just on the skin of produce; they get absorbed into the flesh of fruits and vegetables. Peeling reduces exposures, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the peel.

Most and Least Contaminated Produce
Conventionally Grown Fruit & Vegetables

12 Most Contaminated
Peaches
Strawberries
Apples
Spinach
Nectarines
Celery
Pears
Cherries
Potatoes
Bell peppers
Raspberries
Grapes

12 Least Contaminated
Sweet corn
Avocado
Pineapples
Cauliflower
Mangoes
Sweet peas
Asparagus
Onions
Broccoli
Bananas
Kiwi fruit
Papaya

Billy Ha is the Marketing Manager for Goodwin’s Organic Food and Drink. Goodwin’s Organics is a certified QAI (Quality Assurance International) organic handler. Visit the new store at 191 W. Big Spring Road, in Riverside. (951) 682-2667.