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It is important to clean yours refrigerators and freezer always, but what about the food sitting inside it? In particular, that bottom drawer, where fruits and vegetables go to retire. Even the healthiest looking product can bring unwanted hitchhikers like dirt, bacteria and pesticides.
Now, fear not. According to the USDA’s Pesticide Data Program, more than 99% of foods tested were within the EPA’s safety limits — and more than a quarter had little to no pesticide residue. But still, giving your products a quick wash before eating is an easy habit that pays off in peace of mind (and less surprise crunches in the dirt). In most cases, running fruit and vegetables under water is enough, although this is not always the case. You’re not alone in asking this, either; Several Reddit users Also wondering if a little extra scrubbing would really make a difference. The concern is valid, as a CNET survey shows that 77% of American shoppers are concerned about rising grocery costs, which makes people want to be more conscious about food waste.
Certain varieties of produce are more likely to contain pesticide residues than others. To help consumers identify which fruits and vegetables are most contaminated, the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit focused on food safety, published a list known as The Dirty Dozen. The team analyzed 47,510 samples of 46 fruits and vegetables tested by the US Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture, highlighting those with the highest levels of pesticides at the time of sale.
Strawberries are the product most likely to contain pesticides, according to the study.
What are the no.1 offender pesticides in the latest study of The Dirty Dozen? Strawberries. It may be hard to believe, but popular berries have more examples of chemicals found in them than any other fruit or vegetable included in the analysis.
Below you’ll find the 12 foods most likely to contain pesticides — and the 15 foods least likely to be contaminated.
The Dirty Dozen: Fruits and vegetables that are washed too often
Foods likely to contain pesticides, according to FDA and USDA data.
- Strawberries
- water spinach
- Kale, collard and mustard greens
- Grapes
- Peaches
- Pears
- Nectarines
- Apples
- Bell and hot pepper
- Cherries
- Blueberries
- Green beans
Strawberries, spinach and kale are foods that you should wash thoroughly before eating.
The Dirty Dozen is a good sign intended to alert consumers to the fruits and vegetables that most need thorough washing. Even a quick rinse with water or a spritz of washing the product helpful.
You can also avoid most of the potential risk by buying certified organic fruits and vegetables which is free from the use of agricultural pesticides. Knowing which foods are more likely to contain pesticides can help you decide where to spend a little extra money on organic. As I learned in an analysis of organic and inorganic pricesthey are not as expensive as you think.
It doesn’t always make sense to spend on organic products.
More takeaways from the Dirty Dozen study
- More than 95% of the samples of strawberries, apples, cherries, spinach, nectarines and grapes tested positive for residues of two or more pesticides.
- Totally 209 different pesticides found in Dirty Dozen items.
- Of those 209, more than 50 different pesticides found in every plant species on the list, except cherries.
- Kale, collard and mustard greens, as well as hot peppers and bell peppers, contain the most pesticides found in any plant — 103 and 101 pesticides in totaleach one.
On the other hand, EWG found these 15 fruits and vegetables East may contain pesticides.
Foods with a natural protective skin are less likely to contain harmful pesticides.
The Clean 15: Fruits and vegetables you can skip washing
These are the fruits and vegetables that contain the least pesticides, according to the study:
- Avocado
- Sweet corn
- pineapple
- onion
- Papaya
- Sweet peas (frozen)
- Asparagus
- Honeydew melon
- Kiwi
- cabbage
- Watermelon
- Mushrooms
- Mangoes
- You sweet potatoes
- Carrots
Clean 15 was found to have the lowest level of pesticide contamination of all the samples tested, but that does not mean that they are not contaminated with pesticides at all. This does not mean that the fruits and vegetables you bring home are also not contaminated with bacteria. You’re statistically safer consuming unwashed food from the Clean 15 than the Dirty Dozen, but it’s a good rule of thumb to wash. all of your fruits and vegetables before eating them.
The EWG’s methodology includes six measures of pesticide contamination. The analysis focuses on which fruits and vegetables are likely to contain one or more pesticides but does not measure how much of a pesticide is in a portion of the produce. You can read more about EWG’s Dirty Dozen in the published study HERE.
Read More: The 14 Best Healthy Drinks for Staying Hydrated With Additional Benefits
From the analyzed tested samples, the EWG found that 95% of the samples from the Dirty Dozen fruit and vegetable category were packed with potentially harmful fungicides. On the other hand, nearly 65% of the samples from the Clean Fifteen fruits and vegetables category showed no detectable amounts of fungicide.
EWG identified several pesticides during the analysis of the tested samples, and the organization found that four of the five most common pesticides are potentially dangerous fungicides: fludioxonil, pyraclostrobin, boscalid and pyrimethanil.
