Fresh Fruits
Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce
When you’re grocery shopping, it’s easy to find labels and pick foods that help you reduce cholesterol and saturated fat, avoid antibiotics, or steer clear of artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners. But when it comes to pesticides, consumers have been left in the dark. Now there’s help.
The Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce lists the 12 popular fresh fruits and vegetables that are consistently the most contaminated with pesticides and those 12 fruits and vegetables that consistently have low levels of pesticides. If you are concerned about pesticides in your diet, the handy wallet card can help you choose produce that lowers exposure to pesticides for you and your family.
For the most contaminated items, we suggest substituting organically grown produce whenever possible. When this is not an option, we still recommend eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables but use this guide to buy those that typically have fewer pesticides.
Why Should You Care About Pesticides?
There is growing concern in the scientific community regarding the subtle ways in which small doses of pesticides affect people, especially during critical periods of fetal development and childhood when they can have long lasting adverse effects. Because the toxic effects of pesticides are worrisome, not well understood or in some cases completely unstudied, shoppers would be wise to minimize exposure to pesticides whenever possible.Will Washing and Peeling Help?
Nearly all of the data used to create these lists already considers how people typically wash and prepare produce (for example, apples are washed before testing, bananas are peeled). While washing and rinsing fresh produce may help reduce pesticide residues, it does not eliminate them. Peeling reduces exposures, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the peel. The best option is to eat a varied diet, wash all produce, and choose organic when possible to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.
Highest in Pesticides
These 12 popular fresh fruits and vegetables are consistently the most contaminated with pesticides — buy these organic.
• Apples
• Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Cherries
• Grapes (imported)
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Potatoes
• Red Raspberries
• Spinach
• Strawberries
Lowest in Pesticides
These 12 popular fresh fruits and vegetables consistently have the lowest levels of pesticides.
• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Corn (sweet)
• Kiwi
• Mangos
• Onions
• Papaya
• Pineapples
• Peas (sweet)
