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Veronica Peterson

Dodging Pesticides: 5 Foods to Avoid

posted by Veronica Peterson Feb 4, 2009 4:52 pm
filed under: Health & Wellness, Diet & Nutrition, Eating for Health, Urban Green, , , , , , , ,
Dodging Pesticides: 5 Foods to Avoid
62 comments

Living in San Francisco, I’m constantly being bombarded with “organic this” and “locally grown” that. I have actually seen stores charge $2.50 for ONE apple. No joke, $2.50 for an organic, oh-so-chic, perfectly-imperfect, Newtonian-inspired apple, grown specifically for your dinner-party bragging pleasure. “Why, yes, Jim. I did buy all this fruit at the farmer’s market. Junior won’t be going to college in the fall but doesn’t this tart look lovely?”

Still, having recently given in to this crazy evolution, I’ll admit there is something truly special about biting into a piece of organic produce. The flavors burst in your mouth and, whether this is true or a placebo effect, I actually feel the nutrients–like edible pieces of health. Plus, it’s a bit frightening that my bagged, supermarket mesclun lasts for TWO (yes, that’s correct) weeks without so much as a hint of rot. Hmm, I wonder what that’s doing to me?

However, because I live in the real world, buying organic isn’t always an option and because consuming massive amounts of hidden pesticides didn’t seem like a viable alternative either–I needed info on when to splurge. While browsing multiple consumer advocate sites, I discovered the Environmental Working Group’s compilation of the most pesticide-laden fruits and veggies. Using this list, it’s easy to see what foods to avoid or when to fork over your cash for the organic version.

5 Pesticide Foods to Avoid

1. Peaches. Conventionally farmed peaches are number one because so many pesticides are needed to grow them. Plus, their skin absorbs much of it infecting the flesh with carcinogenic chemicals that far outweigh the peach’s natural health benefits.

2. Apples. Apples are often grown in mid-western states where they are not native and as a result have not developed natural defenses to predators. Because of this, they are treated with many harmful pesticides that seep into the peel. You can always peel your apples but will lose a third of the nutrients and some of the flavor.

3. Sweet Bell Peppers. This vegetable has the highest likelihood of containing multiple pesticides, as many as 64 found on a single sample.

4. Celery. As this vegetable has no skin, the pesticides are absorbed directly into the plant. Scrubbing doesn’t help so it’s best to only buy this fresh and organic.

5. Strawberries. Their skin doesn’t absorb as much as a peach but because they are small, we don’t often wash them as carefully as we should. According to the The Organic Trade Association more than 371 pesticides are approved for use on U.S. strawberries and because they grow so close to the ground are also subject to the chemicals used on soils.

Check out the complete 45-item list here.

More on Diet & Nutrition (301 articles available)
More from Veronica Peterson (52 articles available)

62 comments

62 comments

add your comment »
62 comments add your comment
Victoria Fenninger

If you look at the other end of the list (the least pesticides) there are still a number of fruit and vegetables that are much safer (require little to no pesticides, so buying organic isn't as necessary). The top 15 safest are: Onions, Avocados, Sweet Corn, Pineapple, Mango, Asparagus, Sweet Peas, Kiwi, Cabbage, Eggplant, Papaya, Watermelon, Broccoli, Tomato and Sweet Potato. So if you can't afford organic, at least stick to safer fruit and veggi picks.

Here is the full list (47 of the most common fruits and vegetables in ranking of worst to best in pesticides).
http://www.foodnews.org/fulllist.php

And here is a link for a wallet guide (list of worst 12, and best 15) you can print and keep with you while shopping.
http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php

Tony H.

Thanks for this great article. This helps a lot in telling me which fruits and veggies I should buy organic, even if it does cost more! Appreciated!

Quintessence Challis

I think of organic food as my kind of "health insurance." Yes, it's more expensive, but so worth it! Even if you don't buy ALL organic, it really helps to know which produce items are the most toxic when non-organic. In my book "Radiant Health, Inner Wealth"
(www.radianthealth-innerwealth.com), I have a chapter on organic foods (as well as lists of which foods are most and least harmful when non-organic). It may cost a little more short term to do mainly organic foods, but what is your health worth? It's priceless!

Erika S.

You don't have to buy organic fruits and vegetables, it can be a great idea to grow your own. Yes, it will take a little effort, but much more worth it than buying expensive and avoiding pesticides, not to mention the radiation on the food, who wants to eat radiation too?

Now a days, life is tougher in general, so we need to make it easier by finding more practical ways of getting our food, like growing your own.

Rooibos Bird

I'm in northern Georgia and the local farmers who sell at regional farmer's markets make it a point to label their peaches. They are very quick to point out if they are using some or no pesticides, and that they are local - most peaches in other parts of the country are being trucked in from long distances, so the ones we are getting are usually ripe (as opposed to being picked before ripening) and often clean and free of the pesticides. We're lucky, and we knew about this, but as the article pointed out, so many folks don't know what's being sold to them.

Rach L.
  • Rach L. says
  • Feb 21, 2009 4:06 AM

even apples! now what's left to eat? organic foods are real expensive and it's unrealistic for me to live on organic food only

laird d.

i agree and have you notice there no taste to the fruit so what the point in eating them when our goverment say eat 5 a day are they terroist and trying to kill us all

Mary R.
  • Mary R. says
  • Feb 19, 2009 4:09 PM

thanks for the information.PLEASE, PLEASE,All organic farmers keep up the good work.I know you all work very hard to protect us from exposure to harmful chemicals.

Tina Cadena

I have been living in the Netherlands for 8 years now the taste of the fruits and vegetables here are delicious the color looks natural. They use ecofriendly methods to control pests an example : little wasps are released around tomatoes and they eat the pests.The meats also are healthier less or no fat.I have MS and have noticed a change in my heath.

Shirley Ventress

Thanks for the information. My local Ralphs did a remodeling last year and now carry mainly organic produce. I wondered what that was all about and your article broke it down nicely. A few of these items I do really like and I'll have to determine if the dollar cost outweighs the cost to my health in the long run. Life is so hard these days!

Shirley

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