Blog

22 Jun Just Released! 2012 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce

Photo: EWG

The 2012 shopper’s guide is finally out and this year they’ve expanded the dirty dozen to include two additional items of concern, green beans, kale and collard greens as the contain organophosphate insecticides. Climbing up three places from last year and knocking celery out of the 2011 top spot are apples, which have recently come under fire for the amount of pesticides found in them. As a matter of fact, the USDA data showed pesticide residue in 98% of washed apples…. ewww!

For the first time, the USDA also looked at baby food and found that green beans had traces of at least five pesticides linked to neurodevelopmental problems. They also found iprodione in pears, which the Environmental Protection Agency has categorized as a probable human carcinogen. This is a violation of FDA regulations and the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Here is the good news… you can still enjoy many tasty fruits and vegetables without having to purchase the pricier organic variety. My favorites, avocados and mangoes, appear on the clean 15… Woohoo! I’m still a little confused by corn’s appearance on the list since there is a lot of controversy surrounding it’s integrity. It has been described as “the most promiscuous cross pollinator”, affecting even our organic crops. As consumers, we should know what we are eating. As a matter of fact, it seems the issue is gaining some momentum. Want to support labeling laws? Then visit nongmoproject.org and labelityourself.org.

Related Video:

For EWG’s full list: 45 Fruits and Veggies, click here.

Now let’s show our appreciation to the Environmental Working Group for their hard work with a donation. By doing so, you get a free bag tag

Related posts:

Freesh Produce: Access and Equity

Know Your Source: Eat Local!

I invite you to Subscribe to my blog | Follow me on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Follow on Pinterest