Choosing What Produce to Purchase Organic
For a number of reasons, purchasing organic produce is becoming increasingly popular, but it still remains too expensive for many. Switching over to organic groceries can be a difficult, and expensive, task. For those who want to start the switch, but cannot afford to buy all organic, it is important to know which fruits and vegetables are less contaminated with pesticides, and which are important to purchase organic. By avoiding the 12 dirtiest fruits and vegetables, or buying them organic, we can lower our pesticide exposure by almost 90%.
12 Dirtiest
fruits and vegetables most likely to test positive for pesticides, you should purchase these organically
- Peaches- 96.6% of samples tested positive for pesticides, 86.6% for multiple pesticides
- Apples- 93.6% tested positive, 82.3% for multiple pesticides
- Sweet Bell Peppers- 81.5% tested positive, 62.2% for multiple pesticides
- Celery- 94.1% tested positive, 79.8% for multiple pesticides
- Nectarines- 97.3% tested positive, 85.3% for multiple pesticides
- Strawberries- 92.3% tested positive, 69.2% for multiple pesticides
- Cherries- 91.4% tested positive, 75.8% for multiple pesticides
- Lettuce- 68.2% tested positive, 44.3% for multiple pesticides
- Imported Grapes- 84.2% tested positive, 53.2% for multiple pesticides
- Pears- 86.2% tested positive, 45.7% for multiple pesticides
- Spinach- 70% tested positive, 31.2% for multiple pesticides
- Potatoes- 81% tested positive, 18% for multiple pesticides
12 Cleanest
fruits and vegetables that are least likely to test positive for pesticides
- Onions- only 0.2% of samples tested positive for pesticides, 0% for multiple pesticides
- Avocado- only 1.4% tested positive, 0% for multiple pesticides
- Frozen Sweet Corn- only 3.8% tested positive, 0% for multiple pesticides
- Pineapples- only 7.7% tested positive, 0.1% for multiple pesticides
- Mango- only 7.1% tested positive, 0.5% for multiple pesticides
- Frozen Sweet Peas- only 22.9% tested positive, 2.3% for multiple pesticides
- Asparagus- only 6.7% tested positive, 0.6% for multiple pesticides
- Kiwi- only 15.3% tested positive, 3.4% for multiple pesticides
- Bananas- 41.7% tested positive, but only 2% for multiple pesticides
- Cabbage- only 17.9% tested positive, 4.8% for multiple pesticides
- Brocolli- only 28.1% tested positive, 3.2% for multiple pesticides
- Eggplant- only 23.4% tested positive, 6.9% for multiple pesticides
The full list of sampled fruits and vegetables with all testing information can be seen on foodnews.org. Remember that these tests were completed after washing and/or peeling the fruits and vegetables in the manner that most people do, so washing does not necessarily mean your produce will be pesticide free.
Wow, this is a great list… I WANT to buy everything organic, but like you mentioned, it’s just too expensive… knowing what i can do non-organic and knowing what I really should buy organic is very nice to know… i need to make a few changes.
I also want to go check that site to see where watermelon falls on the list.
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I also want to go check that site to see where watermelon falls on the list.[/quote]
Looks like watermelon has the 15th best score. 38.5% tested positive, 13.2% for multiple pesticides.
WoW, the peaches and apples charted the top two in the most likely to test positive for pesticides!
Although I do know that the Apples is full with pesticides, but I didn’t realize it can be have over 82.3% of multiple pesticides, and this can be dreathful, if I eat the whole apple without even peeling off the apple’s skin!
Wilson, that number means that 82.3% of the apples tested were positive for having multiple pesticides. I don’t know if peeling the skin would help anybody, but I would imagine not, since these fruits and vegetables were tested after being washed!
Very interesting, I have never really bought into the organic fad but it is surprising to see such high numbers. I hope either they crack down on this or at least force companies to publish these percentages.
Key, and many people would be surprised to learn that washing the food doesn’t help, these numbers were from after they were all washed.
Wow ton of useful information. Bookmarking and stumbling you to come back and read more on organic foods. Very informative.
Cheers,
Darrin
Kiwi and bananas are among the cleanest – that’s good as I like them very much.
I see that the problem of organic products becomes more and more discussed in developed countries. A year ago I moved to a country in Western Europe where the quality of life is much higher than in my native country. And I notice that the taste and the quality of products here, not only fruits and vegetables but products like milk for example, is not what I got used to at home. And to buy sth “real” is truly costly. However, that will not make me return back home :-)
Thanks for the good info. I never buy anything but organic foods for my family. I can really make the difference in our lives.
Does this mean that we need to wash our organic fruit and vegetables as thoroughly as non-organic foods? It seems like it. Does the washing actually help?
It’s a great idea to have a list like this. Often people will buy organic produce even though there may be little or no pesticides found on them. What’s funny is that the top list of high pesticide items all are readily available in America in local farms. So it makes sense to buy those local and reduce you chance of ingesting high levels of pesticides.
Caralluma, isn’t it strange how “developed” countries seem to be lacking in certain areas when compared to “undeveloped” areas?
Adam, you’ll want to wash any open-air foods you buy. There could be dirt, germs, etc. on them from being in stores/markets.
pays to live green, it does make sense to buy them local, especially since there are so many farmer’s markets!
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Excellent article! I have never seen information like this that breaks down the amount of pesticides present in each fruit/vegetable. I bookmarked this post and will surely be referencing it in the future.
Apples- 93.6% tested positive, 82.3% for multiple pesticides, this is really very shocking for me.
I never gave a thought about pesticides much but you have given me a shock that Apples and other fruits contain so many pesticides. 93.6% pesticides for Apple which we eat most commonly. Thank you for highlighting this issue, where can we find out how worse pesticides can effect our body?
Wow, this is a great list… I WANT to buy everything organic, but like you mentioned, it’s just too expensive… knowing what i can do non-organic and knowing what I really should buy organic is very nice to know… i need to make a few changes.
I also want to go check that site to see where watermelon falls on the list.
Janet B
Whith all the chemicals used to make our food look or taste better. And not knowing how these chemicals will react on us as we get older. Organic is the way to go.
Besides the list that you offer, that is certainly useful, I used to think that a good rule of thumb is to avoid porous skin fruits, because they retain more chemical in general and are difficult to properly clean with water at home.
Are there any studies out there to validate how much of “organic produce” sold on the market is actually organic? Are current organic labeling laws effective?
i wish i could afford to buy everything organic, i never knew how many pesticides were in our food.
For those that can not afford to buy organic then the best solution is to grow your own. I started after visiting some Mediterranean companies and not only is the fruit and veg free of pesticides but they taste so much better as well. It is not until you taste produce fresh from the ground that you know just how much our industries are messing about with produce.