raw food

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I see this as a problem to the raw food diet

 

#1 Strawberries

Strawberry growers everywhere use large amounts of pesticides,

particularly fungicides. The end result is a popular fruit that

contains a myriad of toxic chemicals. Of the 42 fruits and

vegetables we examined, strawberries ranked first in combined

contamination, with 189 out of 200 possible points. Seventy percent

of the strawberry samples tested positive for one or more

pesticides, and 36 percent contained two or more chemicals,

including 19 samples with four pesticides, four samples with five,

and one with six different pesticides. The FDA detected 30 different

pesticides on strawberries, second only to apples with 36. More

significantly, however, is the toxicity of the pesticides detected

and the percentage of the crop and levels at which they are found.

Based on the results of 361 samples of strawberries by the FDA over

a two year period: • One in four strawberries contained captan, a

probable human carcinogen; • One in four strawberries contained

benomyl, a reproductive toxin and possible human carcinogen; • One

in four strawberries contained vinclozolin, a fungicide that blocks

the functioning of the male hormone androgen; • Nearly one in five

contained iprodione, a probable human carcinogen, and; • More than

one in six contained endosulfan, and relative of DDT that mimics the

hormone estrogen in the human body. Strawberries had the highest

average levels by far of pesticides that disrupt the endocrine

system. The mean amount of endocrine disrupters was more than 20

percent higher than the next vegetable, spinach. The carcinogenic

potency of the average residue on strawberries ranked seventh

overall. The neurotoxic potency of the pesticides on strawberries

was 15th out of the 42 produce items evaluated.

 

captan, benomyl, vinclozolin, iprodione, endosulfan,

#2 Bell Peppers (U.S. and Mexico)

Sweet peppers (or bell peppers) from the U.S. and Mexico constitute

approximately 98 percent of U.S. sweet pepper consumption, and have

a considerably worse pesticide profile than peppers from any other

country. Sixty-four percent of the sweet pepper crop from the U.S.

and Mexico contained residues of at least one pesticide, and 36

percent contain two or more pesticides. Of the 393 samples taken

between 1992 and 1993, 11 contained residues of five different

pesticides and 3 samples had residues of six pesticides. In total,

26 pesticides were detected on U.S. and Mexican sweet peppers. The

neurotoxic potency of pesticide residues on U.S. and Mexican sweet

peppers was the highest of any crop tested-- 65 percent higher than

the potency for the next highest food. Methamidophos was found on 42

percent of the samples, acephate was found on 25 percent, carbaryl

on 18 percent, and chlorpyrifos and dimethoate on 10 percent.

Endocrine disrupters ranked 12th out of 42 crops tested, while the

cancer potency of the average residue was relatively low at 32nd out

of 42.

#3 Spinach

Spinach has residues of fewer pesticides than other crops in the

list of the twelve most contaminated, but the concentrations for

certain cancer-causing and endocrine disrupting chemicals are

considerably higher than those for other produce. Just over 50

percent of the spinach samples tested positive for one of 17

different pesticides. Seventeen percent contained two to four

pesticides. The most commonly detected pesticide on spinach was

permethrin, a possible human carcinogen and endocrine disrupter.

Permethrin was found in relatively large amounts, which helped make

spinach second only to strawberries in the total mean residue of

endocrine disrupters and reproductive toxins. The neurotoxic potency

of the average residue, in contrast, was 28th out of the 42 crops

tested. The cancer potency of the average total residue on spinach

was the highest of any of the produce analyzed. And actual levels of

carcinogens on spinach are likely to be higher than we estimated.

One reason is that chlorothanonil, a probable human carcinogen, was

found at relatively high levels on several spinach samples. The FDA,

however, tested only 17 out of 189 samples for chlorothalonil.

Because of our sample size requirement of 20 per pesticide/crop

combination, these results were not included in the overall ranking.

Spinach also had relatively high levels of DDT (See Sidebar,) which

was found in 10 percent of 186 samples.

#4 Cherries (United States)

Cherries grown in the United States have a far different pesticide

profile than those that are imported. While imported cherries are

among the cleanest fruits and vegetables analyzed, U.S. cherries are

the fourth worst. The detections on domestic cherries reveal a

panoply of pesticides--26 different pesticides, more than three

times the number found on imported cherries. Seventy-one percent of

U.S.-grown samples contained residues of one or more pesticides,

compared with 35 percent of imported samples. More significantly,

almost half of all U.S. cherries are likely to contain multiple

pesticide residues, whereas, in comparison, only two percent of

imported cherries contained more than one pesticide. Up to five

pesticides were found on single domestic cherry samples.

Domestically grown cherries rank fourth in terms of cancer potency

of the average residue, ninth in average amount of endocrine

disrupters and reproductive toxins, and 14th in neurotoxic potency

of the average residue.

#5 Peaches

The summer peach. So juicy, so tasty...so full of pesticides.

Peaches ranked high in each of the seven categories we examined.

Seventy-one percent of the peach crop sampled by the FDA tested

positive for pesticides, fifth among the 42 fruits and vegetables

analyzed. Thirty two percent of samples contained two or more

pesticides, including six samples with five, two samples with six,

and one peach sample with residues of seven pesticides, the highest

multiple residue in a single sample found by the FDA over the two

year testing period (along with two apple samples). In total, 26

different pesticides were found on peaches. Many of the most

commonly detected chemicals are probable human carcinogens, most

notably iprodione and captan. Peaches ranked sixth in cancer potency

of the average residue, and eleventh for the average residue of

endocrine disrupters and twelfth in potency of the average

neurotoxic residue.

#6 Cantaloupe (Mexico)

Nearly 15 percent of cantaloupes consumed each year in the United

States come from Mexico. Compared to U.S. grown cantaloupe, Mexico

melons are much more contaminated with pesticides. Seventy-six

percent of the samples tested positive for at least one pesticide,

number three overall. And this may be an underestimate. One hundred

percent of 70 samples tested positive for chlorothalonil, a probable

human carcinogen. These 70 samples, however, are just 40 percent of

the 173 samples of cantaloupes from Mexico tested by the FDA during

1992-1993. Forty-eight percent of cantaloupes from Mexico tested

positive for two or more pesticides, more than any other crop

analyzed. Up to five different pesticides were found on single

samples of cantaloupe from Mexico. In contrast, just 47 percent of

cantaloupe grown in the U.S. contained any pesticide, and only 16

percent of domestic samples contained two or more pesticides.

Cantaloupes from Mexico ranked number two for the neurotoxic potency

of the average residue. The average residue of endocrine disrupters

was 13th out of the 42 crops analyzed, while the cancer potency of

the average residue was 26th of 42 crops.

#7 Celery

Nearly every bite of celery we take is also a bite of pesticides.

Eighty-one percent of the 188 celery samples tested positive for

pesticide residues, more than any other crop analyzed. And, an

analysis of detection rates for some pesticides reveals that this

figure may be too low. For example, 91 out of 94 (96 percent) of

domestic and imported celery samples were positive for the probable

human carcinogen chlorothalonil. Overall, however, this amounted to

about one half of the 182 samples of celery that were tested for

pesticides by the FDA. FDA's lack of testing for some heavily used

pesticides makes crops appear to have fewer pesticides on them than

they actually do. Even with this caveat, thirty five percent of

celery samples contained residues of two or more pesticides, and up

to five different pesticides were found on a single sample. Celery

ranked third in the neurotoxic potency of the average residue, 14th

in the cancer potency of the average residue, and 20th out of 42 for

the average residue of endocrine disrupters.

#8 Apples

Apples are the quintessential American fruit. Apple pie, apple

sauce, the apple of my eye, an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Apples also have more different pesticides on them than any other

fruit or vegetable -- 36 different pesticides according to FDA data -

- and more pesticides -- seven -- found on a single sample than any

other crop. Sixty one percent of apple samples tested positive for

pesticides, and multiple pesticides on single samples are common.

Thirty three percent of apple samples contained two or more

pesticides, 18 samples had five, five had six, and two samples were

contaminated with seven different pesticides. Of the thirty six

pesticides detected on apples, eight are classified by the EPA as

possible or probable human carcinogens, and 15 are neurotoxic

organophosphate insecticides. Apples also contain a high

concentration of endocrine disrupters. Apples ranked tenth in

average residue of endocrine disrupting pesticides, 16th in the

neurotoxic potency of the average residue, and 23rd in the cancer

potency of the average residue.

#9 Apricots

Apricots contain consistently high levels of multiple pesticides,

including carcinogens like captan on 35 percent of all samples.

Sixty-four percent of the FDA samples contained one or more

pesticides, and 38 percent had two or three residues. Fourteen

different pesticides were detected on apricots. Apricots ranked

eighth out of 42 fruits and vegetables in average residue of

endocrine disrupting pesticides, 19th in the neurotoxic potency of

the average residue, and tenth in the cancer potency of the average

residue.

#10 Green Beans

Twenty-three different pesticides were detected on green bean

samples in 1992 and 1993. Eighteen percent of these samples had

residues of more than one pesticide--up to four on a single sample.

More than 13 percent of samples contained residues of three

pesticides, and twenty-eight percent of samples tested positive for

chlorothalonil, a probable human carcinogen. Green beans ranked

fifth out of 42 crops in the neurotoxic potency of the average

residue, sixth in average residue of endocrine disrupting

pesticides, and 19th in the cancer potency of the average residue.

#11 Grapes (Chile)

From January through April, ninety percent of the grapes eaten in

the United States are from Chile, where growers use less

sophisticated pest control techniques than grape growers in the

United States. Consequently, a far higher percentage of Chilean crop

tests positive for pesticides. According to the FDA, seventy-nine

percent of grapes grown in Chile contained pesticide residues in

1992 and 1993, the second highest of all 42 fruits and vegetables

analyzed. Forty-six percent of the Chilean samples contained two or

more pesticides, with up to six different pesticides found on a

single sample of Chilean grapes. In contrast, only 17 percent of the

U.S. grapes contained detectable residues, and only 6 percent

contained multiple residues. In total, seventeen different

pesticides were found on the Chilean crop. The probable human

carcinogens captan and iprodione were found on 64 and 28 percent of

Chilean grape samples respectively, compared with four and five

percent of all samples of domestically grown grapes, respectively.

Twenty seven percent of Chilean grapes contained the endocrine

disrupting fungicide vinclozolin, compared to just one sample (less

than one percent) of grapes from the United States. The cancer

potency of the average residue on Chilean grapes was 11th out of 42

crops, and the average load of endocrine disrupting pesticides was

19th. The neurotoxic potency of the average residue was in the

bottom third of all crops evaluated, at 30th.

#12 Cucumbers

Cucumbers complete the list of the twelve most contaminated due

primarily to residues of a cancer causing insecticide, dieldrin,

that was banned in the United States over 20 years ago. Even though

dieldrin is not directly applied to the crop, it is persistent in

the soil and is taken up by cucumbers. One out of every 14 cucumber

samples from across the United States and Mexico contained residues

of this highly toxic compound. As a result, cucumbers ranked number

two in cancer risk of all 42 crops evaluated. Most other results are

in the middle of the pack. Cucumbers rank 23rd for residues of

endocrine disrupting pesticides, and 22nd for neurotoxic potency of

the average residue. Forty percent of cucumbers had detectable

residues, according to the FDA, and 12 percent of samples had two or

more residues detected. Twenty different pesticides were found on

cucumbers over the two year period from 1992 through 1993.

The Concentration of Health Risks

To determine the distribution and possible concentration of health

risks from pesticides on these 42 fruits and vegetables, we

calculated the percent contribution to each of the toxicity measures

(cancer, nervous system, and endocrine system toxicity) that was

accounted for by the twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables.

The result? The twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables

present the majority of the health risks from pesticides that cause

cancer, neurotoxic, and endocrine effects. For cancer-causing and

neurotoxic pesticides, the twelve most contaminated fruits and

vegetables accounted for 53 and 49 percent of the total potencies,

respectively, of all the pesticides found on the 42 crops analyzed.

For endocrine disrupters, the twelve most contaminated fruits and

vegetables accounted for 57 percent of the total residues found on

these foods. Avoiding the twelve most contaminated fruits and

vegetables can reduce an individual's health risks from pesticides

on these foods by half. Fortunately, eating a diet rich in fruits

and vegetables that steers clear of this produce presents no

nutritional or other health risks. Environmental Working Group •

1718 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Suite 600 • Washington, DC 20009 •

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