Fruits & Vegetables Most Contaminated by Pesticides

[Guest guest]

> APPLES ON LIST OF PESTICIDE 'DIRTY DOZEN'

> New York Times / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

> October 25, 2003

>

> http://www.jsonline.com/entree/cooking/oct03/179866.asp

>

> http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/21/national/21PEST.html

>

> Washington - Apples, peppers, celery and cherries top a list compiled by

an

> environmental research organization of the 12 fruits and vegetables it

says

> are the most contaminated by pesticides.

>

> The report from the Environmental Working Group ranks pesticide

> contamination for 46 fruits and vegetables and is based on more than

100,000

> lab tests conducted between 1992 and 2001 by the Department of Agriculture

> and the Food and Drug Administration, with additional testing done on

> organic produce by the State of California. The top 12 most contaminated

> fruits and vegetables also include imported grapes, nectarines, peaches,

> pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach and strawberries.

>

> The 12 least contaminated are asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli,

> cauliflower, corn, kiwi, mangoes, onions, papayas, pineapples and sweet

> peas.

>

> Since 1993, when the group published its last study of pesticide levels in

> produce, the fruits and vegetables that made up what the advocacy group

> calls the " dirty dozen " have remained the same. But now it is easier for

> people who are concerned about pesticides to do something about it.

Because

> of the widespread availability of organic produce, they have alternatives.

>

> Washing will not change the rankings, the group says, because the samples

on

> which the data are based were washed or peeled. It recommends buying

organic

> produce in place of the most contaminated conventional produce, but says

> that conventional produce is acceptable for the least contaminated list.

>