Organic Produce: The “Dirty Dozen” and the “Clean Fifteen”
Organic or Not? A Quick Reference Guide For Buying Produce
A new report published by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has provided a great “go to” list when it comes to choosing which organic produce to buy, and which ones to buy conventionally. The group’s annual “dirty dozen” list of fruits and vegetables is based off of the highest levels of ingestible pesticide residues. The EWG uses compiled data from the USDA in order to publish these findings.
When purchasing your produce, fresh, raw, organic foods are always best, but not everyone is in a position to purchase organic food in this manner. Please use the following list when purchasing fruits and vegetables if you do not already purchase 100% organic produce.
Dirty Dozen 2011
- Apples
- Celery
- Strawberries
- Peaches
- Spinach
- Nectarines (imported)
- Grapes (imported)
- Sweet bell peppers
- Potatoes
- Blueberries (domestic)
- Lettuce
- Kale/collard green
Clean Fifteen 2011
- Onions
- Sweet corn
- Pineapples
- Avocado
- Asparagus
- Sweet peas
- Mangoes
- Eggplants
- Cantaloupe (domestic)
- Kiwi
- Cabbage
- Watermelon
- Sweet potatoes
- Grapefruit
- Mushrooms
The EWG claims that if consumers eat the five recommended servings of fruit and vegetables from the least contaminated list over five from the dirty dozen, they would reduce the amount of pesticides ingested by 92%.
Conventional, non-organic farmers use a variety of pesticides to protect their crops from insects, bacteria, rodents, molds, and fungi. These substances can end up in the food supply. Washing and peeling fruit and vegetables can lower pesticide residues, but these practices do not guarantee absolute removal. When the USDA tests for pesticides, they wash and peel fruit the same way a typical consumer would and then evaluate the residue content. To print out a quick reference guide to remember which organic foods to eat, and which to purchase conventionally, download the EWG’s organic produce guide here.
Due to the overwhelming abundance of non-organic contaminants that we are exposed to, we strongly encourage and recommend our patients to participate in detoxification programs on a regular basis. To find out more about detoxification programs through our office, visit this page.
