A Shoppers Guide To Pesticides

Whilst filming for 'Food Matters 2' (working title, new one coming soon) we were lucky enough to spend a weekend with Kris Carr (www.crazysexylife.com) and her husband Brian in Woodstock, NY. It is thanks to these two lovelies that we found out about this great quick reference guide and why we are sharing it with you today. Thank you Kris and Brian. - James Colquhoun - Producer 'Food Matters'

About the guide

The Shopper's Guide to Pesticides is a key resource for consumers looking for healthier low toxin diets. Since many shoppers can't always find or afford organic produce, they can use the Shopper's Guide to avoid those conventional fruits and vegetables found to be highest in pesticides – the Dirty Dozen – and, instead, choose items from the Clean Fifteen list. The health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks of pesticide exposure.

Use the Environmental Working Group's Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides to reduce your exposure as much as possible, because eating conventionally-grown produce is far better than not eating fruits and vegetables at all. The Shopper’s Guide will help you determine which fruits and vegetables have the most pesticide residues and so are the most important to buy organic. You can lower your pesticide consumption by nearly four-fifths by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables and instead eating the least contaminated produce, according to EWG calculations.

Click here to download the printer friendly Shoppers Guide to Pesticides (pdf) or free iPhone app from www.foodnews.org

Here is a great video featuring Dr Andrew Weil explaining the EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides:




Click here to download the printer friendly Shoppers Guide to Pesticides (pdf) or free iPhone app from www.foodnews.org

Why Should You Care About Pesticides?

The growing consensus among scientists is that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can cause lasting damage to human health, especially during fetal development and early childhood. Scientists now know enough about the long-term consequences of ingesting these powerful chemicals to advise that we minimize our consumption of pesticides.

What’s the Difference?

EWG research has found that people who eat five fruits and vegetables a day from the Dirty DozenTM list consume an average of 10 pesticides a day. Those who eat from the 15 least contaminated conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables ingest fewer than 2 pesticides daily. The Guide helps consumers make informed choices to lower their dietary pesticide load.

Will Washing and Peeling Help?

The data used to create these lists is based on produce tested as it is typically eaten (meaning washed, rinsed or peeled, depending on the type of produce). Rinsing reduces but does not eliminate pesticides. Peeling helps, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the skin. The best approach: eat a varied diet, rinse all produce and buy organic when possible.

How Was This Guide Developed?

EWG analysts have developed the Guide based on data from nearly 89,000 tests for pesticide residues in produce conducted between 2000 and 2008 and collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. You can find a detailed description of the criteria EWG used to develop these rankings and the complete list of fruits and vegetables tested at their dedicated website, www.foodnews.org.

Click here to download the printer friendly Shoppers Guide to Pesticides (pdf) or free iPhone app from www.foodnews.org


Source: www.foodnews.org
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Previous Comments

carlos commented on 24-Mar-2011 12:42 AM5 out of 5 stars
you know there is a phone app also, alot more easier than carrying a piece of paper around. look for it, i got it on my android.
RedRidingHood commented on 24-Mar-2011 05:44 AM5 out of 5 stars
While this is good to know, one must not forget that the vast majority of corn in this country is genetically modified.GM foods have been proven time and again in independent studies to cause serious health problems. Hence, it would be wise to buy only organic corn.
Anonymous commented on 24-Mar-2011 07:14 AM5 out of 5 stars
Thank you for (as always)providing important info.
Christos commented on 24-Mar-2011 07:34 AM5 out of 5 stars
Is this guide a good guide to use in Australia? Would the pesticides used and pesticide load be the same between US and Australia?
Thanks.
Anonymous commented on 24-Mar-2011 09:49 AM5 out of 5 stars
Interesting about the corn! Isn't most corn GMO? Maybe sweet corn is a different, non-gmo variety?

I will go on a hunt for the answer......:)
Camille Clifford commented on 26-Mar-2011 07:18 AM5 out of 5 stars
I just read on another site that cantalope is a high risk because there is a certain residue chemical (pesticide) that remains in the dirt for a very long time and cantalopes absorb a lot of this. It also said this is true of butternut squash, so these should only be bought organically.
Vicky commented on 27-Mar-2011 05:58 AM5 out of 5 stars
Thanks for providing such convenient and beneficial information. Greatly appreciated!!
Kim commented on 21-Apr-2011 12:50 PM5 out of 5 stars
Great information. I will buy everything I possibly can organic anyway, though, even if it's on the "clean" list, since it's my understanding that organic farming provides more nutrients to the plants, and therefore, more nutrients to the consumer.
Carolyn commented on 15-Jul-2011 10:59 PM5 out of 5 stars
Hi, I would be interested in the answer to the ques by Christos on the 24 Mar whether this also applies to produce in Aust. I imagine it would as we still use pesticides when growing fruit & veg that is banned in many countries else where in the world!!!!
I use & promote a product by the company Enjo called the fruit & veg cloth which scrubs the produce. Washing alone will not remove the residue. There has been testing done with this product to prove that it does what it claims to do. We keep it in our fruit
bowl and use it before eating anything.
Jackie commented on 25-Mar-2012 12:27 PM5 out of 5 stars
I see that sweet corn is on the clean list, but it is my understanding that most corn in the US is genetically modified. Although I avoid pesticides, I'm also concerned about GE foods.
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