Elmira Star-Gazette, Staff
Published October 26, 2005
When you're grocery shopping, it's easy to find labels and pick foods that help you reduce cholesterol and saturated fat, avoid antibiotics, or steer clear of artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners.
But when it comes to pesticides, consumers have been left in the dark.
Now there's help.
The Environmental Working Group has published a list of the 12 fresh fruits and vegetables that consistently have the highest pesticide contamination and the 12 that consistenly have the lowest contamination.
The worst offenders were nicknamed the "dirty dozen." They are: apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, grapes (imported), nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach and strawberries.
The least contaminated: asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, kiwi, mangos, onions, papaya, pineapples and peas (sweet).
For the most contaminated items, the environmental group suggests substituting organically grown produce whenever possible. When this is not an option, eat fruits and vegetables with consistently low pesticide loads. A simulation by the group of thousands of consumers eating high and low pesticide diets shows that people can lower their pesticide exposure by 90 percent by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated.
Why should you care about pesticides?
There is growing concern in the scientific community regarding the subtle ways in which small doses of pesticides affect people, especially during critical periods of fetal development and childhood when they can have long-lasting adverse effects. Because the toxic effects of pesticides are worrisome, not well understood or, in some cases, completely unstudied, shoppers would be wise to minimize exposure to pesticides.
How the rankings were done.
The Environmental Working Group analyzed more than 100,000 tests for pesticides on produce collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration between 1992 and 2001. A detailed description of the criteria used in developing the rankings as well as a full list of fresh fruits and vegetables that have been tested, is available at
www.foodnews.org. The group is a nonprofit environmental research organization dedicated to improving public health and protecting the environment by reducing pollution in air, water and food. For more information, visit the Web site
www.ewg.org.
Will washing and peeling help?
Nearly all of the data used to create these lists already considers how people typically wash and prepare produce (For example, apples are washed before testing, bananas are peeled). While washing and rinsing fresh produce may help reduce pesticide residues, it does not eliminate them. Peeling reduces exposure, but valuable nutrients are lost.
Some pesticides are taken up internally into the plant, are in the fruit and cannot be washed off. Others are formulated to bind to the surface of the crop and do not easily wash off. The best option is to eat a varied diet, wash all produce, and choose organic when possible to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.
Are produce sprays effective?
Several companies make produce sprays or washes that claim to provide more thorough cleansing of fruits and vegetables. Although they are not harmful, there really is no proof that they are effective either. The USDA and FDA do not recommend their use. Using common household detergents to wash produce is not recommended either because porous surfaces on the produce can absorb chemicals from the detergents. Just plain water is the best for washing, so for now save your money and use plenty of elbow grease.
Rice and Green Pea Side Dish
Need a no fuss side dish? This one uses two vegetables from the least contaminated list.
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
2 cups water
2 cups frozen peas
1 carrot, shredded
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon low-sodium chicken bouillon granules
1 teaspoon salt-free herb seasoning blend
pepper to taste
Preparation:
Place all ingredients in a 3-quart saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat. Simmer for 15 minutes or until rice is tender. Yield: 6 servings.
Nutritional information: Calories: 163; total fat: trace, calories from fat: 1 percent, saturated fat: trace; cholesterol: 0; sodium: 51mg; carbohydrate: 34gm; protein: 5gm.
Recipe provided by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chemung County. Contact the extension service at 607/734-4453 or visit the Human Resource Center, 425 Pennsylvania Ave., Elmira.
