Fruits and Veggies have High Traces of Pesticides: EWG

The Environmental Working Group released its annual audit on the cleanest and dirtiest foods.

The agency ranked farm-grown produce based on the level of exposure to harmful chemicals and pesticides. Based on the investigation of 32,000 food samples by the U.S Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration, the EWG identified up to 48 fruits and vegetables that were contaminated.

Neonicotinoid pesticides that are used in place of traditional insecticides like organophosphates and carbamates are used in many European countries and the U.S.  Recent studies discovered that exposure to these chemicals can stunt brain development and curb the pollination process by killing honeybees. The European Commission has already banned the use of Diphenylamine or DPA that imparts artificial freshness to the apples and pears. Alarmed by the widespread use of pesticides in apple orchards, the EWG experts have urged U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to investigate its usage frequency.

It was found that apples and nectarine samples had at least one pesticide residue. Potatoes ranked on top of the list of highly contaminated foods followed by grapes with traces of 15 types of pesticides. Each sample of celery, cherry tomatoes, strawberry and imported snap peas contained 13 pesticides.

In addition, these reports suggest leafy green vegetables such as kale, collard greens and even bell peppers are contaminated with insecticides. Ingesting these toxic matter can lead to nervous disorders. Certain exotic produce like the Hawaiian papaya, zucchini, yellow squash and sweet corn are genetically engineered and contains one or more of the chemicals. These foods fall in the category of 'Must Avoid Food,'

Alarmed by the widespread use of pesticides to grow apples, the EWG experts have urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to investigate its usage frequency.

"EWG's Shoppers List guide helps people find conventional fruits and vegetables with low concentrations of pesticide residue. If a particular item is likely to be high in pesticides, people can go for organic," said Sonya Lunder, study author and EWG's principal investigator, reports the Food Safety News.      

Furthermore, avocados, pineapples, kiwis, papaya, mango and cantaloupe were pesticide-free and were included in the list of the most 'Clean Fifteen'.

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