Pesticide Residue on Fruits and Vegetables

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a non-profit organization with a mission to use “the power of public information to protect the public health and environment”. They have released a study investigating the chemical residues commonly found on 47 different non-organic fruits and vegetables. These chemical residues are found on conventionally-grown produce where synthetic fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides and preservatives are used to boost crop yield and prevent loss from pests. Unfortunately, research suggests that while these chemical residues might be found in small amounts in our food, the long-term health risks from constant exposure are unknown.

The EWG’s “Shoppers Guide to Pesticides” is a handy list that ranks each food by the amount of pesticide load for which they are likely to contain based on their research. This information is helpful in determining which foods you should always purchase organic and which ones you can get away with buying non-organic to save money.

The Top 10 Highest For Pesticide Residue

If you’ve got the budget for it, you should always purchase organic peaches and apples, both of which are at the very top of the list for pesticide residue. Also in the top ten are bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce and grapes. Carrots, spinach and pear also round out the top 15.

The 10 Foods You Can Save Money On By Purchasing Non-Organic

Avocado, pineapple and mango all rank in the single digits (out of 100) for pesticide load with kiwi, papaya and watermelon also rounding out the bottom ten.

For more information about the study and to see the whole list of 47 fruits and vegetables and their pesticide load ranking, check out the EWG’s Shoppers Guide to Pesticides at their website.

Find out more about the differences between organic vs. non-organic foods and farming practices.

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Tags: chemicals, Nutrition, organic, pesticides