10 Fruits and Vegetables to Buy Organic

Checklists

Readers often ask, "Which are the fruits and vegetables most likely to contain pesticide residues?" We’ve selected a list of 10 to buy organic, based on studies by Consumers Union (CU) and the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

The two groups analyzed the amounts and toxicity of pesticide residues found in conventionally grown food samples by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. While most of these foods don’t exceed safety tolerances for a dose of a single pesticide, most contain multiple pesticide residues. CU and EWG have also considered combined exposures and risks to children. One-year-olds eat three times as many fresh peaches, per pound of body weight, as do adults, and more than four times as many apples and pears, according to CU’s Consumer Reports. In addition, children’s rapidly developing bodies are more vulnerable than adults’ are. Pregnant women should take care, too, as many pesticides cross the placenta to expose the fetus.

Although DDT and related chemicals such as dieldrin have been banned in the U.S. for over 20 years, these pesticides can still be found in foods that absorb them from the soil. To reduce your pesticide exposure, you can peel fruit that you would normally just rinse, such as apples and pears. Some pesticides, like dieldrin, aldicarb and DDT, however, are systemic, pervading the flesh of the vegetable or fruit.

For the sake of our children and the environment, buy certified organic or Integrated Pest Management (IPM) whenever you can. Also look for locally grown food, which is less likely to be treated with post-harvest pesticides. Farmers’ markets are a great resource for all three!

10 Fruits And Vegetables To Buy Organic

Peaches : Summer’s blushing fruit contains high residues of iprodione, classified as a probable human carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and methyl parathion, an endocrine disruptor and organophosphate (OP) insecticide. Methyl parathion has caused massive kills of bees and birds. According to Consumer Reports, single servings of peaches "consistently exceeded" EPA’s safe daily limit for a 44-pound child.
Apples: Apples may contain methyl parathion. Both fresh apples and baby food applesauce can also contain chlorpyrifos, an OP which has caused large bird kills.
Nectarines: In the EWG’s most recent testing, nectarines had the highest percentage of samples test positive for pesticides (97.3 percent). Common pesticides found on nectarines include chlorpyrifos, fenarimol, iprodione, malathion, methidathion, myclobutanil, parathion and pirimicarb
Strawberries : The enhanced red color of strawberries comes from the fungicide captan, a probable human carcinogen that can irritate skin and eyes, and is highly toxic to fish. While the lethal soil fumigant methyl bromide doesn’t show up on the fruit, it has harmed California farm workers, and depletes the ozone layer.
Pears:  Pears, both fresh and in baby food, can also come with methyl parathion, as well as the OP azinphos-methyl, which is toxic to freshwater fish, amphibians and bees.
Sweet Bell Peppers: There are many varieties of sweet bell peppers and perhaps even more different types of pesticides used on them. Testing ranked sweet bell peppers as the vegetable with the most pesticides found in a single sample and the vegetable with the most pesticides overall.
Celery: In testing, celery had the highest percentage of samples test positive for pesticides and the highest likelihood of having multiple pesticides in a single sample.
Imported Grapes:  Imported grapes contain methyl parathion and methomyl, a carbamate insecticide listed as an endocrine disruptor; as well as dimethoate. Since they are grown under different regulations and guidelines, there pesticide residue levels frequently exceed acceptable levels set by our own government.
Spinach:  Permethrin, a possible human carcinogen, and dimethoate dominate spinach’s toxicity ratings, but CU notes that residue levels have been declining as U.S. farmers reduce use of these insecticides. DDT has been found in spinach, which leads all foods in exceeding safety tolerances.
Potatoes : Pesticide use on potatoes is growing, CU warns. They may contain dieldrin and methamidophos, and children eating potatoes risk getting a very high dose of aldicarb, CU says.