16 Most Contaminated Fruits

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has compiled some information about pesticides and produce.

The produce ranking was developed by analysts at the not-for-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) based on the results of nearly 43,000 tests for pesticides on produce.

The EWG has ranked fruits and vegetables according to their pesticide load (100 represents the highest pesticide load). According to their rankings, here are the Un-Sweet Sixteen… these fruits and veggies have rankings over 50…

RANK	FRUIT OR VEGGIE	SCORE
1 (worst)	Peaches	100 (highest pesticide load)
2	Apples	96
3	Sweet Bell Peppers	86
4	Celery	85
5	Nectarines	84
6	Strawberries	83
7	Cherries	75
8	Lettuce	69
9	Grapes – Imported	68
10	Pears	65
11	Spinach	60
12	Potatoes	58
13	Carrots	57
14	Green Beans	55
15	Hot Peppers	53
16	Cucumbers	52

In case you’re wondering, there were two vegetables which scored a 1; onions and avocados. Tomatoes weren’t too shabby either at 30, so it looks like salsa is a good thing

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 reduce levels of some pesticides, it does not eliminate them. Peeling also reduces exposures, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the peel. The best option is to eat a varied diet, wash all produce, and choose organic boxes when possible to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.