Apples top group's most contaminated list

By Fran Jeffries

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

An apple a day may not keep the pesticides away.

Apples ranked at the top of one environmental group's list of 12 fruits and veggies that are most contaminated with pesticides.

The Environmental Working Group issued its "Dirty Dozen" ranking Monday. It's an update to the public health advocacy group's 2010 report, when celery topped the list. This year celery came in second, followed by strawberries.

The high-pesticide list also included: peaches, spinach, nectarines (imported) grapes (imported) sweet bell peppers, potatoes, blueberries (domestic), lettuce and kale/collard greens.

Experts at the organization still urged consumers to keep ample amounts of fruits and veggies in their diets. "The health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks of pesticide exposure," according to the group's website. They urged consumers to consider organic produce when buying items on the Dirty Dozen list. Washing with a "produce wash" probably won't help remove pesticides because they're taken up by the entire plant and reside on more than just the skin, the report says.

The group also issued its "Clean 15″ list of foods that contain the least amount of pesticides.  Those were: Onions, sweet corn, pineapples, avocado, asparagus, sweet peas, mangoes, eggplant, cantaloupe (domestic), kiwi, cabbage, watermelon, grapefruit and mushrooms.

By choosing five servings of fruit and vegetables a day from the clean list, most people can lower the volume of pesticides they consume daily by 92 percent, the report says.

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RANKING PESTICIDES IN PRODUCE

‘Dirty dozen’ (High-pesticide list)

Apples

Celery

Strawberries

Peaches

Spinach

Imported nectarines

Imported grapes

Sweet bell peppers

Potatoes

Domestic blueberries

Lettuce

Kale/collard greens

‘Clean 15’ (Low-pesticide list)

Onions

Sweet corn

Pineapples

Avocados

Asparagus

Sweet peas

Mangoes

Eggplant

Domestic cantaloupe

Kiwi

Cabbage

Watermelon

Sweet potatoes

Grapefruit

Mushrooms