The EWG's 2024 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce found that 75% of non-organic produce and 95% of the Dirty Dozen items have harmful pesticides. Our demand for unseasonal products all year round means we don't always buy locally and our foods travel far. This shows we need to grow our own fruits and vegetables to avoid pesticides and look at buying organic produce to minimize their impact.
However, with clients quite rightly being frustrated at the cost of going organic, and with us all having to tighten our belts on the food shop, I am able to share with them which should definitely be bought as organic, and which are relatively safe to buy as regular produce.
The EWG's guide looked at lots of fruits and vegetables, 47,510 samples in total. Surprisingly, 95% of the Dirty Dozen items had pesticide residues. On the flip side, the Clean Fifteen had low pesticide levels, with 65% showing no residues at all.
I want to keep my family safe from these dangerous chemicals. The EWG advises choosing organic for the Dirty Dozen and either type for the Clean Fifteen. This way, we can enjoy healthy produce with fewer pesticides.
The Dangers of Pesticides and the Need for Homegrown Produce
The world relies too much on pesticides, which is bad for everyone's health. A study by Nonprofit Consumer Reports looked at 59 fruits and veggies. It found that 20% were at 'significant risk' from pesticides. Some like green beans, kale, and watermelon were called high-risk. But blueberries, potatoes, and bell peppers were even worse, posing a very high risk for diseases like cancer and diabetes. In 2012, the US EPA said the world used about six billion pounds of pesticides. This number has probably not dropped since then.
Pesticides: Destroyers of Life
Pesticides harm more than bugs. They hurt life by poisoning insects and the environment. Plus, they mess up the soil, water, and air. The 30,000 samples of 59 fruits and veggies showed how bad the situation is.
This included looking at the levels of toxins, health risks, and where the food came from. Generally, organic foods have fewer pesticides than non-organic. But, even organic green beans could be risky. Strawberries from Mexico are a big worry. They often have a neurotoxin, oxydemeton-methyl, that harms children's brain development. This problem hurts not only consumers but also farmworkers and their families.
The Prevalence of Pesticide Contamination
The EWG says in 2024, 75% of non-organic fruits and 95% of the Dirty Dozen have pesticides. This makes growing your own food very important. They suggest avoiding high-risk produce or at least eating less of it. Luckily, some fruits and veggies have low pesticide levels. These are safe for kids and pregnant women without any set limits on daily servings.
The Importance of Eating Fruits and Vegetables
It's key to eat lots of fruits and vegetables for good health, backed by many studies. They help you live longer and cut down your risk of getting sick. Some might worry about pesticides, but this shouldn't put you off. More important is adding these foods to your diet.
Fruit and veg come in many types and colours. They protect your heart and lower risks of diseases like diabetes and cancer. Aim to eat five portions a day. Remember, potatoes don't count as one of your five a day.
Adding a serving of fruit or veg daily can cut heart disease death risks by 4%. Those who eat 8 or more servings daily are 30% less likely to have heart issues. For a healthy heart, enjoy green leafy veggies and citrus fruits often.
Eating over 5 fruit and veg servings daily drops stroke and heart disease risks by 20%. A study showed a diet rich in these helped lower high blood pressure. Going vegetarian has benefits too, like bringing down blood pressure.
More fibre from fruit and veg can lower chances of breast cancer. Eating 5.5 servings daily cuts breast cancer risk by 11%. Also, foods like lettuce and broccoli may protect your gut and lungs from cancer.
Tomato-based foods could lessen the risk of bad prostate cancer. Brightly coloured fruits and veggies guard against lung and mouth cancers. Eating more fruits may even lower type 2 diabetes risks.
Try to eat five portions of different fruits and veggies daily, weighing 400g. Kids' portion sizes depend on age and fit into their hands. Eating the real foods is much better than dietary supplements. The Healthy Start Scheme helps families eat healthy by giving free vitamins and food vouchers.
Evidence shows plant calcium can protect postmenopausal women from osteoporosis. Older adults with depression often eat less fruit and veg. Antioxidants from fruits and vegetables bring many health perks. Eating more of these during dieting can help lose more weight and body fat.
Understanding Pesticide Residue Testing
In this article, I will talk about data from two non-governmental groups. They are the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and Consumer Reports (CR). Since 2004, EWG releases a guide yearly. It's called the Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce. They choose the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen after testing by the USDA and FDA. The food tested is ready to eat, just like what you buy in shops.
This means the results show what people might actually eat in their meals. CR looks at USDA data too. They think about how many different pesticides are on the food, how much is there, how often they find it, and how harmful it could be. These guides are helpful to shoppers. But remember, they focus on what consumers eat. They might not show the risk to farmworkers or people living near farms.
The Dirty Dozen: The Most Pesticide-Contaminated Produce
EWG's Dirty Dozen list warns us about fruits and veggies with lots of pesticides. An amazing 99% of non-organic foods had pesticides. They had about 8 types on each piece, some can even cause cancer and hurt reproduction. This warns us to find safer food for our families.
Strawberries: A Pesticide-Soaked Delight
Who doesn't love strawberries in the summer? But these sweet fruits often carry too many pesticides. One report found 36 types of pesticide on them. This mix of chemicals can harm our health. It's a big worry and why I always advice clients to grow their own or choose organic.
Spinach: The Leafy Green with a Toxic Twist
Spinach, known for being healthy, isn't safe from pesticides. A dangerous insecticide called permethrin and DDT were found on 40% of samples. Finding DDT today is shocking. We must grow spinach in a safer way.
Kale, Collards & Greens: Nutrient-Rich but Pesticide rich so choose Organic here.
These healthy, dark greens are packed with nutrients, but also pesticides. Over 100 chemicals were found on them, including DCPA, a herbicide banned in Europe because of health implications.
Grapes: Go Organic on these too!
Even grapes aren't safe if they're not grown organically. The data showed 35 pesticides on grapes, especially the ones we import. This shows the big challenge in making our food both safe and good for the planet.
Vegetables: The Potential for Homegrown Abundance
Growing your fruits and vegetables helps you avoid harmful pesticides. You control what is used to grow your produce. Homegrown produce is safe and free from chemicals.
Reclaiming Control over Our Food Supply
With self-grown plants, you choose not to use pesticides or other chemicals. This protects both your health and the earth. Chemicals used in farming harm our environment in big ways.
The Benefits of Growing Your Own Produce
Growing your own crops has many perks. Beetroot varieties like 'Boltardy' are a hit for novice growers. They resist bolting well. Radish seeds need no thinning and are quick to harvest. Potatoes, like 'Red Duke of York', are ready early, by July. This is before potato blight can harm them.
Compact peas, such as 'Half Pint', grow well and are good for spring meals. Chillies do well in the sun and can last into autumn. They grow nicely in containers. Courgettes, like 'Defender' F1, give a lot of food and thrive in small places. They also resist disease.
Mizuna, mibuna, and Chinese mustard are easy and add great taste to dishes. Miners' lettuce, like spinach, is steady in colder months. Plus, using organic fertilizers improves your soil and makes your plants grow well.
Growing your own food brings joy. You know it's safe and healthy to eat. This way, you miss out on the pesticides in most store-bought food.
Lots of British people use gardens for food. With online help and good books, anyone can enjoy homegrown food.
The Clean Fifteen: A Safer Choice
EWG's study shows that Avocados, sweet corn, and 13 other items are safest from pesticides. Less than 1% of avocados and less than 2% of sweet corn have pesticides. Almost 90% of pineapples have no pesticides on them.
The Clean Fifteen list comes from USDA tests for pesticide levels. The tests look at how many samples have pesticides and how many types were found. They also check if the items were prepared, if they’re genetically modified, and how bad the pesticides may be for nature.
Choosing from the Clean Fifteen is better than the Dirty Dozen. Most nonorganic items have pesticides, but the Clean Fifteen are fairly clean. This is great news for people who want to avoid too many chemicals.
The Cocktail Effect: Synergistic Dangers of Pesticide Mixtures
The "cocktail effect" means dangers rise when you mix pesticides. Safety limits are usually for one pesticide. So, they don't warn about extra harms when mixed chemicals. Finding lots of these mixtures in our food is a big worry now.
Understanding the Cocktail Effect
Studies show how a mix of pesticides can be extra harmful. They found five ways these mixtures can act together. This includes making each other stronger or weaker. For example, in one study, some pesticide mixes made up 7% could really enhance each other's harmful effects. This often happens with certain types of pesticides. Researchers have been looking into this since at least 1985. They've found that sometimes pesticide mixes can have stronger effects than expected.
Washing and Peeling: Reducing Pesticide Exposure
Washing and peeling fruit and vegetables helps reduce pesticide exposure. This of course won't remove all pesticides, but at least removes some surface residues and makes safer for consumption.
In the UK and EU, food must meet strict limits on pesticide residues. These limits (MRLs) are set well below what's considered safe. Most food tested doesn't break these rules or have unapproved pesticides. Pesticides in food are usually at very small levels. These are called parts per million.
So I guess what I'm saying is please don't stop eating fruit and veggies which are SO good for your health. The danger of not eating enough fruits and vegetables is worse than the risk of the residues you might eat.
It's good to wash fruits and veggies. Lots of pesticides can come off easily with water. Peeling them also removes surface pesticides well.
And finally, as a takeaway from me, please screenshot the list below to look at while you food shop. These are the formidable dirty dozen items that you really want to choose to buy as organic.
EwG Dirty Dozen: Items to pay that little extra for: Invest in your health- Go Organic on these 🙏🏽
🍓Strawberries
🥬Spinach
🍃Kale
🍇Grapes
🍑Peaches
🍐Pears
🍊Nectarines
🍎Apples
🫑Bell and hot peppers
🍒Cherries
🫐Blueberries
🫛Green beans
Debbie x
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