US FACTORY FARMING 
What’s in your fridge? These 12 foods had the most pesticide residue, new report finds


Gerry Broome/AP

Alison Cutler
Fri, April 8, 2022, 

An environmental group just released its 2022 list of foods most prone to containing pesticide residue — and you might want to check your fridge.

The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization, has released annual lists of “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen” fruits and vegetables since 2004 to help educate people on pesticides in U.S. agriculture.

But if it’s allowed to be on your local grocer’s shelf, why does it matter?

The Environmental Protection Agency reports the majority of people are not at risk from pesticides and will be exposed to only small amounts in their lives, but certain pesticides that are permitted for use in the U.S. have been banned in other countries due to health and environmental concerns, according to the EWG’s April 7 report.

Studies have suggested that exposure to certain pesticides may result in a higher chance of death from cardiovascular disease and diagnoses of ADHD in children and Alzheimer’s disease in adults over a lifetime.

More than 70% of non-organic produce in the United States contains potentially harmful pesticide residue, according to EWG’s latest report. The EWG analyzes data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to determine which foods are the most contaminated with pesticide residue.

Here are the foods that made the “Dirty Dozen” list for 2022:


Strawberries


Spinach


Kale, collard and mustard greens


Nectarines


Apples


Grapes


Bell and hot peppers


Cherries


Peaches


Pears


Celery


Tomatoes

The organization analyzes 46 common fruits and vegetables for pesticide residue contamination using samples from the USDA and Food and Drug Administration “from 2020 and nine years earlier.”

The USDA prepares each food sample by washing, scrubbing or peeling the produce to ensure the level of pesticide contamination reported will match a person’s expected exposure, according to the EWG.

The organization then ranks the 46 fruits by level of pesticide contamination.

This year, it found that more than 90% of strawberry, apple, cherry, spinach, nectarine and grape samples tested positive for residue of two or more pesticides. Spinach had the most pesticide residue when compared with the weight of each crop.

The residue of a possible harmful carcinogen was identified on produce, too, the report found. DCPA, or Dacthal, was classified by the EPA as a possible carcinogen to humans and was banned by the European Union in 2009, the report said. It was the most common pesticide found on collards, mustard greens and kale.

Avoiding foods that may be contaminated with higher levels of pesticide residue has been shown to reduce infertility, high body mass index and non-Hodgkin lymphoma in studies, although a definitive conclusion on the health benefits of an organic diet has yet to be made, according to a 2020 study published in the journal Nutrients.

If you’re looking for ways to avoid food with high pesticide residue stats, EWG included its “Clean Fifteen” produce list in the report:


Avocados


Sweet corn


Pineapple


Onions


Papaya


Frozen sweet peas


Asparagus


Honeydew melon


Kiwi


Cabbage


Mushrooms


Cantaloupe


Mangoes


Watermelon


Sweet Potatoes

Teresa Thorne, executive director of the Alliance for Food and Farming, told USA Today that she was concerned that lists about pesticide contamination may inadvertently deter people from eating fresh fruits and vegetables at all.

“We have 13 million children living in food-insecure households right now,” Thorne told the outlet. “To scare people away from conventional-grown, which is the more affordable and accessible fruits and vegetables in today’s environment, really needs to be better thought through.”

Taking just a few moments in your kitchen to clean your produce can help ensure you are protecting yourself from contamination, according to the FDA. People can learn about the administration’s seven tips for cleaning produce on its website.