12 Dirtiest Fruits and Vegetables / 15 Cleanest Fruits and Vegetables
By Josie Glausiusz , Prevention
Scan any supermarket produce section and what do you see? Rows of brightly hued, blemish-free fruits and vegetables. They’re gorgeous. But stop and ask yourself: Without help, could nature consistently deliver such picture-perfect greens and berries, any more than it fashions every woman into a beauty pageant contestant? Of course not. Plants, like people, have natural imperfections—and some require more help than others to look good, not to mention maintain their youthful looks as they age.
In the plant world, the equivalent of beauty products are the dozens of chemicals that farmers use to fend off insects, pests, weeds, fungal attacks, and rot. Not surprisingly, plants that are more vulnerable to attack need more of them. To help you tell which is which (and, therefore, which are best to eat organic, as opposed to those you can buy conventionally to save money), the Environmental Working Group publishes two lists—the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15. The EWG rankings are based on USDA-tested levels of chemical residues that remain on conventionally raised fruits and vegetables after washing. Revised lists came out in the spring, with a couple of surprising new additions. But if you should find yourself in the grocery store without the lists in hand, not to worry. There are logical reasons some types of produce are “dirtier” than others. The clues are in the plants. Read their stories, and you’ll never wonder again which is which—and where you can economize.
Buy organic:
1. Celery
Why it’s dirty: Due to peak consumer demand around Thanksgiving and Christmas, 75% of the crop is grown during the fall and winter, when rain and wind promote the growth of bacteria and fungal diseases. And because we eat the entire stalk, it must be sprayed repeatedly to ward off pests. “Nobody likes to find a caterpillar-damaged stalk in their celery bunch,” says Stuart Reitz, PhD, a research entomologist with the USDA.
2. Peaches
Why they’re dirty: Sweet and succulent, peaches can be just as alluring to insects as to people. Farmers may spray peaches every week or two from bloom to harvest—and peach fuzz can trap pesticides, says peach breeder John R. Clark, PhD, a horticulturalist at the University of Arkansas, who peels every one of the thousands of peaches he eats each year.
3. Strawberries
Why they’re dirty: Strawberries are not only sweet and juicy but also delicate and prone to disease, including fungal attacks that can turn them to mush during transit and storage. “With apples and peaches, a lot of spraying is cosmetic to get blemish-free fruits,” says Richard Wiles, senior vice president for policy at EWG. “With berries, you’re just trying to get them across the finish line into the store before they go bad.”
4. Apples
Why they’re dirty: Sweet-smelling and delicious, apples are susceptible to more than 30 insects and at least 10 diseases. And fungicides and other chemicals are added after picking to prevent tiny blemishes that can accumulate during storage of up to 9 months.
5. Blueberries
Why they’re dirty: Blueberries are new on the Dirty Dozen list—possibly because the USDA began testing them only 3 years ago, after large increases in production. The berries are targets for insects such as blueberry maggots and bagworms.
6. Nectarines
Why they’re dirty: Nectarines differ from peaches only in the absence of fuzz—a trait that likely arose as a natural mutation of a peach tree—so it’s no wonder they’re susceptible to many of the same pests, including oriental fruit moths and peach twig borers. Thanks to their waxy skin, they don’t retain as many pesticides as peaches. On the other hand, they are more vulnerable to rot and scarring.
7. Bell peppers
Why they’re dirty: Unlike cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, sweet bell peppers (which are technically fruits) have no bitter compounds to serve as built-in insect repellents. They even lack the fiery taste of their cousins, the chile peppers. And the creases at their crowns may provide nooks for pesticides to accumulate, says Philip Stansly, PhD, an entomologist at the University of Florida.
8. Spinach
Why it’s dirty: Spinach is a mere leaf that’s crunched by a variety of insects, including grasshoppers. In addition, says Wiles, “spinach tends to pull persistent DDT residues out of the soil and into the leaf.” These chemicals remain in the earth decades after they were banned.
9. Kale
Why it’s dirty: The outer leaves are not removed before sale, so any amount of damage will make it unmarketable. Even natural enemies of the pests that feed on kale can be considered contaminants in harvested produce, so farmers spray for all bugs, including the “good” ones.
10. Cherries
Why they’re dirty: Because cherries are a naked fruit—without peel or protection—they’re vulnerable to pests such as the western cherry fruit fly. If just one of its maggots is found in a shipment, the entire load of fruit must be dumped, according to quarantine regulations, so growers spray out of fear of losing their crops.
11. Potatoes
Why they’re dirty: New to the list, America’s number one vegetable is sprayed 5 or more times throughout the growing season to protect against various pests—and to ensure a crop of uniform shape and size for fast-food outlets and potato chip producers. After harvesting, another round of spraying occurs in the packing shed to ward off molds and sprouting.
12. Imported grapes
Why they’re dirty: During their long transit from the southern hemisphere, imported grapes are susceptible to Botrytis cinerea rot, which causes the fruits to split and leak. To prevent that, farmers spray aggressively with fungicides. (Domestic table grapes do not need the same spraying because most are grown in the dry desert climate of Southern California, where botrytis does not thrive.)
The 15 cleanest fruits and vegetables
Buy these non-organic and save money:
1. Onions
Why the’re clean: Onions manufacture their own protective chemicals, a series of unpleasant-tasting sulfur compounds that discourage insect munching. Though farmers may spray early in the growing season, residues are removed when the dry outer layer of the bulb is shed during harvest.
2. Avocado
Why it’s clean: Most of the pesticides that are used to treat avocados accumulate on the peel.
3. Sweet corn
Why it’s clean: Corn is husked before eating, eliminating residues on the outside.
4. Pineapple
Why it’s clean: Most spraying is done early in the growing season, so minimal residues remain after harvest. Those that do are removed with the thick rind.
5. Mangoes
Why they’re clean: Mangoes are grown in Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America, where the dry climate discourages fungus and hand weeding is a common alternative to herbicides. In addition—repeat after us—mangoes are peeled before eating.
6. Sweet peas
Why they’re clean: They are protected by their pods.
7. Asparagus
Why it’s clean: The spears spring up so fast, there’s little time for insects to attack.
8. Kiwifruit
Why it’s clean: Lacewings and parasitic wasps help control the pests that like to feed on kiwis.
9. Cabbage
Why it’s clean: The plant is sprayed, but the outer leaves that absorb pesticides are discarded before sale.
10. Eggplant
Why it’s clean: The eggplant has a slick surface that sheds chemicals easily.
11. Cantaloupe
Why it’s clean: Though the melons are sprayed with insecticides, we don’t ingest them because the fruit is cut out of the thick rind before, well, you know.
12. Watermelon
Why it’s clean: The fruit has a thick protective rind that is not eaten.
13. Grapefruit
Why it’s clean: Although farmers often use fungicides to control green mold, most of the residues remain on the peel.
14. Sweet potato
Why it’s clean: The sweet potato has built-in defenses. If bitten, it oozes a milky-white sap that gums up insect mouthparts. Before they’re sold, sweet potatoes are cured at warm temperatures and high humidity. This causes the skin to thicken, providing protection against damage and disease.
15. Honeydew melon
Why it’s clean: Honeydew may be washed in diluted chlorine during packing in order to ward off rot-inducing microbes. But—need we say it again?—you discard the rind before eating. See, you’re an expert already.
Just remember that whether you opt for conventional or organic, you’re better off eating more fruits and vegetables rather than less. And whatever produce you buy, wash or peel it before eating.
We appreciate to no end, your wonderful comments and remarks at how we have grown our baby blog. The Rev, Sam, Rolf and everyone love you to death!
We do ask that if you are seeking pingback, that the comments, questions or remarks be relevant to the article that you are responding; otherwise Janice has a hissy and marks them as SPAM. Once that’s done, there’s NO RETRIEVING them.
Also, even though 3 of us speak and write in Spanish, we must demand that you comments be written in English. We are not the only ones that read what you write.
Gamers; unless you are commenting on an article, you will be treated as SPAM. Almost no one among our Loyal Readers is interested or cares about your systems, or how you pirate games. You are welcome to overlook this site for comments. We are here to teach and to learn what keeps us above the turf. If gaming does it for you, bully. Please take this in context, that you are a tiny minority, and most of us do not make our living by gaming.
It is sometimes very difficult to deny simple pleasures. However, when my simple pleasures interfere with your sense of happiness and well-being, then I must take steps to insure your happiness. What I receive in return is your gratitude; that’s worth the “price of admission!”
All of us: Janice, The Rev., Kermit, Rolf, Sam, and our new intern Gonzo, wish for you a joyous holiday, safety, good food, better company, and May You Be Blessed By Your Days!
We Love our Loyal Readers beyond belief! REALLY we do. but we have been railroaded a couple of times.
Once Bitten, twice shy! We are now sending Brutus to check out each and every site that asks for pingback. We seek requests, relevant to the post. We regret having to take this step. We want the site to be educational, informing, humorous, and thought-provoking. Unrelated or SPAMMED commentary is not tolerated. It violates the Divine Law of Sharing.
Thanks for your understanding!
We think it goes without saying that we post answers to your questions time after time. So far last month poor Janice did it multiple times, and others have kicked in as well.
YES! You are allowed to re-publish, by blanket permission as long as there’s a pingback.
Our Platform is WORDPRESS, which we use as part of our business model, http://david5372.gogvo.com. WE DO NOT OUTSOURCE — anything! We make our own mistakes, we all speak English, and we all love to fight about everything; this means we get to kiss and make up afterward,
We re-publish the majority of our posts. Why? Because what interests, is interesting. You seem to agree. We have over 50 sources which are checked every day. You don’t have time for that!
We publish comments that are relevant to the article commented. So, if you didn’t see your comment posted, then it had nothing to do with the posting. Don’t look for a pingback on an unrelated site; it won’t happen.
We love our Loyal Readers. We encourage them to submit postings. Do this directly to Rev. David; he will post it for you and you will get full credit and a linkback you the address of your choice. We screen for spelling, content, and for REFERENCES. Unless something is labeled opinion, gearing to the Common Good, and presenting a fresh point of view means we will publish. Opinions will be well-reasoned, thought-provoking and will require full disclosure, please. It’s only fair to our Loyal Readers. The Rev’s Address can be found in the Right Column, by the way.
12 Dirtiest Fruits and Vegetables / 15 Cleanest Fruits and Vegetables
By Josie Glausiusz , Prevention
Scan any supermarket produce section and what do you see? Rows of brightly hued, blemish-free fruits and vegetables. They’re gorgeous. But stop and ask yourself: Without help, could nature consistently deliver such picture-perfect greens and berries, any more than it fashions every woman into a beauty pageant contestant? Of course not. Plants, like people, have natural imperfections—and some require more help than others to look good, not to mention maintain their youthful looks as they age.
In the plant world, the equivalent of beauty products are the dozens of chemicals that farmers use to fend off insects, pests, weeds, fungal attacks, and rot. Not surprisingly, plants that are more vulnerable to attack need more of them. To help you tell which is which (and, therefore, which are best to eat organic, as opposed to those you can buy conventionally to save money), the Environmental Working Group publishes two lists—the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15. The EWG rankings are based on USDA-tested levels of chemical residues that remain on conventionally raised fruits and vegetables after washing. Revised lists came out in the spring, with a couple of surprising new additions. But if you should find yourself in the grocery store without the lists in hand, not to worry. There are logical reasons some types of produce are “dirtier” than others. The clues are in the plants. Read their stories, and you’ll never wonder again which is which—and where you can economize.
Buy organic:
1. Celery
Why it’s dirty: Due to peak consumer demand around Thanksgiving and Christmas, 75% of the crop is grown during the fall and winter, when rain and wind promote the growth of bacteria and fungal diseases. And because we eat the entire stalk, it must be sprayed repeatedly to ward off pests. “Nobody likes to find a caterpillar-damaged stalk in their celery bunch,” says Stuart Reitz, PhD, a research entomologist with the USDA.
2. Peaches
Why they’re dirty: Sweet and succulent, peaches can be just as alluring to insects as to people. Farmers may spray peaches every week or two from bloom to harvest—and peach fuzz can trap pesticides, says peach breeder John R. Clark, PhD, a horticulturalist at the University of Arkansas, who peels every one of the thousands of peaches he eats each year.
3. Strawberries
Why they’re dirty: Strawberries are not only sweet and juicy but also delicate and prone to disease, including fungal attacks that can turn them to mush during transit and storage. “With apples and peaches, a lot of spraying is cosmetic to get blemish-free fruits,” says Richard Wiles, senior vice president for policy at EWG. “With berries, you’re just trying to get them across the finish line into the store before they go bad.”
4. Apples
Why they’re dirty: Sweet-smelling and delicious, apples are susceptible to more than 30 insects and at least 10 diseases. And fungicides and other chemicals are added after picking to prevent tiny blemishes that can accumulate during storage of up to 9 months.
5. Blueberries
Why they’re dirty: Blueberries are new on the Dirty Dozen list—possibly because the USDA began testing them only 3 years ago, after large increases in production. The berries are targets for insects such as blueberry maggots and bagworms.
6. Nectarines
Why they’re dirty: Nectarines differ from peaches only in the absence of fuzz—a trait that likely arose as a natural mutation of a peach tree—so it’s no wonder they’re susceptible to many of the same pests, including oriental fruit moths and peach twig borers. Thanks to their waxy skin, they don’t retain as many pesticides as peaches. On the other hand, they are more vulnerable to rot and scarring.
7. Bell peppers
Why they’re dirty: Unlike cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, sweet bell peppers (which are technically fruits) have no bitter compounds to serve as built-in insect repellents. They even lack the fiery taste of their cousins, the chile peppers. And the creases at their crowns may provide nooks for pesticides to accumulate, says Philip Stansly, PhD, an entomologist at the University of Florida.
8. Spinach
Why it’s dirty: Spinach is a mere leaf that’s crunched by a variety of insects, including grasshoppers. In addition, says Wiles, “spinach tends to pull persistent DDT residues out of the soil and into the leaf.” These chemicals remain in the earth decades after they were banned.
9. Kale
Why it’s dirty: The outer leaves are not removed before sale, so any amount of damage will make it unmarketable. Even natural enemies of the pests that feed on kale can be considered contaminants in harvested produce, so farmers spray for all bugs, including the “good” ones.
10. Cherries
Why they’re dirty: Because cherries are a naked fruit—without peel or protection—they’re vulnerable to pests such as the western cherry fruit fly. If just one of its maggots is found in a shipment, the entire load of fruit must be dumped, according to quarantine regulations, so growers spray out of fear of losing their crops.
11. Potatoes
Why they’re dirty: New to the list, America’s number one vegetable is sprayed 5 or more times throughout the growing season to protect against various pests—and to ensure a crop of uniform shape and size for fast-food outlets and potato chip producers. After harvesting, another round of spraying occurs in the packing shed to ward off molds and sprouting.
12. Imported grapes
Why they’re dirty: During their long transit from the southern hemisphere, imported grapes are susceptible to Botrytis cinerea rot, which causes the fruits to split and leak. To prevent that, farmers spray aggressively with fungicides. (Domestic table grapes do not need the same spraying because most are grown in the dry desert climate of Southern California, where botrytis does not thrive.)
The 15 cleanest fruits and vegetables
Buy these non-organic and save money:
1. Onions
Why the’re clean: Onions manufacture their own protective chemicals, a series of unpleasant-tasting sulfur compounds that discourage insect munching. Though farmers may spray early in the growing season, residues are removed when the dry outer layer of the bulb is shed during harvest.
2. Avocado
Why it’s clean: Most of the pesticides that are used to treat avocados accumulate on the peel.
3. Sweet corn
Why it’s clean: Corn is husked before eating, eliminating residues on the outside.
4. Pineapple
Why it’s clean: Most spraying is done early in the growing season, so minimal residues remain after harvest. Those that do are removed with the thick rind.
5. Mangoes
Why they’re clean: Mangoes are grown in Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America, where the dry climate discourages fungus and hand weeding is a common alternative to herbicides. In addition—repeat after us—mangoes are peeled before eating.
6. Sweet peas
Why they’re clean: They are protected by their pods.
7. Asparagus
Why it’s clean: The spears spring up so fast, there’s little time for insects to attack.
8. Kiwifruit
Why it’s clean: Lacewings and parasitic wasps help control the pests that like to feed on kiwis.
9. Cabbage
Why it’s clean: The plant is sprayed, but the outer leaves that absorb pesticides are discarded before sale.
10. Eggplant
Why it’s clean: The eggplant has a slick surface that sheds chemicals easily.
11. Cantaloupe
Why it’s clean: Though the melons are sprayed with insecticides, we don’t ingest them because the fruit is cut out of the thick rind before, well, you know.
12. Watermelon
Why it’s clean: The fruit has a thick protective rind that is not eaten.
13. Grapefruit
Why it’s clean: Although farmers often use fungicides to control green mold, most of the residues remain on the peel.
14. Sweet potato
Why it’s clean: The sweet potato has built-in defenses. If bitten, it oozes a milky-white sap that gums up insect mouthparts. Before they’re sold, sweet potatoes are cured at warm temperatures and high humidity. This causes the skin to thicken, providing protection against damage and disease.
15. Honeydew melon
Why it’s clean: Honeydew may be washed in diluted chlorine during packing in order to ward off rot-inducing microbes. But—need we say it again?—you discard the rind before eating. See, you’re an expert already.
Just remember that whether you opt for conventional or organic, you’re better off eating more fruits and vegetables rather than less. And whatever produce you buy, wash or peel it before eating.
Also Of Interest:
We appreciate to no end, your wonderful comments and remarks at how we have grown our baby blog. The Rev, Sam, Rolf and everyone love you to death!
We do ask that if you are seeking pingback, that the comments, questions or remarks be relevant to the article that you are responding; otherwise Janice has a hissy and marks them as SPAM. Once that’s done, there’s NO RETRIEVING them.
Also, even though 3 of us speak and write in Spanish, we must demand that you comments be written in English. We are not the only ones that read what you write.
Gamers; unless you are commenting on an article, you will be treated as SPAM. Almost no one among our Loyal Readers is interested or cares about your systems, or how you pirate games. You are welcome to overlook this site for comments. We are here to teach and to learn what keeps us above the turf. If gaming does it for you, bully. Please take this in context, that you are a tiny minority, and most of us do not make our living by gaming.
It is sometimes very difficult to deny simple pleasures. However, when my simple pleasures interfere with your sense of happiness and well-being, then I must take steps to insure your happiness. What I receive in return is your gratitude; that’s worth the “price of admission!”
All of us: Janice, The Rev., Kermit, Rolf, Sam, and our new intern Gonzo, wish for you a joyous holiday, safety, good food, better company, and May You Be Blessed By Your Days!
“IT’S BETTER NOW”, the Team
Also Of Interest:
We Love our Loyal Readers beyond belief! REALLY we do. but we have been railroaded a couple of times.
Once Bitten, twice shy! We are now sending Brutus to check out each and every site that asks for pingback. We seek requests, relevant to the post. We regret having to take this step. We want the site to be educational, informing, humorous, and thought-provoking. Unrelated or SPAMMED commentary is not tolerated. It violates the Divine Law of Sharing.
Thanks for your understanding!
Also Of Interest:
We think it goes without saying that we post answers to your questions time after time. So far last month poor Janice did it multiple times, and others have kicked in as well.
We love our Loyal Readers. We encourage them to submit postings. Do this directly to Rev. David; he will post it for you and you will get full credit and a linkback you the address of your choice. We screen for spelling, content, and for REFERENCES. Unless something is labeled opinion, gearing to the Common Good, and presenting a fresh point of view means we will publish. Opinions will be well-reasoned, thought-provoking and will require full disclosure, please. It’s only fair to our Loyal Readers. The Rev’s Address can be found in the Right Column, by the way.
Kisses and HUGS!
Rolf and Janice
Also Of Interest:
RSS feeds are now available through GOOGLE Reader.
Read are now available for articles, as well as commentary.
For those who requested them, KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF!!
Thanks for your time….
Kermit, for The Rev.
Also Of Interest:
Many of you have had questions directed to me personally, which you
did not want to publish. I understand this; however when I have tried to
reply, the server will always bounce my reply back at me. This makes me
look Like I really don’t care about my loyal readers. Not True!
SO in order to remedy this minor vicissitude, questions may be directed
to my address and I will answer them the same day. Thank you for your time!*
* (the address was scrambled — you know why…!)
Also Of Interest:
Related posts:
Tags: Business, Education, News, Wisdom
This entry was posted on Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 at 10:35 and is filed under Bulletin Board, Business Venture, Greed, Remedy, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.