Health, Taken Seriously

Want to buy organic food but can’t afford to do it all the time? Buy the following produce organic only and you’ll reduce your pesticide exposure by 50%¹.

1. Strawberries – Sixty-five different pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides are registered for use on strawberries. They are the most chemically intensive crop in California. They contain a high pesticide residue after harvest.

2. Bell Peppers – Are usually treated with insecticides 2-6 times during their growth cycle, as well as sprayed with herbicides, fungicides, fumigants, nematicides, and algaecides.

3. Spinach – This leafy vegetable is particularly prone to pests, so more than 60% of nonorganic spinach tested by the FDA contains pesticide residues that include highly toxic substances like DDT and other carcinogens.

4. Cherries – Many stone fruits are attractive to pests. Cherries are also susceptible to viral and fungal diseases. Many cherry growers spray the fruit during the dormant stage in March all the way through harvest in June or July.

5. Peaches – The thin skin of peaches makes them a likely target of pests. Like cherries, peaches are sprayed from their dormant stage all the way through harvest.

6. Nectarines – Similar to peach treatment.

7. Celery – FDA tests show that celery is more likely than any other vegetable to contain pesticide residue.

8. Apples – More than 40 pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides are approved for use on apples. They’re often sprayed 5-10 times during the growth cycle.

9. Pears – More than 50 chemicals are approved for use on pear crops, including petroleum oils (which are used to control weeds and diseases). Pears are typically sprayed 9 times during their growth cycle.

10. Grapes – Grapes imported from Chile are sprayed with methyl bromide, a Toxicity Category I compound, that depletes the ozone and was supposed to be phased out by 2005 (the EPA makes exceptions for agricultural users because they say there are no alternatives).

11. Raspberries – Sprayed with many pesticides and fungicides, as well as synthetic fertilizers to grow larger berries. FDA tests show up to 9 different pesticide residues on the fruit.

12. Potatoes – Fields are sterilized with soil fumigants before planting. Synthetic fertilizers are added to the potatoes weekly since nutrients no longer exist in the soil. The plants themselves are sprayed repeatedly with acute toxins like mefenoxam and chlorothalonil. Potatoes repeatedly test positive for multiple pesticide residues, especially Russets.

The following fruits and vegetables have been found to have a relatively low pesticide residue, thanks to either tough outer skins or flavors that are unappealing to pests. You can buy these conventionally grown, if you prefer:

1. Asparagus
2. Avocados
3. Bananas
4. Blueberries
5. Broccoli
6. Cabbage
7. Garlic
8. Kiwi
9. Mango
10. Onions
11. Papaya
12. Pineapple
13. Peas
14. Sweet corn
15. Watermelon, domestically grown

This information is adapted from the book To Buy or Not To Buy Organic, a simple, practical guide to organic foods that I highly recommend. For a similar list, see the Environmental Working Group’s site. This non-profit organization was the first to compile lists of the most important foods to eat organic.

1. Burke, Cindy. To Buy or Not to Buy Organic. New York: Marlowe & Company, 2007.