Another Dirty Dozen...
The growing consensus among scientists is that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can cause lasting damage to human health, especially during fetal development and early childhood.

We now know enough about the long-term consequences of ingesting these powerful chemicals to realize that we must make some changes to how we shop and eat to minimize our consumption of pesticides.

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), consumers can reduce their pesticide exposure by 80% by avoiding the most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating only the those that do not . If consumers get their USDA-recommended 5 daily servings of fruits and veggies from the 15 most contaminated, they could consume an average of 10 pesticides a day. Those who eat the 15 least contaminated conventionally grown produce ingest less than 2 pesticides daily.

EWG has been publishing guides to the "dirty dozen" of most pesticide contaminated foods since 1995, based on statistical analysis of testing conducted by the USDA and the FDA, as well as the “cleanest fifteen”. This list reflects measurable pesticide residues on the parts of the foods normally consumed after being washed and peeled. These lists change for year to year.

The 2010 Dirty Dozen Foods List (*buy these in certified organic)
1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries
6. Nectarines
7. Bell Peppers
8. Spinach
9. Kale
10. Cherries
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes (imported)

The Clean 15 List (*these are the least contaminated with pesticides)
1. Onions
2. Sweet Corn
3. Mangos
4. Asparagus
5. Cabbage
6. Cantaloupe
7. Grapefruit
8. Honeydew Melon
9. Avocado
10. Pineapple
11. Sweet Peas
12. Kiwi
13. Eggplant
14. Watermelon
15. Sweet Potato