Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) — Blueberries, a favorite among nutritionists for their anti-inflammatory properties, have joined fiber-rich green beans on this year’s Dirty Dozen list of non-organic produce contaminated with the most pesticides, according to the Environmental Working Group, an NGO. profitability of environmental health.
In the 2023 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, researchers analyzed test results data from 46,569 samples of 46 fruits and vegetables conducted by the US Department of Agriculture. Each year, Rotary List is tested by USDA employees who wash, peel, or clean fruits and vegetables as consumers do, before screening the food for 251 different pesticides.
Similar to 2022, strawberries and spinach continued to rank first and second, respectively, on the Dirty Dozen list, followed by three greens: kale, collards, and mustard greens. Peaches, pears, nectarines, apples, grapes, bell peppers, chili peppers, and cherries were also included, respectively. Blueberries and green beans ranked 11th and 12th on the list.
The report indicated that a total of 210 pesticides were found in 12 types of foods. Cabbage vegetables and mustard contained the largest number of different pesticides, 103 types, followed by hot peppers and sweet peppers, 101 types.
“Some USDA tests show traces of long-established pesticides that have been banned by the Environmental Protection Agency,” the report said. The report added that much stricter federal regulation and oversight of these chemicals is needed.
“Insecticides are toxic by their composition,” said Jane Houlihan, former senior vice president for research with the Environmental Working Group (EWG), who was not involved in the study.
“They are intended to harm living organisms, and this inherent toxicity has ramifications for children’s health, including the potential risk of causing hormonal imbalance,” added Houlihan, who is currently director of Research for Healthy Kids and Bright Futures, an organization that seeks to reduce children’s exposure to neurotoxic chemicals. cancer, and damage to the developing brain and nervous system.”
15 untainted options
But there is good news. Concerned consumers could consider choosing conventionally grown vegetables and fruits from the EWG’s Clean 15 list, a list of crops that have been tested for the least amount of pesticides, according to the report. Approximately 65% of the foods on the list contain no detectable levels of pesticides.
Avocados topped the 2023 list of least polluted foods again this year, followed by sweet corn in second place. The rest of the menu consists of pineapples, onions, papayas, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, watermelon, kiwi, cabbage, mushrooms, mangoes, sweet potatoes, watermelon and carrots.
Experts said exposure to a variety of foods without pesticides is especially important during pregnancy and throughout childhood. Growing children need complex nutrients, but they are also more affected by pollutants such as pesticides.
The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that “exposure to pesticides during pregnancy may lead to an increased risk of birth defects, low birth weight, and fetal death.” Childhood exposure has been linked to problems with attention and learning, as well as cancer.
Blueberries and green beans
The report stated that nearly 90% of the blueberry and green bean samples had worrying results.
In 2016, the last time green beans were tested, samples contained 51 pesticides, according to the report. The latest round of testing found 84 different pesticides, and 6% of the samples tested positive for acephate, an insecticide banned for use on vegetables since 2011 by the Environmental Protection Agency.
“One sample of non-organic green beans contained a level 500 times higher than the EPA limit,” said Alexis Tamkeen, a toxicologist with the Environmental Working Group, with expertise in toxic chemicals and pesticides.
And when blueberries were last tested in 2014, they contained more than 50 different pesticides. Home testing in 2020 and 2021 found 54 different pesticides, in roughly the same amount. Two pesticides, phosmate and malathion, were found in approximately 10% of berry samples, although levels have declined over the past decade.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Control reports that acephate, alphocite, and malathion are organophosphates that interfere with the normal function of the nervous system.
The agency added that a high dose of these chemicals may cause difficulty breathing, nausea, decreased heart rate, vomiting, weakness, paralysis, and seizures. If people are exposed over a prolonged period to lower amounts, people may “feel tired, weak, irritable, depressed or forgetful”.
Why are levels of some pesticides higher today than they were in the past?
“We’ve seen a decline in some pesticides since the early 1990s when the Food Quality Protection Act was put in place,” Timkin said. “But we’re also seeing an increase in other pesticides that may not be safer. That’s the reason behind the push for an overall reduction in pesticide use.”
Chris Novak, president and CEO of CropLife America, an industry association, told CNN that the report “intentionally distorted” USDA data.
“Farmers use pesticides to combat insects and fungal diseases that threaten the health and safety of fruits and vegetables,” Novak said. “Misinformation about different pesticides and growing methods generates hesitation and confusion, leading many consumers to choose to use products that are not quite fresh.”
Switch sources, experts suggest
Experts say that many fruits and vegetables that contain higher levels of pesticides are essential to a balanced diet, so don’t give them up. Instead, avoid most pesticides by choosing to eat organic versions of the most contaminated crops. Temkin said that while organic foods aren’t the most nutritious, the majority have little or no pesticide residue.
He continued that if organic is not available or is too expensive, “I definitely recommend exfoliating and washing thoroughly with just water. It will reduce pesticide levels.”
Additional advice on product washing, provided by the FDA, includes:
- Wash hands with warm, soapy water for 20 seconds before and after preparing fresh produce.
- Rinse the fruits before peeling so that dirt and bacteria from the knife do not transfer to the fruit or vegetables.
- Use a clean vegetable brush to scrub firm fruits such as apples and melons.
- Dry the fruits with a clean cloth or paper towel to reduce bacteria that may be present.
