America's Most Contaminated Produce Is Probably in Your Fridge Right Now

The Environmental Working Group ( EWG ) released its annual " unsportsmanlike 12 " leaning of the most pesticide - contaminated fruits and vegetable for 2016 on Tuesday , and if you delight diving backtalk - first into a container of impertinent strawberries , well , you might want to sit down for this one . Also , view using a branching , you brute .

Specifically , the young report claim that strawberries are contaminated with more pesticide residue than any other fruit or vegetable tested , including apples , which topped the organization ’s list for the last five years . EWG look at the results of thousands of tests conducted by the US Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration and found that almost all non - organic strawberries came with pesticide residues while nearly half were establish to comprise at least 10 different pesticides , according to areportby CBS News . Are you sitting down yet ?

Although the organization acknowledge that most pesticides are safe to wipe out , it also monish that others have been associate to various wellness military issue like Cancer the Crab , developmental harm , and neurological problems . With that said , EWG is calling on government officials to ramp up ordinance on what chemical substance company are able to use on their crop . However , the EPA argue the levels of pesticide found in clean green goods are dependable to eat , saying , " We perform dietetic peril assessments to ensure that all leeway base for each pesticide are safe , " according to the CBS News report . Well , that ’s comforting …

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Here ’s the full " muddy 12 " list :

12.Cucumbers11.Cherry tomatoes10.Sweet bell peppers9.Tomatoes8.Spinach7.Cherries6.Grapes5.Celery4.Peaches3.Nectarines2.Apples1.Strawberries

In addition to releasing its " Dirty Dozen " tilt , the organization also put out its annual " Clean Fifteen " list of fruits and vegetables that were recover to have minimal amounts of pesticide :

15.Cauliflower14.Cantaloupe13.Grapefruit12.Honeydew melon11.Eggplant10.Kiwi9.Papayas8.Mangos7.Asparagus6.Onions5.Frozen cherubic peas4.Cabbages3.Pineapples2.Sweet corn1.Avocados

While the " muddy XII " list is a little unsettling , it does n’t imply you have to give up your sexual love for strawberries or avoid your local produce viewpoint . EWG recommends purchasing organic version of the produce on the list and , of course , to dampen the hell out of your fruit and vegetable before you eat them to reduce potential exposure to pesticide . In other words , keep doing what you probably already do .