Clean 15 list for 2018
So what is the clean 15? And why do I care?
The clean fifteen/dirty dozen guide is based on analysis of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Pesticide Data Program (PDP) report, which is published annually. The USDA and Environmental Protection Agency work together to identify foods to be tested for pesticides on a rotating basis.
The reason I'm sharing this is because I personally want to know which foods are high on the pesticide list and which ones aren't. I try and limit the amount of chemicals/pesticides/garbage I put in my body. Am I perfect? No. Do I want to do better? Yes. This helps me make informed decisions with my grocery shopping.
Recap of the Dirty Dozen.
Strawberries
Spinach
Nectarines
Apples
Grapes
Peaches
Cherries
Pears
Tomatoes
Celery
Potatoes
Sweet Bell Peppers
These are the 12 foods that are listed this year as having a high pesticide residue. Which means if you do purchase these items, it's in your best interest to wash them thoroughly, or buy organic/from your local farmers market. To be a safe as possible.
Clean 15 List 2018
These are the 15 items of fresh produce that tested the lowest for pesticide residue. These still contain some residue of pesticides but the amount is minimal. Most processed foods typically contain one or more ingredients derived from genetically engineered crops, such as corn syrup and corn oil made from predominantly GMO starchy field corn. Yet GMO foods are not often found in the fresh produce section of American supermarkets.
Avocados
Fewer than 1% of conventional avocados tested positive for pesticides. Only 1 pesticide was found on any of the 360 sampled.
Sweet Corn
Less than 2% of sweet corn samples had any detected pesticide residues. A small amount of sweet corn is grown from Roundup Ready genetically engineered seeds. Buy organic corn to avoid GE crops.
Pineapples
90% of conventional pineapples had no detectable pesticides residue. 5 different pesticides were detected on more than 350 conventional pineapple samples.
Cabbages
Only 2 of more than 700 cabbage samples contained more than 1 pesticide residue. 86% of cabbage samples contained no detectable pesticide residue.
Onions
Less than 10% of conventional onion samples contained any pesticide residue. No conventional onion samples contained more than 3 pesticides.
Sweet Peas (Frozen)
Roughly 80% of conventional sweet peas had no detectable pesticide residue. No sample of frozen sweet peas had more than 2 pesticides.
Papayas
80% of conventional papayas had no detectable pesticide residue. None of the nearly 750 samples tested contained more than 3 pesticides.
Asparagus
90% of the conventional asparagus samples had no detectable pesticide residues. No more than 3 pesticides were detected on any conventional asparagus sample.
Mangoes
78% of mango samples contained no delectable pesticide residues. No more than 2 pesticides were detected on any conventionally grown mangoes in USDA tests.
Eggplants
About 3/4th's of all conventional eggplants tested contained no pesticide residues. No more than 3 pesticide residues were present on any conventionally grown eggplants.
Honeydews
About half of all conventionally grown honeydew melons had no delectable pesticide residues. No more than 4 pesticide residues were present on any conventionally grown honeydew melons.
Kiwis
65% of Kiwi samples had no detectable pesticide residue. Only 6 different types of pesticide residues were detected on any conventionally grown kiwis.
Cantaloupes
More than 60% of conventional cantaloupe samples contained no detectable pesticide residues. Only 10% of cantaloupe samples contained more than 1 pesticide residue.
Cauliflower
About half of all conventionally grown cauliflower samples contained no detectable pesticide residues. No single cauliflower sample contained more than 3 detectable pesticide residues.
Broccoli
70% of broccoli samples had no detectable pesticide residues. Only 1 in 10 broccoli samples contained more than 1 pesticide residue.
How consumers can avoid pesticides:
People who eat organic produce eat fewer pesticides. A 2015 study by scientists at the University of Washington found that people who report they often or always buy organic produce had significantly lower quantities of organophosphate insecticides in their urine samples. This was true even though they reported eating 70 percent more servings of fruits and vegetables per day than adults who reported they rarely or never purchase organic produce.
Methodology:
The Shopper's Guide ranks pesticide contamination on 47 popular fruits and vegetables based on an analysis of more than 38,800 samples taken by the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration. The USDA doesn't test every food every year, so EWG generally uses data from the most recent one- or two-year sampling period for each food. The USDA doesn’t test two fruits, honeydew melons and kiwis, so EWG uses data from the Food and Drug Administration’s pesticide monitoring for these crops.
Health Effects on Humans:
Pesticides are poisons and, unfortunately, they can harm more than just the “pests” at which they are targeted. They are toxic, and exposure to pesticides can not only cause a number of health effects, but is linked to a range of serious illnesses and diseases in humans, from respiratory problems to cancer.
Endocrine Disruptors: he term endocrine disruptor refers to substances that interfere with hormones and hormone balance. Hormones are the chemical messengers of the body. They are necessary to regulate different functions, in particular growth and reproductive functions.
The endocrine effects can be activated by very low concentrations of chemicals. They can manifest as:
- reduced semen quality with consequent decreased fertility, genital malformations, testicular and prostate cancer
- early puberty, appearance of cysts in the ovaries, uterus anomalies, breast cancer, pregnancy complications with early abortions, decreased fertility
- diabetes and obesity
- neurological disorders, especially disorders in brain development, and degenerative diseases in the brain, such as Parkinson’s disease
- hyper and hypothyroidism and thyroid tumors.
Conclusion:
I'm not here to tell you what to do. I'm just here sharing the information that I have found and learned to hopefully help someone else make better and more informed decisions. We live in an age of technology and I can Google just about anything now and find it. This presents as both a good thing and a bad one. I'm just trying to simplify that searching for you with this blog!
As always let me know if you have questions, suggestions, or comments in the comments section!
References/Further Reading:
Get your own 2018 shopper guide here by entering your email:
Read the Guide:
Further reading on health effects of pesticides:
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