Updated rankings for pesticides in produce

From The Oregonian:
 Apples again topped the list of foods containing the most pesticides.



An environmental advocacy group has updated its rankings of pesticide-laden produce, and several fruits and vegetables grown in Oregon top the list. Following new data released by the USDA in May, the Environmental Working Group has recalculated its "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean 15" shoppers guides. They also noted that, for the first time, the USDA has included baby food in its testing and detected pesticide residues.

Four of the top five fruits and vegetables testing positive for pesticides are major products of the region listed by the Agri-Business Council of Oregon. Apples maintained the top spot on the list, even when washed for 10 seconds. Celery, sweet bell peppers, peaches, and strawberries rounded out the top five.

Among produce with the lowest measures of detectable pesticides were onions, sweet corn, and cabbage.

Although these fruits and vegetables are all products of Oregon, most of the samples the USDA tested were not sourced from Oregon growers. For example, only one apple out of 744 tested came from Oregon.

The EWG ranked the foods by comparing how frequently pesticides turned up, and how concentrated the pesticides were. With the exception of the so-called "Dirty Dozen Plus", rankings did not account for the type of pesticide or relative toxicity of each. Additionally, rankings weighted the breakdown products of pesticides equally with the original chemicals, although potential danger may not be identical.

This year, the EWG's list of foods with the highest levels of pesticides was renamed the "Dirty Dozen Plus" to highlight a specific class of insecticides called organophosphates. Although some of the "plus" vegetables would not otherwise top the rankings, the EWG emphasized particular concern with organophosphates because of potential toxicity to the nervous system.

Green beans, kale, and collard greens all tested positive for organophosphates. Although levels were below safety thresholds set by the EPA, the group emphasized particular caution for these pesticides.

For produce containing high levels of pesticides, the EWG encourages shoppers to consider purchasing organic versions. Organic farming does not mean food will be pesticide-free, however. The USDA tested for – and sometimes found – organic pesticides as well as synthetic alternatives.

Baby food was no exception to the presence of pesticides. A portion of the baby food made of green beans contained the same organophosphates as whole beans. 3 of the 191 containers of baby food from pears contained a pesticide not registered for legal use on the fruit. Almost half of all tested baby food pears contained detectable levels of spinosad, an organic pesticide.

The latest USDA report only includes testing completed through the end of 2010, and not all types of produce are tested every year. Four fruits and five vegetables grown frequently in Oregon were updated this year.

The newest rankings are available online from the EWG, and the USDA testing results are available online as well.