Earth Day April 22nd, 2016
EWG (Environmental Working Group) analyzed pesticide residue testing data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration to come up with rankings for these popular fresh produce items. All 48 foods are listed below from worst to best (lower numbers = more pesticides).
EWG analyzed pesticide tests of 48 popular produce items. Domestic and imported versions of two items – blueberries and snap peas – showed sharply different results, so we have ranked those domestic and imported items separately. As a result, the full list of foods ranked by the Shopper’s Guide displays 50 entries.
1
Strawberries
2
Apples
3
Nectarines
4
Peaches
5
Celery
6
Grapes
7
Cherries
8
Spinach
9
Tomatoes
10
Sweet bell peppers
11
Cherry tomatoes
12
Cucumbers
13
Snap peas – imported
14
Blueberries – domestic
15
Potatoes
16
Hot peppers +
17
Lettuce
18
Kale / collard greens +
19
Blueberries – imported
20
Green beans
21
Plums
22
Pears
23
Raspberries
24
Carrots
25
Winter squash
26
Tangerines
27
Summer squash*
28
Snap peas – domestic
29
Green onions
30
Bananas
31
Oranges
32
Watermelon
33
Broccoli
34
Sweet potatoes
35
Mushrooms
36
Cauliflower
37
Cantaloupe
38
Grapefruit
39
Honeydew melon
40
Eggplant
41
Kiwi
42
Papayas*
43
Mangos
44
Asparagus
45
Onions
46
Sweet peas frozen
47
Cabbage
48
Pineapples
49
Sweet Corn*
50
