The USDA’s latest dietary recommendations suggest half our plates be filled with fruits and vegetables. A nonprofit research organization released its annual report of the dirtiest as well as the cleanest produce.
For the fourth year running, apples top this year’s so-called “Dirty Dozen” list. It’s compiled by the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit public health organization.
It ranks almost 50 popular fruits and vegetables by the amount of pesticide residue on them, using samples tested by federal labs.
Among others on the “Dirtiest” list include strawberries, grapes, celery, peaches, and potatoes.
The Environmental Working Group suggests buying organic when it comes to “Dirty Dozen” produce. The produce trade association says the list causes confusion at a time when health authorities urge us to eat more produce, and adds that “99 percent of sampled products had residues below EPA tolerances.”
