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Fifteen fruits and veggies grown conventionally, though, are largely free of pesticides, per the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) annual survey of the dirtiest and cleanest produce grown in the U.S.
(The EWG publicly ranks results of USDA and FDA testing each year of 32,000 samples of 48 non-organic fruits and veggies commonly found in the U.S. Click here for "Pesticide-Ridden Produce: The 12 Most Infected Fruits, Vegetables.")
For these 2014 Clean Fifteen, there's no need to spend your hard-earned money on organic if your goal is to avoid ingesting the poisons of pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides.
Noted the EWG about Clean Fifteen vegetables. "Detecting multiple pesticide residues is extremely rare... only about 5.5 percent... had two or more pesticides." About fruits, the EWG reported, "No single fruit sample from the Clean Fifteen tested positive for more than 4 pesticides." (Yes, some of the dirtiest produce tested positive for up to 13 pesticides. One grape was found with residue of an incredible 15 pesticides...)
The Good News: Top 15 Produce Least Likely to be Infected with Pesticides
1. Asparagus
3. Cabbage
4. Cantaloupe - 61 percent of cantaloupe tested had no pesticide residue.
5. Cauliflower
6. Eggplant
7. Grapefruit
8. Kiwi - 82 percent of kiwi tested had no pesticide residue.
9. Mangoes - 88 percent of mangoes tested had no pesticide residue.
10. Onions
12. Pineapples - 89 percent of pineapples tested had no pesticide residue.
13. Sweet corn
14. Sweet peas
15. Sweet potatoes
Avocados. Mangoes. Sweet corn. Pineapples. Cantaloupes. Cabbage for cole slaw. Sounds like the makings for a scrumptious summer party!
Enjoy!!! And pass the guacamole to me...
