Clean fifteen with less pesticide residue that you don't need to buy organic for.
Whenever I eat fruits or vegetables, I am worried about pesticide residues. However, organic products are almost double the price of non-organic products.
Would these problems be solved by eating those expensive organic produce?
Organic doesn’t mean pesticide-free. Although it varies slightly from country to contry, in general, the organic label is put on produce that has not used organic synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers for 3 year.
That means that there are pesticide residues even in organic produce. For example, 25 organic pesticides, such as copper, rotenone, and Spinosad, can be used in organic farming. On the other hand, the staggering 900 that are currently allowed to be used on conventional crops.
So, I found out 15 foods with less pesticide residue that you don’t need to buy organic for.
The annual Clean Fifteen List, which ranks fruits and vegetables lowest in pesticide residue, is published by the EWG.
Please refer to the Dirty Dozen, which contains a list of produce with the most pesticide residue stated by EWG.
Dirty Dozen 2021 must avoid unless organic.
♠잔류 농약 가장 적은 식품 클린 15-Clean Fifteen
According to the EWg, multiple pesticide residue are extremely rare on Clean Fifteen vegetables. Only 8% of Clean Fifteen fruit and vegetable samples had two or more pesticides.
Here is the 2021 Clean Fifteen List.
The 1st food lowest in pesticide residues-AVOCADOS
When the USDA tested 360 avocado samples, fewer than 1% of pesticide residues were found. And only type of pesticide was found on that avocado samples.
For reference, it is more harmful to use multiple pesticides because pesticides could interact with each other.
Avocados are a rich source of healthy monounsaturated fats and fiber, folic acid, and vitamins C and K.
It is rich in nutrients and there are not many pesticide residues, so there is no reason not to eat avocados.
The 2nd food lowest in pesticide residues-SWEET CORN
Fewer than 2% sampled sweet corn had detectable pesticide residue. However, this analysis didn’t test for the pesticide plyphosate, which is used on genetically modified corn crops.
The 3rd food lowest in pesticide residues-PINEAPPLES.
In pineapples, 90% had no detectable pesticide residue. It is due to the thick shell that provides a natural protective barrier.
The 4th food lowest in pesticide residues-ONIONS.
The result of analysis after the outer layers of skin was removed, pesticide residue was detected on fewer than 1% of onion samples.
However, for people who enjoy onion skin tea, it is better to buy organic onions. The reason is that organic onions were up to 20% higher in flavonols than conventionally grown ones. The flavonols are compounds that protect heart health.
The 5th food lowest in pesticide residues-PAPAYA
About 80% of papaya samples are free from pesticide residue. But most papayas have been genetically modified to resist a virus. If you don’t like GMO foods, you should buy organic papayas.
The 6th food lowest in pesticide residues-FROZEN SWEET PEAS
About 80% of the frozen sweet peas sampled had no detectable pesticide residue. However, snap peas ranked as the 20th Cleanest Vegetable. It is no problem to consume peas that are conventionally grown. But for snap peas, it is better to buy organic.
The 7th food lowest in pesticide residues-EGGPLANTS
About 75% of eggplants analyzed were free of pesticide residue, even though these samples were tested with the peel.
The 8th food lowest in pesticide residues-ASPARAGUS
The most of asparagus samples had no measurable pesticide residue. This may be because asparagus contains an enzyme that may help break down certain pesticides.
The 9th food lowest in pesticide residues-BROCCOLI
Because broccoli exudes glucosinolates, which is the same insect deterring plant compounds, it is not bothered by as many pests as other vegetables.
The 10th food lowest in pesticide residues-CABBAGE
Because cabbage also produces the compound glucosinolate that deters harmful insects, it requires less pesticide.
The 11th food lowest in pesticide residues-KIWI
Even though kiwi samples were only washed, not peeled, most samples of kiwi were not detected to have pesticide residue.
The 12th food lowest in pesticide residues-CAULIFLOWER
More than half of the cauliflower sampled were pesticide-free.
The 13th food lowest in pesticide residues-MUSHROOMS
I thought mushrooms were not bothered by pests. It is disappointing that they were ranked this low.
But 13th place out of over 40,000 kinds means that it is still safe to buy conventional mushrooms.
The 14th food lowest in pesticide residues-HONEYDEW
pesticides were not detected in about half of the honeydew samples.
The 15th food lowest in pesticide residues-CANTALOUPES
Half of the cantaloupes sampled had no measurable pesticide residue. It is recommended to always wash and scrub the rind of cantaloupes before cutting, not only to reduce pesticide residue but also th remove harmful bacteria.
It is better to buy all food organic. But considering economic conditions, it can be very helpful financially if you buy food with the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen in mind.
