most and least contaminated produce

[Guest guest]

I don't have the exact URL, but this is an excerpt from an article on the

Seventh Generation website:

Marking the one year anniversary of the enactment of the national organic

standards, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has released the results

of a new study that examined the pesticide residues on conventionally grown

produce. EWG researchers examined over 100,000 federal government pesticide

residue test results taken over the last decade and found that 192

different chemicals could be found in varying amounts on 46 common fruits

and vegetables.

The EWG measured the pesticide contamination it found in six different

ways. The final list ranked the worst offenders to the healthiest choices

and was created by combining six measurements into one overall score for

each food. The six measures of contamination the EGW used were:

· The percent of the food’s samples that had detectable pesticides

· The percent of the food’s samples with two or more pesticides

· The average number of pesticides found on each sample

· The average amount (in parts per million) of all pesticides found

· The maximum number of pesticides found on a single sample

· The total number of individual pesticides found on the food in total

According to the EWG, a simulation of thousands of consumers eating high

and low pesticide diets shows that people eating the 12 most contaminated

fruits and vegetables will expose themselves to an average of almost 20

pesticides per day. On the other hand, eating the 12 least contaminated

kinds of produce will expose a person to just over 2 pesticides per day. As

a result, EWG experts advise that consumers either avoid the 12 most

contaminated foods or buy organic varieties.

Here are the high and low scorers in the EWG study:

The 12 Most Contaminated Types of Produce (from most to least contaminated):

· Peaches

· Strawberries

· Apples

· Spinach

· Nectarines

· Celery

· Pears

· Cherries

· Potatoes

· Bell Peppers

· Red Raspberries

· Imported Grapes

The 12 Least Contaminated Types of Produce (from most to least contaminated):

Papaya

Kiwi

Bananas

Broccoli

Onions

Asparagus

Sweet Peas

Mangos

Cauliflower

Pineapples

Avocados

Sweet Corn

[Guest guest]

Quoting <karenr@...>:

> The EWG measured the pesticide contamination it found in six different

> ways. The final list ranked the worst offenders to the healthiest choices

> and was created by combining six measurements into one overall score for

> each food. The six measures of contamination the EGW used were:

> · The percent of the food’s samples that had detectable pesticides

> · The percent of the food’s samples with two or more pesticides

> · The average number of pesticides found on each sample

> · The average amount (in parts per million) of all pesticides found

> · The maximum number of pesticides found on a single sample

> · The total number of individual pesticides found on the food in

> total

I find it curious that four of the six components of the score dealt with

the number of different pesticides, rather than the amount. Why is this

significant?

--

Berg

bberg@...