A recent report by the Environmental Working Group in the USA has indicated that kale has higher pesticide residues than most other fruit and vegetables found in American supermarkets.
The Dirty Dirty Dozen list released accumulates data from the US Department if Agriculture to assess which products are most contaminated with pesticide residues.
Every year the EWG tests a selection of fruit and veg for the report and this year kale ranked third most contaminated overall. Despite the increase in popularity of kale, the last time it was included in these tests was back in 2009, when it ranked eight in the Dirty Dozen list at that time.
This Year’s round of tests and examinations, more than 92 per cent of conventionally grown kale samples tested positive for Dacthal, which has long classified as a possible human carcinogen in the USA and is banned in Europe.
EWG’s 2019 ‘Dirty 12’
- Straweberries
- Spinach
- Kale
- Nectrines
- Apples
- Grapes
- Peaches
- Cherries
- Pears
- Tomatoes
- Celery
- Potatoes
All of the fruit and veg was peeled and washed prior to testing.
The EWG toxicologist Alexis Temkin stated ” We were suprised kale had so many pesticide on it, but the test results were unequivocal”
Friuits and vegetables are an important part of everyone’s diet, and when it comes to some conventionally grown produce items, such as kale, choosing organic may be a better option.
The analysis shows overall, nearly 70 percent of fresh produce sold in the USA has pesticides residues on it.
Studies show that eating fruits and vegetables free of pesticides benefits health and this is especially important for pregnant women and children.
yet, if you are curious, these were the cleanest.
EWG’s “2019 Clean 15”
- Avocados
- Sweetcorn
- Pineapples
- Frozen peas
- Onions
- Papayas
- Aubergines
- Asparagus
- Kiwis
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Cantaloupes
- Broccoli
- Mushrooms
- Honeydew Melons
The EWG recommends that shoppers opt for organic versions of the fruit and veg items which feature on this year’s dirty list. However it also says that if these are not available it’s still a good idea to continue to eat fresh produce ( even if not organic)