[OKC] From CNN: 'Dirty dozen' produce carries more pesticide residue, group says

[Miles, Karen]

'Dirty dozen' produce carries more pesticide residue, group says


By Danielle Dellorto, Senior Medical Producer

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Is enough being done to protect us from chemicals that could harm us?
Watch "Toxic America," <http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2010/toxic.america/>
a special two-night investigative report with Sanjay Gupta, M.D., June 2
and 3 at 8 p.m. ET on CNN. 

(CNN) -- If you're eating non-organic celery today, you may be ingesting
67 pesticides with it, according to a new report from the Environmental
Working Group.

The group, a nonprofit focused on public health, scoured nearly 100,000
produce pesticide reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to determine what fruits and
vegetables we eat have the highest, and lowest, amounts of chemical
residue.

Most alarming are the fruits and vegetables dubbed the "Dirty Dozen,"
which contain 47 to 67 pesticides per serving. These foods are believed
to be most susceptible because they have soft skin that tends to absorb
more pesticides.

"It's critical people know what they are consuming," the Environmental
Working Group's Amy Rosenthal said. "The list is based on pesticide
tests conducted after the produce was washed with USDA high-power
pressure water system. The numbers reflect the closest thing to what
consumers are buying at the store."

The group suggests limiting consumption of pesticides by purchasing
organic for the 12 fruits and vegetables.

"You can reduce your exposure to pesticides by up to 80 percent by
buying the organic version of the Dirty Dozen," Rosenthal said.

Not all non-organic fruits and vegetables have a high pesticide level.
Some produce has a strong outer layer that provides a defense against
pesticide contamination. The group found a number of non-organic fruits
and vegetables dubbed the "Clean 15" that contained little to no
pesticides.

 

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