In the U.S., the Environmental Working Group puts out a “dirty dozen” list and a “clean fifteen” list each year. The lists are based on an analysis of pesticide-testing data generated by scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. They use this data to rank foods according to how likely they are to be tainted with pesticides. The lists are very useful if you can’t afford to buy 100% organic, as they allow you to target your limited organic dollars at the produce that’s mostly likely to be contaminated. I’ve been working on constructing a similar list for Europe (especially for produce grown in Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Turkey). My last post on this topic is from March 2014. This post updates that list to include the results of a recent Consumer Reports report, which includes data about U.S. produce but also produce from other countries around the world.
Some general findings and suggestions and comments:
Not surprisingly, organic produce is much less contaminated with pesticides than non-organic. Overall, organic produce was green 82.3% of the time, yellow 17.4% of the time, and red less than 1% of the time. In comparison, conventional fruit was green/yellow/red = 22%, 75%, 3%, and conventional vegetables were green/yellow/red = 44%, 52%, and 5% of the time. That said, buying all organic can be expensive, and it often means getting items from far away rather than locally-grown produce, or not buying items at all. (Many of the more international items are not available in organic shops.) So which types of produce is it reasonable to buy non-organic? This post attempts to answer that question.
Overall German produce was less contaminated than produce from other EU countries (like Italy and the Netherlands), which was in turn less contaminated than the same products from Turkey and overseas (except perhaps Israel). Greenpeace tested grapes, peppers, pears, zucchini and grapefruit from Turkey, and all five products frequently exceeded the maximum pesticide levels allowed in the EU. Other overseas items were also problematic, especially more “exotic” items such as okra or chili peppers (from India and Thailand respectively), which were highly contaminated. It wasn’t just overseas items that were problematic though. There were a number of European-grown items that were consistently contaminated, i.e., lettuce from Belgium, Holland, and Italy.
Greenpeace recommends always washing fruit and vegetables under lukewarm, running water. This helps remove some of the surface pesticides. They say to wash produce even if you’re not going to eat the skin (e.g., for bananas or mangos), because the pesticides get on your hands and are then inadvertently consumed.
Sources of the data:
- You can read more about the Environmental Working Group’s methodology here, and see their dirty dozen and clean fifteen lists or the full list of all items tested.
- Here’s a blog post with the Israeli dirty and clean lists. I haven’t been able to locate the full data. If anyone can find it, please let me know.
- All of the Germany Greenpeace results can be found in the four pdf documents linked at the bottom of this page.
- This website explains the Consumer Reports’ methodology (somewhat vaguely) and their results.
Fruits:
- Very high:
- Apples: 1st on U.S. dirty dozen list and 3rd on the Israel dirty fifteen list. The Greenpeace study says that apples are yellow, except Austrian apples which are red. German apples are pretty typical with 19% green, 54% yellow, and 28% red, with 51% having black-listed pesticides. New Zealand apples do a bit better with 45% green, 53% yellow, and 2% red, with 25% having black-listed pesticides. One website I ran across said that tests by the magazine “Öko-Test” indicate that conventional apples from South America are often problematic, but most German apples are free of problematic residues. This seems to contradict the Greenpeace data. The Consumer Reports data says that apples from the U.S. are high risk, but from New Zealand are low risk, as is applesauce!
- Grapes: 3rd on U.S. dirty dozen list and 1st on Israel dirty fifteen list. According to the Greenpeace study, they are either red (Chile, Germany, India, and Turkey) or yellow (Egypt, Argentina, Brasil, Grece, Italy, Namibia, Spain, and South Africa). Even among the red countries there were differences though. Grapes from Turkey often had traces of ten pesticides, where for German grapes the average was less than five. Oddly, Greenpeace only tested 6 grape samples from France. Of those, 33% were red and none were green. Oddly, the Consumer Reports study lists raisins as low risk and grapes from all countries (Chile, Peru, Mexico, U.S.) as low risk.
- Peaches, nectarines, apricots:
- Peaches are 5th on the U.S. dirty dozen list and 13th on the Israel dirty fifteen list. According to Greenpeace, peaches are yellow. Consumer Reports says that peaches from Chile and the U.S. are both high risk. However, they say that canned peaches (from the U.S., Greece, and South Africa) are very low risk!
- Nectarines. Imported nectarines are 8th and domestic nectarines are 18th on the U.S. dirty dozen list. According to Greenpeace, nectarines are yellow (except for nectarines from Chile, which are red). Consumer Reports lists nectarines from the U.S. as medium risk and from Canada as high risk.
- Apricots: According to Greenpeace, apricots are yellow (except for apricots from Greece, which are red). Interestingly, according to the Greenpeace data, Turkish apricots did a bit better than French ones.
- Strawberries: 2nd on U.S. dirty dozen list but oddly not on the Israel list. Maybe they don’t eat many strawberries in Israel? The Greenpeace study says that they’re yellow from all countries. From Germany, for example, 88% of samples were yellow and 11% were green, with 84% containing pesticides from the black list. Conventional strawberries are often treated with pesticides, in order to make them resistant to pests and mold. Consumer Reports says that strawberries from the U.S. are high risk.
- Medium-high to high:
- Pears: 19th on U.S. dirty dozen list and 11th on the Israel dirty fifteen list. The Greenpeace study says pears from most of the E.U. and Argentina are yellow, as are asian pears from China, but pears from Chile, Italy, South Africa, and Turkey are red. From Germany 30% of pears were green, 54% yellow, and 16% red, with 44% having pesticides from the black list. Oddly Consumer Reports says that pears from Argentina and the U.S. are low risk.
- Cherries: 17th on the U.S. dirty dozen list but not on the Israel top 15. The Greenpeace study says that sour cherries from Germany are yellow and sweet cherries from all countries are yellow. From Germany 13% of sweet cherries were green, 64% were yellow, and 23% were red, with 76% having pesticides from the black list. I couldn’t find the detailed breakdown for sour cherries. Oddly Consumer Reports says that Cherries from the U.S. are low risk.
- Raspberries: 21st on the U.S. dirty dozen list but not on the Israel top 15. The Greenpeace study says that they’re yellow from all countries. From Germany 25% were green, 70% yellow, and 5% red, with 68% having pesticides from the black list. Oddly Consumer Reports says that raspberries from Mexico and the U.S. are low risk.
- Star fruit: Greenpeace says that star fruit from Malaysia are yellow.
- Currants (red and black). Greenpeace says that currants from Germany are yellow.
- Gooseberries: Greenpeace says that gooseberries from Germany (Stachelbeeren) are yellow.
- Figs: Greenpeace says figs from Turkey are yellow. Ökotest writes: “The Brazilian figs from BBS Brasil Exportacao had excessive residues of the ripening agent ethephon, which can also be acutely dangerous.”
- Cranberries: Consumer Reports says that cranberries from the U.S. are medium risk.
- Controversial, probably low if grown in Germany, but medium-high otherwise:
- Blueberries: domestic blueberries are 13th on the U.S. dirty dozen list and imported blueberries are 22nd. They’re not on the Israel top 15 list. The Greenpeace study, however, says that German blueberries are green. I couldn’t find the detailed breakdown. Consumer Reports says that blueberries from Uruguay are very low risk, and from Argentina, U.S., Canada, and Chile are low risk.
- Plums: 20th on the U.S. dirty dozen list but not on the Israel top 15. The Greenpeace study says that plums from Germany and Spain are green, but plums from Chile, Italy, South Africa, and Hungary are yellow. From Spain 66% were green, 33% were yellow, and 1% were red, with 27% having pesticides from the black list. Consumer Reports says that plums from the U.S. are low risk, but from Chile are high risk, and that prunes from the U.S. are very low risk.
- Citrus fruits: Citrus fruits are listed 4th on the Israel dirty fifteen list. In the U.S., however, citrus fruits don’t rank that badly.
- Tangerines are in place 25 on the EWG dirty dozen list. But Greenpeace says that Clementines from Italy and Spain and mandarines from Spain are all red. Consumer Reports says that tangerines (from the U.S., Chile, and South Africa) are medium risk.
- Oranges are in place 31 on the EWG dirty dozen list, and Consumer Reports lists oranges as low risk. Greenpeace says oranges from Italy are yellow but from Argentina, Greece, Spain, and South Africa are red. Stiftung Warentest says, in their March 2014 article on orange juice, that for industrially produced orange juice, local oranges are used, and thus the oranges are not sprayed with a fungicide. They say they found at most traces of pesticides in the (non-organic) orange juices they tested. When purchasing oranges to eat, however, you have to be more careful. The skins are often sprayed to prevent molds. They say that when making orange juice at home, the chemicals can get transferred to the juice, so it’s best to wash oranges before eating/juicing them, and rub them dry with a towel.
- Grapefruit is in place 40 on the dirty list — grapefruit actually places 12th on the EWG clean fifteen list and Consumer Reports concurs that grapefruit from the U.S. is low risk. Greenpeace, however, lists grapefruit from Mexico and the U.S as yellow, but grapefruit from Israel, Turkey, Spain, and South Africa as red.
- Greenpeace says that limes from Brasil are red. (Ökotest said they found morpholine in Mexican limes, an additive banned in the EU, from which carcinogenic nitrosamines can form under certain conditions.) In Edeka they often have non-bio limes that specifically say that the outsides aren’t sprayed after harvest (although they could be treated with pesticides while still on the tree). I wonder how these rank? Stiftung Warentest said that most non-organic lemons and limes have very low pesticide levels. They do recommend washing non-organic lemons thoroughly under warm running water, and then wiping dry before using, and washing your hands after peeling or squeezing.
- Greenpeace says that pomelo from China is yellow.
- Greenpeace says that lemons from Spain are yellow. Stiftung Warentest said that most non-organic lemons and limes have very low pesticide levels. They do recommend washing non-organic lemons thoroughly under warm running water, and then wiping dry before using, and washing your hands after peeling or squeezing.
- Probably low, but controversial. These are all fruits with thick peels that you (usually) don’t eat. They’re probably medium to low, although the Greenpeace data lists many of them as yellow to red, perhaps because they’re testing the peels too.
- Bananas: 17th on the U.S. green fifteen list. Greenpeace lists bananas from the Dominican Republic as green but all others (from Costa Rica, Ecuador, Columbia, and Panama) as red. Consumer Reports says that bananas are low risk, regardless of origin
- Melons: Greenpeace says that melons from all countries (Brasil, Costa Rica and Spain) are yellow. I’m surprised they didn’t test French or Turkish melons, as that seems to be where most of the melons in City Basar come from.
- EWG lists cantaloupe as 7th on the U.S. green fifteen list. Consumer Reports agrees that cantaloupes from Honduras, Mexico, Costa Rica and Guatemala are very-low to low risk, but says that cantaloupe from the U.S. are high risk?
- EWG lists watermelon as 16th on the U.S. green fifteen list. Consumer Reports agrees that watermelon is low to very-low risk.
- EWG lists honeydew as 19th on the U.S. green fifteen list.
- Kiwi: 11th on the U.S. green fifteen list. I assume they did the analysis without the peels. Greenpeace says that kiwis from Chile, Greece, and New Zealand are green, but kiwis from France and Italy are yellow. For example, French kiwis are 46% green, 50% yellow, and 4% red, with 33% of samples with pesticides from the black list.
- Mangos: 8th on the U.S. green fifteen list. Greenpeace says mangos from Pakistan are green, ones from Brasil or Peru are yellow, and ones from Thailand are red. That said, Ökotest recently wrote on their website: “mangoes were not at all or only very slightly contaminated.” Consumer Reports says that mangos from Mexico are very-low risk, from Guatemala are low-risk, but that mangos from are Brazil are medium risk.
- Papaya: 7th on the U.S. green fifteen list. Greenpeace says papayas from Thailand are yellow and ones from Brasil are red. That said, Ökotest recently wrote on their website: “papaya was not at all or only very slightly contaminated.” Consumer Reports says that papaya is very low risk.
- Pineapples: 3rd on the U.S. green fifteen list. Ökotest recently wrote on their website: “pineapple was not at all or only very slightly contaminated.” Consumer Reports says that pineapple is very low risk. Greenpeace says pineapples from Costa Rica are yellow and ones from Ghana are red. Why the difference? Maybe Greenpeace is testing the outsides as well?
- Pomegranates: Greenpeace says that pomegranates from Spain are green and from Turkey are yellow.
- Passion fruit: Israel has passion fruit as #1 on their top 10 clean list. Greenpeace says that passionfruit from Columbia is yellow.
- Dragon fruit: Greenpeace says that dragon fruit from Vietnam is red. But you don’t typically eat the peel. If Greenpeace included the peel in their analysis, then it’s likely that the Greenpeace rating is too negative.
- Low:
- Lychee: Greenpeace lists litchi from Madagascar as green. Not on the U.S. or Israeli lists.
- Rhubarb: Greenpeace says German rhubarb is green. Not on the U.S. or Israeli lists.
- Persimmon: Greenpeace says that Sharon from Israel, Spain, and South Africa are all green. Not on the U.S. or Israeli lists.
- Dates: Israel lists dates as #6 on their top ten clean list. Not on the U.S. or Greenpeace lists.
- Avocados: 5th on U.S. green fifteen list and 1st on Israel ten greenest. Not on the Greenpeace list. Consumer Reports says that avocado is very-low risk.
Vegetables (including fruits commonly eaten as vegetables):
- Very high:
- Okra: Greenpeace says that okra from India is red.
- Celery: (stalk) celery is 2nd on both the U.S. and Israel dirty dozen lists. Not included on the Greenpeace list. Oddly, Consumer Reports says that celery from the U.S. is only medium risk, and from Mexico is very-low risk!
- Lettuce and salad greens: Lettuce is 8th on the Israel dirty fifteen list and 14th on the U.S dirty dozen list. Baby Lettuce Leaf Mixes are 10th on the Israel dirty fifteen list. Greenpeace says that all Salate from all countries are either yellow or red. For example, these are yellow: Eichblattsalate from Germany, Feldsalate (mache?) from Germany, Belgium, and France, Kopfsalat from Germany, Lollo Bianco and Lollo Rosso Blattsalat from Germany and Italian, Rucola (arugula) from Germany and Italy, and chicoree (Belgian Endive) from Germany. In contrast, Kopfsalat from Belgium, Italian, and the Netherlands is red. In February 2013 Ökotest warned against buying conventional lettuce from Southern Europe, saying they often have high levels of nitrates, herbicides, anti-mold agents, and pesticides. The samples from Aldi and Lidl were generally better than those from Edeka and Rewe. If you buy non-organic lettuce, Greenpeace recommends removing the outermost layer of leaves, as they tend to be most contaminated. Consumer Reports differs from the EWG data, and says that lettuce from Mexico and the U.S. are both low risk.
- Grape leaves: The magazine “Ökotest” said that grape leaves are consistently highly contaminated, even worse than grapes, and they should only be purchased if they are organic. That means no eating stuffed grape leaves out at restaurants either!
- Medium-high to high:
- Kale: Kale and collards are 16th on the U.S. dirty dozen list, and it’s annotated with a special plus symbol due to some particularly bad chemicals. Greenpeace says that kale from Germany is yellow. Consumer Reports lists kale from Mexico as low risk and from the U.S. as medium risk. It lists collards from the U.S. as low risk.
- Carrots: 23rd on the U.S. dirty dozen list and Consumer Reports lists carrots from Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. as medium risk. Greenpeace says that Mohrrüben are yellow (from Belgium, Germany, Italy, USA, and the Netherlands), but carrots from Spain are red.
- Green onions: 29th on the U.S. dirty dozen list and 23rd on the green fifteen list. Not included on the Israeli or Greenpeace lists.
- Celeriac / celery root: Greenpeace says that Knollensellerie from Germany and the Netherlands is yellow. But are they including the peel in their tests? Not included on the U.S. or Israeli lists.
- Brussels sprouts: Greenpeace says that brussels sprouts from Germany and the Netherlands are yellow.
- Controversial, probably low if grown in Germany but likely high if grown elsewhere:
- Winter squash: 28th on the U.S. dirty dozen list. Not included on the Israeli or Greenpeace lists. Consumer Reports lists winter squash from Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico as low risk, but from the U.S. as high?
- Peppers: sweet bell peppers are 7th on the U.S. dirty dozen list and hot peppers are 12th. Consumer Reports says that bell peppers are high risk, and should be purchased organic. They say that hot peppers / chilis range from high risk (U.S.) to very high risk (Mexico). Greenpeace says that “Chilischoten” from Thailand are red. Greenpeace says that bell peppers from Germany, Israel, and Hungary are green, while peppers from Greece, Marocco, the Netherlands, and Spain are yellow, and peppers from Turkey are red. They tested 19 bell pepper samples from Germany, 84% were green, 16% were yellow and none were red (although 11% contained residues of black-listed pesticides). The hazardous chemical ethephon is often found on bell peppers, as it’s used to ripen/color the vegetables faster. In the human body ethephon apparently acts as a neurotoxin.
- Cucumbers: 9th on the U.S. dirty dozen list. Greenpeace says that Gurken and Einlegegurken from Germany are green, but Gurken from Belgium, Greece, the Netherlands, and Spain are yellow. Consumer Reports lists cucumbers from Canada as low risk, but from the U.S. and Mexico as medium risk.
- Zucchini and summer squash: 26th on the U.S. dirty dozen list (but note that there’s also some special plus symbol, not sure what it indicates). Greenpeace says that zucchini from Germany and the Netherlands are green, but zucchini from Spain are yellow, and from Turkey are red. Apparently they’re often treated with anti-fungal agents. Consumer Reports says zucchini from Mexico is low risk, but from the U.S. is high risk.
- Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes are 11th on the U.S. dirty dozen list and regular tomatoes are 20th on the green fifteen list. Greenpeace says that tomatoes from Germany are green, whereas tomatoes from France, Belgium, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Turkey are yellow, and tomatoes from Morocco are red. Ökotest did a test in August 2011 and reported that almost all the samples were uncontaminated or had very low pesticide levels. A more recent Ökotest found some cherry tomatoes from Senegal that had a relatively high content of the insecticide deltamethrin, a pesticide that’s considered to be neurotoxic, and which may also acts as a hormone. Consumer Reports says tomatoes depends on source (Canada low, U.S. medium, Mexico high), whereas cherry tomatoes from the U.S. are low risk, but from Mexico are high risk.
- Eggplant: 10th on the U.S. green fifteen list. Not included on either Israel list. Greenpeace says German eggplant is green and eggplant from the Netherlands, Spain, Turkey, and Thailand are yellow. Consumer Reports says that eggplant from Honduras is very-low risk, from the U.S. is low risk, and from Mexico is medium risk.
- Snap peas: domestic snap peas are 22nd on the U.S. fifteen clean list, but imported snap peas are 15th on the dirty dozen list. Consumer Reports concurs, saying that snap peas from Mexico and the U.S. are low risk, but from Guatemala and Peru are high risk. Greenpeace says that sugar snap peas (Zuckererbsen) from Kenya are red. Since all the snap peas I’ve seen here are imported from Africa, I’m guessing they’re generally contaminated.
- Beets: Beets are 5th on the Israeli dirty fifteen list, but not included on the U.S. list. Greenpeace says that beets from Germany are green.
- Herbs: The Israel dirty fifteen list includes coriander/cilantro in 6th place, dill in 7th place, and mint in 8th place. Greenpeace says Basil from Thailand is red, but parsley from Germany is green. No herbs were included on the EWG list. Consumer Reports says that cilantro from the U.S. is very low risk, and from Mexico is low risk.
- Spinach: Spinach is 6th on the U.S. dirty dozen list, but not on either Israeli list. Consumer Reports says that spinach from Mexico is very low risk and from the U.S. is low risk. Greenpeace says that Germany and Italian spinach is green. Spinach isn’t included on the Israeli lists. One online article I read said that nitrate is often added as a fertilizer to increase crop yields, and the nitrate can be converted to the carcinogenic nitrite. Apparently Stiftung Warentest found some samples of conventional spinach that were contaminated with animal waste, but organic spinach was uncontaminated.
- Potatoes: Potatoes are 10th on the U.S. dirty dozen list and 14th on the Israel dirty fifteen list. Greenpeace says that potatoes from Germany and Israel are green, from Egypt and Cyprus are yellow, and from France are red. I know that in the U.S. potatoes are often treated with chemicals to keep them from sprouting. But my German potatoes, even non-organic ones, turn green and start to sprout almost immediately. So I guess that’s a good sign? Consumer Reports lists potatoes from Canada as low risk, but from the U.S. as medium risk.
- Kohlrabi: Kohlrabi is 12th on the Israeli dirty fifteen list. Greenpeace says that kohlrabi is green (from Germany, Italy, and Spain). It’s not included on the U.S. list.
- Green beans: Green beans are 24th on the U.S. dirty dozen list. Consumer Reports says that green beans from Guatemala are medium risk, from Mexico are high risk, and from the U.S. are very-high risk. Greenpeace says that green beans from the Netherlands are green, but from Germany, Egypt, Kenya, Spain, and Marocco are yellow, and from the Dominican Republic and Thailand are red.
- Mushrooms: 13th on the U.S. clean fifteen list. Greenpeace says mushrooms from Germany and the Netherlands are green, but mushrooms from Poland are yellow. Consumer Reports lists mushrooms from Canada as very-low risk, and from the U.S. as low risk.
- Leeks: Greenpeace says that leeks from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands are yellow. Not included on the U.S. or Israeli lists. Consumer Reports lists leeks from Mexico as very-low risk and from the U.S. as low risk.
- Low:
- Cruciferous vegetables (except kale and brussels sprouts):
- Cabbage is 6th on the U.S. clean fifteen list and Consumer Reports concurs that cabbage is very-low risk. Cauliflower is low risk. Greenpeace says German-grown Chinakohl (napa cabbage), Weißkohl, Wirsingkohl (savoy cabbage), and Rotkohl are all green. If you buy non-organic cabbage Greenpeace recommends removing the outermost layer of leaves, as they tend to be most contaminated.
- Cauliflower is 18th on the U.S. clean fifteen list and 9th on Israel’s top-ten green list, and Consumer Reports says it’s low risk. Greenpeace says cauliflower from Germany and France are both green.
- Broccoli is slightly worse than cabbage or cauliflower, at 25th on the U.S. green list and 27th on the dirty list. Consumer Reports says that broccoli is low to very-low risk. Greenpeace says broccoli from Germany, Italy, and Spain are green.
- Radishes. Greenpeace says that radieschen (radishes) are green.
- Artichokes: 10th on Israel top-ten green list. Not included on the Greenpeace or U.S. lists. I wonder if the Israel study included the outer leaves or just the hearts?
- Asparagus: 9th on the U.S. green fifteen list and 7th on the Israel top-ten green list. Greenpeace says that asparagus from Germany, Greece, Peru, and Spain are all green. Consumer Reports says that asparagus from Mexico is very low, from the U.S. is low, and from Peru is medium.
- Sweet potatoes: 4th on the Israel top-ten green list and 14th on the U.S. green fifteen list. Not included on the Greenpeace list. Oddly, Consumer Reports says that U.S. sweet potatoes are high risk!
- Sweet peas: Shelled frozen green peas are 6th on U.S. clean fifteen list. Peas are 8th on the Israel top-ten green list. Not on the Greenpeace list.
- Sprouts: 3rd on the Israel top-ten green list. Not included on the Greenpeace list or the U.S. list.
- Onions: 2nd on U.S. green fifteen list and 5th on Israel top-ten green list. Greenpeace says that onions from Germany are green. Consumer Reports says that onions are very-low risk.
- Sweet corn: 1st on U.S. green fifteen list. Consumer Reports says that corn is very-low risk.
- Cruciferous vegetables (except kale and brussels sprouts):
Foods I often eat that aren’t on any of the three lists:
- Dried beans: they are protected by a pod so probably low like sweet peas. Ökotest analyzed 9 brands of lentils in November 2012, and rated all the organic/bio brands as “very good” except for the Rapunzel Troja Linsen, which was only satisfactory becuase it had “ein Pestizid über BNN-Orientierungswert.” Of the non-organic brands, four were very good, including Baktat (a brand they carry at City Basar). Four were good (including Seeberger and the Netto and Aldi house brands), two were satisfactory, one was adequate, and two were unsatisfactory. Of the unsatisfactory grands, one was Müller’s Mühle, which I think I’ve seen at Rewe or Edeka. Their conclusion was that in general conventional lentils are much more contaminated than organic lentils, but that even for the conventional lentils the levels were generally very low. Then they give a warning about the unknown additive effects of low-dose pesticides… That said, Ökotest recently wrote on their website: “beans, sugar peas, pineapple, papaya and mangoes were not at all or only very slightly contaminated.” I’m not sure if they meant green beans or dried beans though. I need to go back and check the German term.
- Dried whole grains: no idea
- Delicate herbs like oregano and basil: probably high like cilantro, dill, and mint, unless grown in Germany
- Hardier herbs like rosemary and thyme: ??
- Other leafy greens: Is chard more like kale or spinach? Genetically, spinach, but in terms of pesticide load?. What about broccoli rabe? Is it more like broccoli or kale?
- Fennel: no idea. High like celery or medium like leeks and carrots?
- Radicchio: probably pretty high, like endive and arugula and other salad greens.
- Winter squash and sweet potato peels: what if you eat the sweet potato peel (which I always do) or winter squash peel (like with thinner skinned squash like delicata or Hokkaido)? Does that change the rating?
- Nuts: protected by a shell so presumably low?
- Other thin-skinned root veggies: parsnip, rutabaga, turnips, ginger, jerusalem artichokes. Presumably low if grown in Germany?
- Garlic: probably low like onions.
- Teas: I think Ökotest did some reporting on this, and said that teas are often highly contaminated, especially flavored teas. I need to research it more though. This one I can probably research in English though, as tea (at least non-herbal tea) is never grown in Europe.
An interesting bit of data to add to this post at some point: the difference in cost between organic and non-organic produce. Is the price difference higher for the more contaminated items? That would make sense, but I’m a bit doubtful that it’s actually the case.
I’m really surprised that I couldn’t find any similar lists provided by British organizations. I assume Britain gets a lot of their produce from France, Italy, Spain, and Turkey. But I couldn’t find anything online. If anyone knows of anything, please post a comment!
[…] mittelgroßer Blumenkohl (Blumenkohl zählt nicht zu den belasteten Gemüsen, daher ist Bio-Siegel hier nicht […]
[…] The lists are different, depending on the country of origin. So Apples, the most “filthy” produce in the US, can be relatively “clean” when grown in Germany. […]
[…] — * the list is for the produce grown in the US, make sure you research what you eat in your country, e.g. in Germany […]
I am doing the same research for produce in the Netherlands. Your article is a really helpful starting point. Thanks!
http://www.georgedryden.com/detox/the-uks-2013-answer-to-the-dirty-dozen-and-the-clean-fifteen/
@Pham: I would love to read the outcome of your research!
Wasn’t UK included in any of the tests? Perhaps we don’t export any fruit or veg!
I just double checked the Greenpeace data and nope — not one sample from the U.K.
Reblogged this on Hot In The Kitchen and commented:
Obviously need Country specific data on this but our foods being largely global, I think it’s both surprising and scary as hell, in heavy measure. I mean how the hell can there be a red list? Are there not people, policies and laws in place to protect people/children from these?
What I’m wondering is this: In the country where I live, there isn’t much choice to go organic and what there is looks reasonably bad and is expensive. Besides, there isn’t so much choice for vegetables anyway, compared to other European countries. Reading all this, and avoiding the worst would mean that I would eat a considerably less varied diet. Everywhere you read, eat many vegetables. But is that also a good advice when the vegetables are contaminated? In other words, do the healthy nutrients exceed the pesticides, which makes it still a good advice to eat more vegetables?
I don’t know the answer to your question, but if I was in your situation I would probably keep eating everything, but I would try to eat more (in terms of quantity / frequency) of the less contaminated foods and less of the more contaminated foods. That’s assuming you have a choice of which fruits and vegetables to buy. If you really have no choice, then I’d personally choose to either non-organic vegetables and fruits rather than none at all.
great article! where can I find the Greenpeace list in English or in Dutch, please
You can look here for foods in the Uk
http://www.pan-uk.org/our-food/
and https://issuu.com/pan-uk/docs/pesticides_on_a_plate
Thank you so much Viviane! Just what I was looking for. Given that citrus is at the top of the lists, it looks like their testing method includes peels. Do you know of any UK lists that show the results without the non-edible portion of the food?
Sorry, no, I don’t.
I had the same query about rapini (rabe) myself. Had some for supper tonight and can’t seem to find the answer either. Any new insights since you posted a few months ago? 🙂
Nope, sorry. No new insights.
This is amazing that you did all this research! This blog post is such a helpful resource, or at least a starting point, as it’s five years old now.