Shoppers should always buy organic peaches, strawberries, green beans and carrots to limit their exposure to pesticide residue, says Consumer Reports. In the May issue of its magazine, the nonprofit organization says it examined USDA data that show about one-third of the produce tested for pesticides had residue from two or more pesticides. In most cases, residues were below EPA tolerance levels for the individual pesticide. “The effects of these pesticide combinations are untested and unknown,” says a Consumer Reports release.
The magazine developed a guide for likely exposure to pesticides for 48 conventional fruits and vegetables from 14 countries, based on factors that included toxicity of the pesticides and how often they were detected. Organic produce rated as having low or very-low risk of exposure. Consumer Reports listed 10 fruits and vegetables that “consumers should always choose organic:” peaches, tangerines, nectarines, strawberries, cranberries, green beans, sweet bell peppers, hot peppers, sweet potatoes and carrots.
There were 23 very-low and low risk conventional produce items, including bananas, cherries, oranges, broccoli, lettuce and onions, said Consumer Reports. It stressed the value of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables “even if it’s a type that falls into a Consumer Reports very high risk category.”