THE GREEN GUIDE is a publication of Mothers & Others for a Livable Planet, Inc.
We ranked the following 10 out of 42 fruits and vegetables sampled according
to the amount of toxicity of pesticide residues found.
1. PEACHES Summer's blushing fruit contains high residues of
iprodione, classified as a probable human carcinogen by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), and methyl parathion, an endocrine disruptor and
organophosphate (OP) insecticide. OPs are potent neurotoxins that attack the
nervous system and brain Methyl parathion has caused massive kills of bees and
birds. According to Consumer Reports, single servings of peaches
"consistently exceeded" EPA's safe daily limit for a 44-pound child.
2. APPLES may contain methyl parathion. Both fresh apples and baby
food applesauce can also contain chlorpyrifos, an OP which has caused
large bird kills. CORE Values IPM apple growers are trying to phase out OPs.
3. PEARS, both fresh and in baby food, can also come with methyl
parathion, as well as the OP azinphos-methyl,
which is toxic to freshwater fish, amphibians and bees.
4. WINTER SQUASH, Dieldrin, a chlorinated, carcinogenic
insecticide, exceeded the safe daily limit for a young child in two-thirds of
positive samples. Another potent carcinogen, heptachlor also showed up. DDT
and its breakdown product, DDE, were detected in baby food squash.
5. GREEN BEANS can contain acephate, methamidophos and
dimethoate (three neurotoxic OPs), and endosulphan and
endocrine-disrupting insecticide, which showed up in baby food, too. Acephate
disorients migrating birds, throwing them off course.
6. GRAPES U.S. grapes contain methyl parathion and methomyl,
a carbamate insecticide listed as an endocrine disruptor; imports may contain dimethoate.
7. STRAWBERRIES The enhanced red color of strawberries comes from
the fungicide captan, a probable human carcinogen that can irritate skin
and eyes, and is highly toxic to fish. While the lethal soil fumigant methyl
bromide doesn't show up on the fruit it has harmed.
8. RASPBERRIES Watch out for more than horns! These berries can
contain captan, iprodione and carbaryl, a suspected
endocrine disruptor that has also been found in plum baby food.
9. SPINACH Permethrin, a possible human carcinogen, and dimethoate
dominate spinach's toxicity ratings, but CU notes that residue levels have been
declining as U.S. farmers reduce use of these insecticides. DDT has been
found in spinach, which leads all foods in exceeding safety tolerances.
10. POTATOES Pesticide use on potatoes is growing, CU warns. They
may contain dieldrin and methamidophos and children eating
potatoes risk getting a very high dose of aldicarb, CU says.
source: http://www.mothers.org/tenfoods.html
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