List Of Produce Containing Pesticide Residue

Shopping at your local grocery store should be a time for relaxing and picking out the best kinds of food for you and your loved ones. If you are a student taking online culinary courses, you will be more aware of all the unwanted chemicals present in today’s food and be on the lookout for anything that could be less than nutritious. You might have previously thought that the items at the grocery store were safe from pesticides and sprays, but as you will see, there are plenty of fruits and vegetables that still come into contact with toxins.

Apples – No.1 on the list of the most common foods sprayed with pesticides is the apple. It has now shown up three years in a row at the top of the Environmental Working Group’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides. Due to the constant threat of fungi and insects compromising the integrity of their apples, farmers are known to spray their orchards with over 40 different kinds of pesticides. Traces of the chemicals also find their way into other apple products like juice and cider.

Celery – This common vegetable doesn’t fit into the three main categories of pesticide-covered produce (tree fruits, berries and leafy greens), but it still manages to rank in the top 10 on the EWG’s list. Tests run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture reveal that over 60 different kinds of pesticide residues are found on celery.

Cucumbers – One of the main ingredients in many salads, cucumbers are also ranked high on the guide’s list. Over 35 types of pesticides remain on the skin of cucumbers even after a thorough washing.

Grapes – The fruits of this vine and the raisins made from them have shown up on the list for the past few years. They are treated with over 30 different pesticides.