by Mike Barrett – Natural Society

It is no secret that conventional produce is soaked with health- and environmentally-hazardous pesticides. Unless you’re going organic, every fruit and vegetable you buy comes with a dose of poisonous chemicals, though not all produce suffers from the same level of toxicity. This is why the Environmental Working Group releases a list of the 12 most pesticide-laden fruit and vegetables every year, along with the 15 cleanest. Now the organization released the 2014 version of it’s ‘Shopper’s Guide to Pesticide in Produce’.

Pesticide exposure is a major concern today. Passed in 1996, the Food Quality Protection Act led to a dramatic improvement in protecting the public from toxic pesticides. The Environmental Protection Agency has been responsible for protecting the masses, especially children, from harmful levels of pesticide for about 2 decades. But that wasn’t enough. Today, over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used in the United States alone every year, leading to numerous health and environmental consequences. Among the many negative effects of pesticides, research has found that these chemicals can lead to cancer, birth defects, infertility, kidney failure, and much more. Monsanto’s Bt toxins are killing human embryo cells, while RoundUp and glyphosate are leading to a kidney disease epidemic in poor farming regions. It is for these reasons, among others, that individuals are looking to buy produce free of pesticides; it is also one of many reasons people oppose GMO crops, which require more pesticides than you can imagine.

1.Apples

2. Strawberries

3. Grapes

4. Celery

5. Peaches

6. Spinach

7. Sweet Bell Peppers

8. Nectarins – Imported

9. Cucumbers

10. Cherry Tomatoes

11. Snap Peas – Imported

12. Potatoes

-All imported nectarines and 99% of apple samples tested positive for at least one pesticide residue.

-A single grape tested positive for 15 pesticides. Single samples of celery, cherry tomatoes, imported snap peas, and strawberries tested positive for 13 different pesticides apiece.

-The average potato had more pesticides by weight than any other food.

-About 89% of pineapples, 82% of kiwi, 80% of papayas, 88% of mangoes, and 61% of cantaloupe had no residues. 

Article shared from: undergroundhealth.com.