Apr. 7, 2022 – Once again, strawberries and spinach, along with kale and collard and mustard greens, top this year’s “Dirty Dozen” list, an annual and controversial ranking of nonorganic fruits and vegetables based on the amount of pesticides found in samples of the foods.
Why is spinach part of the Dirty Dozen?
Many samples of the 46 fruits and vegetables included in the report tested positive for multiple pesticides, including insecticides and fungicides. Over 90% of “strawberries, apples, cherries, spinach, nectarines and grapes tested positive for residues of two or more pesticides,” the report said.
How do you remove pesticides from spinach?
What you can do about it:
- A cold water wash removes about 75-80% of residue.
- Make a vinegar bath with 4 parts water to 1 part vinegar.
- Peel and skin whatever you can; that’s the best way to take the residue off.
Does spinach absorb pesticides?
Key findings: More than 90 percent of samples of strawberries, apples, cherries, spinach, nectarines and grapes tested positive for residues of two or more pesticides.
What pesticides are used on spinach?
Herbicides used in spinach include: S-metolachlor (Dual Magnum 7.62E), cycloate (Ro-Neet 6E), phenmedipham (Spin-aid 1.3E), clopyralid (Stinger 3A), sethoxydim (Poast 1.5EC), clethodim (Select 2EC), and paraquat (Gramoxone Max 3SC).
Is it OK to eat non-organic spinach?
Whether you choose to purchase organic or conventionally grown produce, your body needs the good nutrients and vitamins that both organic or non-organic foods like spinach can provide. So, eat up, and you can be strong to the finish, too!
Is organic spinach safe to eat?
Contains Fewer Pesticides Than Non-Organic Spinach
On the other hand, pesticides used in non-organic spinach are in direct contact with the leaves you consume. Buying and consuming organic spinach may help reduce the number of pesticides, chemicals, and drug-resistant bacteria like salmonella and E.
Does bagged spinach have pesticides?
At the end of the day, the fact is that pre-washed/pre-packaged produce has traces of the pesticides and chemicals that were used to grow them. In the EWG dirty list, lettuce, spinach, kale, and collard greens all score in the top 16 for chemical load.
Do I need to wash spinach?
Indeed, many (though not all) food safety specialists advise against washing bagged lettuce or spinach. Why? First, because there’s a good chance that if bacteria managed to survive commercial-scale washing with chlorinated water in the processing plant, a lot of them will survive your home washing, too.
Can pesticides be washed off produce?
Consumer Reports’ experts recommend rinsing, rubbing, or scrubbing fruits and vegetables at home to help remove pesticide residue. Now, a new study from researchers at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, suggests another method that may also be effective: soaking them in a solution of baking soda and water.
What is the most heavily sprayed crop?
In the USA, strawberries are the crop that is most heavily dosed with pesticides. On average, 300 pounds of pesticides are applied to every acre of strawberries (compared to an average of 25 pounds per acre for other foods).
How do you wash spinach?
Place the spinach leaves in a colander or the basket of a salad spinner, and place them under running water. Use cool or cold water to rinse the spinach. Hot rinse water could wilt your spinach.
How do you remove pesticides from green leafy vegetables?
Washing with 2% of salt water will remove most of the contact pesticide residues that normally appear on the surface of the vegetables and fruits. About 75-80% of pesticide reduces are removed by cold water washing.
Is spinach heavily sprayed?
Because spinach is often grown in less than ideal conditions, conventional farmers use significant amounts of pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. More than 60 per cent of the nonorganic spinach tested by the FDA contains pesticide residue, including DDT, permethrin and other highly toxic pesticides.
Does frozen spinach have less pesticides?
A safer and more economical option is to buy frozen spinach. It’s cheap and the washing and blanching it undergoes before freezing can remove as much as 90% of the pesticide residue.
Do all strawberries have pesticides?
EWG testing revealed that 90% of strawberries contained at least one pesticide, and 30% of the crop had traces of 10 or more different toxins.
Should broccoli be organic?
Broccoli is not only one of the most affordable vegetables, but you can rest assured that purchasing a cheaper version will not affect your health. 70% of broccoli samples had no pesticide residues. In addition, only one in ten broccoli samples had more than one form of pesticide.
Should blueberries be organic?
They can carry a surprising amount of pesticides. Strawberries, the biggest offender, top the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen—a list of fruits and vegetables ranked by pesticide content after a vigorous wash. Blueberries and raspberries fare better, but you should still go organic with those when you can.
Should cucumbers be organic?
Regular cucumbers are in the top 10 for having high pesticide usage. They also may have synthetic waxes on the skin (to preserve moisture) that contain a number of pesticides. It is best to buy organic for this reason.
Should bananas be organic?
“If it is not a type of fruit/vegetable that you will eat the skin, then there is no need to buy organic,” Zanini says. Pesticides are much less likely to get through a tough skin barrier, so the part you eat is better protected. Examples include avocado, banana, and cantaloupe.
Should potatoes be organic?
Because they are tuberous stems that grow deep in the soil, potatoes absorb pesticides sprayed above the ground like a sponge. Buy organic when possible, or at least peel conventionally grown spuds.