Organic Fruits and Vegetables – Top Ten List

Eating only organic fruits and vegetables is a good way to be sure you are getting the nourishment you need without the hazards of chemical pesticides, fertilizers, insecticides, and fungicides. But which organic fruits and vegetables are the best, and which non-organic fruits and vegetables are the worst?

The top ten organic fruits and vegetables as well as the worst non-organic fruits and vegetables are sometimes presented in lists. We present one list based on the Consumers Union (CU) 1999 studies. It shows the top ten organic fruits and vegetables and worst residue-affected non-organic options.

Top Ten Organic Fruits and Vegetables and Worst Non-Organic Options

* Apples: An apple a day is a good idea, but eat organic apples. Apples in any form may contain chlorpyrifos and methyl parathion.

* Grapes: Look for organic grapes, imported or domestic. Conventionally grown grapes have been shown to contain such chemicals as dimethoate, methyl parathion, and methomyl – an insecticide noted to be an endocrine disruptor.

* Green beans: Buy organic green beans to avoid three nervous system toxins: acephate, dimethoate and methamidophos.

* Peaches: If you buy no other organic fruits and vegetables, your choice in peaches should be organic. Peaches are probably THE worst of non-organic fruits. Non-organically grown peaches register high levels of iprodione residue. This despite the fact that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified iprodione as a probable human carcinogen. In addition, a bite of non-organic peach also contains methyl parathion.

* Potatoes: Potatoes are a root crop, and as such, they are saturated with pesticides. Non-organic potatoes usually contain dieldrin and methamidophos.

* Raspberries: Compared to others in the top ten organic fruits and vegetables, organic raspberries may seem expensive. If you are going to eat raspberries, however, choose organic berries to avoid the triple dangers of captan, carbaryl, and iprodione.

* Spinach: Spinach is claimed among the best non-organic vegetables, but spinach often contains dimethoate and permethrin – a potential carcinogen.

* Strawberries: In order to increase sweetness, growers of non-organic strawberries are said to irrigate with NutraSweet laced water. And that red color? Why can’t they get that in organic fruit? The lovely red color is caused by the fungicide captan.

* Tomatoes: Anyone who has grown tomatoes, organically or non-organically, knows that insects are a problem. Non-organically grown tomatoes are protected from those insects by chlorpyrifos – the United States farmers’ most heavily used insecticide.

* Winter Squash: Families with young children should be especially sure their winter squash is among the top ten organic fruits and vegetables they buy. For every 100 conventionally grown winter squashes tested, 66 will contain Dieldrin and Heptachlor – powerful carcinogenic insecticides.