People who are healthy to be healthy may want to think twice before they reach two popular nutritious staples.
The Environmental Working Group, an organization for health interests, recently released its ‘Dirty Dozijn 2025’ list – Where it ranked the fruit and vegetables with the most toxic chemicals.
After analyzing the data from the Ministry of Agriculture on levels of pesticide contamination in various fruit and vegetables, the group 47 of them ranked based on their toxicity levels.
Of these they found the top 12 fruit and vegetables covered with pesticides.
Although usual suspects such as spinach, strawberries and kale took the top three places, researchers noted that blackberries were a new addition to the list.
More than 80 percent of the samples of the popular berry, which is usually priced at $ 6 for 12 oz, turned out to be covered with two or more pesticides and placed the 10th on the list.
The agency noted that the most common pesticide they found on blackberries on blackberries was cypermethrin – a toxic synthetic insecticide linked to autism.
Also new on the list, lands in 12th place, were also Potatoes – The most eaten vegetables in the US.
The researchers discovered that almost all 1,000 samples of potatoes had high concentrations of chlorpropham, a plant growth regulator that was banned in the European Union because of its hormone-disrupting and carcinogenic features.
The Environmental Working Group, an organization for health interests, recently released their list ‘Dirty must be 2025’
Alexis Temkin, Vice President of Science of EWG told CNN: ‘The guide is there to help consumers eat a lot of fruit and vegetables while trying to reduce exposure to pesticides.
“One of the things that many peer-reviewed studies have shown (is) time and time again that when people switch to an organic diet from a conventional diet, you can see really measurable levels when reducing the pesticide levels in the urine.”
Organic products are grown without synthetic pesticides, where farmers opt for more natural options that are less persistent in the environment.
Alexis Temkin, Vice President of Science of EWG
She noticed that her team found 50 different pesticides in different fruit and vegetables that made the dirty tens of list.
Fourth grapes were grapes, fifth were peaches and sixth were cherries.
These fruits were followed by nectarines, pears and apples in the seventh, eighth and ninth place respectively.
The EWG ranked blueberries in 11th place.
The agency noted that blackberries had never been on the list before, because they had not been tested before 2023.
Both the EWG and the Ministry of Agriculture, however, investigated 294 non-organic blackberry samples from July to December 2023 and found at least one pesticide in 93 percent of them.
In particular, they discovered the presence of Cypermethrin, which is forbidden in the EU because of its dangers to human health.
More than 80 percent of the samples of the blackberries, which is usually priced at $ 6 for 12 oz, appeared to contain two or more pesticides and were ranked tenth in the list
Although Cypermethrin has proven to be favorable in killing harmful insects in berries, certain studies have shown that consumption by pregnant woman can increase the risk of autism.
A 2019 BMJ study Discovered that a baby had a higher risk of developing autism if his mother was exposed to Cypermethrin within 6,500 feet of their house during her pregnancy.
Cypermethrin has also been found to disturb thyroid hormones that are crucial for the development of the brain.
Sometimes direct exposure to the insecticide can also cause irritation in the skin and eyes, numbness, tingling, itching, a burning sensation, loss of bladder kagel, in -coordination, attacks and in severe cases, death.
Since fruit such as blackberries is promoted because they are rich in antioxidants and vitamins, they are often admitted to recommended healthy diets for children and pregnant women To improve their food levels.
However, this can run a higher risk to be exposed to the insecticide.
Sometimes direct exposure to the insecticide can also cause irritation in the skin and eyes, numbness, tingling, itching, a burning sensation, loss of bladder kagel, in -coordination, attacks and in severe cases, death.
While insecticides are added to blackberry fruits while they grow, potatoes are covered with pesticides after they have been harvested and ready to eat.
Temkin said: ‘It is applied after harvest to prevent potatoes from sprouting while they are storage or on the road.
“Because it is applied so late after harvest and so close to when consumers can be exposed or eating potatoes, that is partially, leading to some of these really high concentrations.”
Between 2022 to 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture collected and tested more than 1,000 samples of potatoes on pesticides after washing and scrubbing each piece.
They discovered that more than 90 percent of the samples contained the acceptable levels of chlorpropham twice that was allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency, even after washing and scrubbing.
The toxic pesticide is linked to causing changes in blood cells and damage to the thyroid gland by reducing certain hormones such as thyroxine – which is responsible for maintaining cell growth.
Low levels of thyroxine can cause DNA mutations and excessive growth of cells in the body – that can paved the way for the development of cancer.
Just like Cypermethrin, a medicina from 2024 study It also found that prenatal exposure to chlorpropham increases the risk of a baby on developing autism.
Almost all 1,000 samples of potatoes had high concentrations of chlorpropham, a plant growth regulator
Chlorpropham was banned in the EU in 2019 after officials discovered that people, in particular children, were exposed to more than acceptable levels of chlorpropham by non-organic potatoes.
Despite the results, Temkin noted that the annual report is not intended to discourage consumers to eat fruit and vegetables, but instead to encourage people to buy organic food.
Several studies have shown that those who consume organic food have a lower exposure to synthetic pesticides, because organic agriculture prohibits the use of such chemicals.
The EWG recommends buying organic when accessible, because food residues are an important source of exposures to pesticides for many people.
For people who want to eat cleaner fruits and vegetables, the EWG pineapple was tested as the least contaminated products, followed by sweet corn (fresh and frozen), avocados, papaya, onions, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, asparagus, asparagus, mangings, moulion, watermelon, watermelon, watermelon, watermelon, watermelon, watermelon, watermelon, watermelon, watermelon, watermelon, watermelon, Mangos, Mangos, Carrots, Champoers and Kiwi.
If you opt for a dirty dozen, you must wash it with water or solutions of baking powder or vinegar.
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