What kinds of dried vegetables contain the most pesticides? And what’s not? To generate the list on the plant most genuine was the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit research, which has published its annual report.

The eighth edition of the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, examined 45 types of fruit and vegetables and drew up the so-called “dirty dozen”, which includes the 12 foods most contaminated by pesticides.

In the first place there are the apples, followed by celery, sweet peppers, peaches, strawberries and nectarines. The seventh position among the fruits and vegetables are more poisoned grapes, spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, blueberries and potatoes. This, however, the classification of plants that have a minor presence of pesticides: onions, corn, pineapple, avocado, cabbage, sweet peas, asparagus, mango, eggplant, kiwi, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, grapefruit, watermelon and mushrooms.

Researchers dell’EWG have made some tests to detect pesticide residues conducted by the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration between 2000 and 2010. The samples washed or peeled, were subjected to several tests before generate the list in such a way that the amount of chemicals likely to be present on the food was similar to that present in food actually consumed.

The Environmental Working Group, despite the risks, says that the benefits associated with the consumption of fruits and vegetables are higher, also in this case. But there are many who think that it can be not only a non-profit organization, but the representative of a group chemical agribusiness.

Recently, however, the Environmental Health Perspectives published a study on the risks to the fetus associated with exposure of the mother to pesticides. According to the study, these foods produce the unborn the same risks associated with tobacco smoke.

One more reason to choose organic products, do not you think?

The 12 foods with more pesticides:

1) apples

2) celery

3) peppers

4) peaches

5) strawberries

6) nectarines

7) grapes

spinach

9) lettuce

10) cucumbers

11) blueberries

12) potatoes

The 15 foods with less pesticides

1) onion,

2) corn,

3) pineapple,

4) avocado,

5) cabbage,

6) sweet peas,

7) asparagus,

mango,

9) eggplant,

10) kiwi,

11) Cantaloupe

12) sweet potatoes,

13) grapefruit,

14) Watermelon

15) mushrooms.