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Many people like the idea of buying organic produce because they believe it’s more nutritious and safer to eat than conventional fruits and veggies that may have been grown with synthetic fertilizers or sprayed with pesticides.
However, organic foods — which can cost up to 50 percent more than conventional produce — can be out of reach for many Americans.
Even fruits and vegetables with the highest levels of pesticides fall within ranges deemed safe by government agencies, according to the United Fresh Produce Association. But critics say there isn’t enough research on the long-term effects of even low-levels of pesticide exposure, especially on children.
When trying to make the healthiest choices for your family, how can you know which organic fruits and veggies are worth the price? The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit consumer research group in Washington, D.C., has developed a list ranking pesticide exposure for some of the most popular fruits and vegetables.
Apples
Buy organic?
Yes. Studies have shown that pesticides pool in the valleys on an apple’s top and bottom. They’re also absorbed down through the stem into its core. Among fruits, apples pack the highest level of pesticides overall, according to the Environmental Working Group’s rankings.
Cut your risk:
Besides buying organic, you can reduce exposure by coring and cutting out the apple’s top and bottom. Peeling can help too, although much of the fruit’s nutrition and fiber resides in the peel. Washing under tap water and scrubbing with a produce brush removes some, but not all, pesticide residue.
Avocados
Buy organic?
No. Avocados are protected by thick, tough skins, making them one of the most pesticide-free fruits. Cut your risk:
While avocados have low levels of detectable pesticides, it’s still important to wash the skins under running water before peeling them to get rid of dirt and bacteria. After rinsing, dry the fruit with a clean cloth or paper towel.
Bananas
Buy organic?
No. Growing up to 30 feet off the ground, protected by tough skins, bananas have one of the lowest pesticide loads of any fruit. Only kiwis, mangos and pineapples claim less pesticide exposure.Cut your risk:
Peel it!
Cherries
Buy organic?
Yes. Domestic cherries are heavily contaminated with pesticides. Worms love them and orchard growers douse them with pesticides, which collect in their nooks and valleys. Cut your risk:
Wash them in running tap water. There isn’t much more you can do to reduce your risk — besides buying organic.
Grapes
Buy organic?
No, as long as you buy domestic. Most domestically grown grapes are fine, if washed in running water. Grapes imported during the U.S. off-season tend to register higher levels because international controls on pesticides are often less rigorous than domestic ones.
Cut your risk:
Try to avoid buying imported varieties. How to tell? If it’s being sold in winter, it’s likely imported from a summery climate abroad.
Nectarines
Buy organic?
Yes. Insects love nectarines for their juicy sweetness, so they’re heavily sprayed with pesticides that infiltrate their thin skin.Cut your risk:
Other than washing with a vegetable brush and peeling the skin, there’s little you can do. If you can afford it, go organic.
Peaches
Buy organic?
Yes. Peaches have very thin skin and are sprayed when they’re young and tiny. As a result, the peach absorbs pesticides as it grows. Among fruits, peaches had the highest likelihood of multiple pesticides on a single sample, according to the Environmental Working Group.
Cut your risk:
Washing under running water and peeling will help a bit, but won’t purge the pesticides in the fruit’s flesh. Organic is your best bet on this one.
Pears
Buy organic?
Yes. The pesticide content in pears is almost as high as in apples, but their skin is thinner, so they tend to absorb more of the chemicals directly into the flesh.
Cut your risk:
Wash them well with a vegetable brush in running water. Chop out a generous section of the core and the surrounding tissue.
Strawberries
Buy organic?
Yes. Strawberries grow low to the ground, requiring a high pesticide load to keep away bugs that live in the soil.
Cut your risk:
Cut out the stalk and core — the entire white part — because strawberries absorb pesticides through the stalk. Be sure to wash them well.
Sweet bell peppers
Buy organic?
Yes. Growers tend to douse peppers with pesticides, and though their skin is hard and thick, it’s oily and is sometimes even waxed. That makes it hard to remove pesticide residue. Peppers have the highest pesticide load of any vegetable, according to the Environmental Working Group. Since the skin is the tasty part of the pepper, organic is best.
Cut your risk:
Choose red, yellow and orange peppers, which are more often grown in hothouses than outside. They likely contain less pesticide than green peppers, which are typically grown outdoors.
Celery
Buy organic?
Yes, unless you’re vigilant about preparation and washing. Pesticides concentrate in the bottom of the bunch of celery stalks, where water collects. Among vegetables, celery had the highest of percentage of samples test positive for pesticides, as well as being the most likely to contain multiple pesticides, according to the Environmental Working Group.Cut your risk:
Chop off the bottoms of the celery stalks and wash the leaves and stalks in running water.
Broccoli
Buy organic?
No. Along with cabbage, broccoli ranks among vegetables that contain the lowest pesticide levels. It’s grown in cooler weather when pests haven’t yet hit with force.
Cut your risk:
Wash broccoli well under running water and cut off the stalks, which may have soaked in pesticides collected in the soil.
Lettuce
Buy organic?
Yes. They’re ground-huggers that bulk up on pesticide-laden water. They have the third highest pesticide load of any vegetables, according to Environmental Working Group.
Cut your risk:
With its bumpy leaves, lettuce is notoriously hard to wash. But it is worth rinsing it under running water to remove any pesticide you can. Removing the outer layers of iceberg lettuce may also somewhat reduce your exposure.
Spinach
Buy organic?
Yes. Spinach is a ground-hugger like lettuce and drinks in pesticides through its stalks. Unlike lettuce, you can’t remove its outer layers.
Cut your risk:
Rinse thoroughly under running water. This will help get rid of dirt and bacteria, although washing won’t remove the already absorbed pesticides.
Potatoes
Buy organic?
Yes. Potatoes grow in or just above the ground, so farmers pour on the chemicals to ensure a harvest. Much of the pesticides are ingested through the potato’s thin skin. Waxing before they are shipped to market only makes the external pesticides harder to remove.
Cut your risk:
Peeling, washing potatoes under running water and scrubbing with a clean vegetable brush can help remove some external pesticide residue. But experts advise buying organic potatoes, if you can.
Peas
Buy organic?
No. Across all vegetables, peas rank among the lowest in pesticide content. They’re protected by pods and attract fewer insect attackers than other vegetables.Cut your risk:
If they’re not shelled, remove them from their pods and rinse them well under running water.
很多人愿意買(mǎi)有機(jī)食品，因?yàn)樗麄冋J(rèn)為有機(jī)食品比普通的水果蔬菜更有營(yíng)養(yǎng)，也更安全，普通的水果蔬菜在生長(zhǎng)過(guò)程中使用了合成化肥或噴灑過(guò)農(nóng)藥。
然而有機(jī)食品－種植的代價(jià)比普通水果蔬菜增加50％－很多美國(guó)人還是消費(fèi)不起的。依據(jù)聯(lián)合新鮮農(nóng)產(chǎn)品協(xié)會(huì)的說(shuō)法，即使農(nóng)藥在一定范圍內(nèi)殘留濃度很高，政府部門(mén)認(rèn)為也是安全的。但是批評(píng)家認(rèn)為，即使是對(duì)低濃度的農(nóng)藥殘留的長(zhǎng)期影響的研究還很不夠，尤其是對(duì)兒童的影響。
當(dāng)你想為家人做最健康的選擇時(shí)，你如何知曉買(mǎi)哪種有機(jī)蔬菜和水果才是真正的物有所值呢？位于美國(guó)華盛頓的非盈利機(jī)構(gòu)，環(huán)境工作組就人們最喜歡的一些水果蔬菜的農(nóng)藥含量風(fēng)險(xiǎn)作了一份等級(jí)評(píng)定：
蘋(píng)果
要賣(mài)有機(jī)的嗎？
是的，研究顯示農(nóng)藥主要沉淀在蘋(píng)果的頂部和底部的凹陷處。農(nóng)藥還通過(guò)樹(shù)干被吸收到果核里。依據(jù)環(huán)境工作組的評(píng)定，在所有的水果中，蘋(píng)果吸收的農(nóng)藥最多。
減少危害：
除了購(gòu)買(mǎi)有機(jī)蘋(píng)果之外，去除果核，竊取蘋(píng)果的頂部和底部的也可以降低風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。削去果皮也行，盡管蘋(píng)果大部分的營(yíng)養(yǎng)和纖維都儲(chǔ)存在表皮里。清洗并用刷子刷也能夠去除一部分，但不能去除全部的農(nóng)藥殘留。
鱷梨
買(mǎi)有機(jī)的嗎？
不。鱷梨有厚厚的皮保護(hù)，堅(jiān)硬的表皮是的它們免受農(nóng)藥的污染。
減少危害。
盡管鱷梨的農(nóng)藥殘留濃度不易覺(jué)察得到，在削皮之前還是應(yīng)該用流動(dòng)的水將其清洗干凈，以去除臟東西和細(xì)菌。清洗后，用干凈的布或紙巾擦干。
香蕉
要買(mǎi)有機(jī)的嗎？
不。在地表30英尺的高處生長(zhǎng)，還有厚皮保護(hù)，香蕉是農(nóng)藥殘留最低的水果之一。只有獼猴桃、芒果和菠蘿農(nóng)藥風(fēng)險(xiǎn)最小。
減少危害：剝了皮吃。
漿果
要買(mǎi)有機(jī)的嗎？
是的，國(guó)內(nèi)的漿果農(nóng)藥殘留量很高。由于易生害蟲(chóng)，農(nóng)場(chǎng)主就用噴砂農(nóng)藥的辦法來(lái)防治害蟲(chóng)。農(nóng)藥主要?dú)埩粼诎枷萏帯?/p>
減少危害：用流動(dòng)的水清洗。沒(méi)有別的更多的辦法來(lái)降低危害－除了買(mǎi)有機(jī)的。
葡萄
買(mǎi)有機(jī)的嗎？
只要買(mǎi)國(guó)內(nèi)的生產(chǎn)的，不用買(mǎi)有機(jī)的。如果用流動(dòng)的水清洗干凈，國(guó)內(nèi)的葡萄多數(shù)都很好。美國(guó)進(jìn)口的反季節(jié)葡萄顯示農(nóng)藥殘留較高，因?yàn)閲?guó)際上對(duì)農(nóng)藥殘留的控制不如國(guó)內(nèi)嚴(yán)格。
減少危害：
不買(mǎi)進(jìn)口品種。如何辨別？如果冬天有售，很可能就是從有夏季氣候的國(guó)外進(jìn)口的。
蜜桃
買(mǎi)有機(jī)的嗎？
是。蟲(chóng)子喜歡多汁的甜蜜桃，因此，高濃度的農(nóng)藥可已滲透進(jìn)薄薄的表皮。
減少危害：
除了用水果刷好好清洗干凈并去皮，別無(wú)他法。如果買(mǎi)得起，還是買(mǎi)有機(jī)的。
桃子
買(mǎi)有機(jī)的嗎？
是的。桃子表皮很薄，在桃子很小的時(shí)候就噴殺了農(nóng)藥。因此，桃子在生長(zhǎng)過(guò)程中就一直吸收農(nóng)藥。依據(jù)環(huán)境工作組的調(diào)查，一份桃子樣本，多種農(nóng)藥殘留最高。
減少危害：
用流動(dòng)的水清洗、去皮都有所幫助，但是果肉里面的農(nóng)藥無(wú)法清除。有機(jī)桃子是最好的選擇。
梨
買(mǎi)有機(jī)的嗎？
是的。梨的農(nóng)藥殘留幾乎與蘋(píng)果一樣，但是梨的皮更薄，因此果肉更容易吸收化學(xué)農(nóng)藥。
減少危害：
用流動(dòng)的水，水果刷好好清洗。果核及其周?chē)恍┕庖械簟?/p>
草莓
買(mǎi)有機(jī)的嗎？
是的，草莓生長(zhǎng)緊貼地面，要使用高濃度的農(nóng)藥才能夠使其不受土壤里的害蟲(chóng)的侵害。
減少危害
切掉莖部，去除核－全白的部分－因?yàn)椴葺峭ㄟ^(guò)莖部吸收農(nóng)藥的。切記要洗干凈。
甜椒
買(mǎi)有機(jī)的？
是的。盡管甜椒皮又厚又硬，油光光的，有時(shí)還像打了蠟，種植者都會(huì)噴灑農(nóng)藥，使得殘留農(nóng)藥很難去除。依據(jù)環(huán)境工作組的說(shuō)法，甜椒的農(nóng)藥殘留在蔬菜里是最高的。由于甜椒皮是甜椒的很好吃的一部分，因此有機(jī)的最好。
減少危害
選擇紅的、黃的和橘紅黃色的甜椒，這些多是在溫室里生長(zhǎng)的。比青的甜椒含的農(nóng)藥少，青甜椒多是露天生長(zhǎng)的。
芹菜
買(mǎi)有機(jī)的嗎？
是的，除非你有警覺(jué)做好準(zhǔn)備和清洗。農(nóng)藥主要集中在芹菜的根部，也是水分集中的地方。在所有的蔬菜里，依據(jù)環(huán)境工作組的研究，芹菜樣本農(nóng)藥殘留檢測(cè)呈陽(yáng)性，濃度最高，也有多種農(nóng)藥殘留。
減少危害
切掉芹菜根部，用流動(dòng)的水清洗莖、葉。
花椰菜
買(mǎi)有機(jī)的嗎？
不。和圓白菜一楊，在所有的蔬菜中，花椰菜農(nóng)藥殘留濃度最低。因?yàn)樯L(zhǎng)時(shí)節(jié)較冷，那時(shí)害蟲(chóng)還沒(méi)有危害能力。
減少危害：
用流動(dòng)的水清洗，切除莖部，莖部有可能吸收土壤中的農(nóng)藥。
生菜
買(mǎi)有機(jī)的嗎？
是的。它們緊貼地表生長(zhǎng)，吸收含有農(nóng)藥的水。依據(jù)環(huán)境工作組的說(shuō)法，在所有蔬菜中，生菜農(nóng)藥含量位列第三。
減少危害：
由于葉子坑洼不平，生菜最難清洗干凈。但是值得你用流動(dòng)的水清洗以去去除農(nóng)藥殘留。將外面的葉子去掉也可以降低農(nóng)藥危害。
菠菜
買(mǎi)有機(jī)的嗎？
是的。菠菜和生菜一樣，緊貼地表生長(zhǎng)，通過(guò)莖吸收農(nóng)藥。不像生菜，能夠去除外面的葉子。
減少危害：
盡管水不能去除已被吸收的農(nóng)藥，在流動(dòng)的水中清洗，有助于去除臟東西和細(xì)菌。
土豆
買(mǎi)有機(jī)的嗎？
是的。土都生長(zhǎng)在地下或剛剛露出地表，為確保豐收，農(nóng)民使用農(nóng)藥。農(nóng)藥可以透過(guò)薄薄的表皮被土豆吸收。運(yùn)到市場(chǎng)之前還要打蠟，這只能使農(nóng)藥更難去除。
減少危害：
去皮，用流動(dòng)的水清洗，還要用干凈的刷子刷，能夠去除有一些殘留農(nóng)藥。但是專(zhuān)家建議，如果能，還是買(mǎi)有機(jī)的。
豌豆
買(mǎi)有機(jī)的嗎？
不。在所有的蔬菜中，豌豆的農(nóng)藥含量最低。由于有豆莢的保護(hù)，與別的蔬菜相比，更少受病蟲(chóng)害的侵襲。
減少危害：
如果有殼，將豌豆從豆莢里剝出來(lái)，用流動(dòng)的水好好洗一下就可以了。
