Despite industry backlash and inconsistent findings from several government agencies, Environmental Working Group has released its 2022 “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen” fruit and vegetable lists.
The controversial lists come at a time when consumers are advised to eat more fruits and vegetables. A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that just one in 10 Americans eat the recommended levels of vegetables.
And according to a survey from Nutrition Today, “confusion and fear regarding conventionally grown fruits and vegetables associated with pesticides have also been reported. A major concern, however, is how these types of communications may be impacting fruit and vegetable intake in populations that cannot purchase organic fruits and vegetables, because of lack of accessibility, budget constraints, or other barriers.”
The two lists pull data and information from the USDA Pesticide Data Program. “This Annual Summary report shows that when pesticide residues are found on foods, they are nearly always at levels below the tolerance, or maximum amount of a pesticide allowed to remain in or on a food, [as] set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,” according to the PDP’s most report.
Industry organizations are speaking out against the list. A recent press release from The Produce for a Better Health Foundation stated, “In today’s unprecedented world where health, immunity and well-being are extremely relevant, it is more important than ever for consumers to simply eat more fruits and vegetables – no matter how they are grown or packaged. Fear-based messaging around pesticide levels is counterproductive during an already anxiety-ridden time,” said Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, PBH president and CEO.
The Alliance for Food and Farming released its own statement labeling the “Dirty” Dozen list as, “scientifically unsupportable, hurts consumers.” They have started a social media campaign to speak out against this fear messaging #NoMoreDirtyDozen. “This year, help show that fear-based messaging won’t stop us from enjoying our favorite, safe produce! Simply share a picture of your favorite fresh fruits and veggies, of you washing fresh produce,” according to its website.
“Scientists and health experts overwhelmingly agree that the mere presence of pesticide residues on food does not mean they are harmful,” according to the Alliance for Food website.
Also available is the Alliance for Food and Farming’s Pesticide Residue Calculator, which allows users to see how many servings one would have to consume and still not see adverse effects. For instance, if a child were to consume 1,888 servings of peaches in one day the child would still see no adverse effects of pesticides. “Even if the peaches have the highest pesticide residue recorded for peaches by USDA,” according to the Alliance.
