UK's Dirty Dozen

By Yael Stark

3 years ago I heard about the Dirty Dozen list for the first time; I attended a health and vitality event and the lady who sat next to me mentioned it. Seeing my puzzled look, she informed me that the list contains top contaminated fruit and vegetables that one should totally avoid consuming unless buying organic, and the least contaminated fruit and veg that you don't need to worry about if not organic. I thanked her and made a point to look it up . The list shocked me and prompted me to make some changes in my purchasing habits, and I was happy to shared the Dirty Dozen list with Think Healthy Act Healthy Be Healthy members a number of times. So why do I write about it here if the info is already on the group's wall? Well, the last few weeks, something prompted me to investigate the British 'dirty' list, for some reason I thought that the list is universal, but it is not; it applies to the US but in Europe and the UK the list is somewhat different.

I looked into Pesticide Action Network UK report from 2011  that illustrated the impact that pesticides have on our health and the environment. I summarised it and colour coded it; from the most contaminated- 1; to the least- 4:

Red- 1; Yellow-2; Green- 3; Blue- 4

List of pesticides:

1.Chlorpyrifos- one of the most toxic in the UK.

It was found in: apples, beans with pods, dried grapes, grapes, oranges, pears, pineapple, plantain, soft citrus and spinach

2. Carbendazim -It is claimed to distrupt the reproductive system, leading to the development of cancer, developmental problems and birth defect. 
 It was found in: apples, beans with pods, cucumber, grapes, oranges, pineapple, pre-packed salads, raspberries, rice, soft citrus and spinach.

3. Cypermethrin-  considered highly hazardous. Ingestion of Cypermethrin can cause abdominal pain, vomiting and nausea.

It was found in beans with pods, bread, courgettes, grapes, okra, soft citrus and spinach.

4. DDT- although banned in the 70s, a residue was found in burgers, oily fish, liver and smoked fish.

5. Dieldrin-a likely carcinogen

It was found in burgers, liver, oily fish, smoked fish, courgettes and cucumbers.

6. Glyphosate - the most commonly used weed killer in the world. It was found in
Bread, lentils, pulses, rice and flour.

7. Lambda Cyhalothrin- have corrosive effects on both eyes and the skin. It was found in:

beans with pods, celery, dried grapes, grapes, okra, oranges, pre-packed salads, soft citrus and spinach.

8. Methamidophos - highly toxic through all forms of exposure:dermal, oral and inhalation. It was only found in: beans with pods

9.Methomyl-a thyroid-disrupting chemical.

It was found in: beans with pods and celery.

10. Omethoate is highly hazardous.

It was found in beans with pods

The UK's list, in part, resembles the US Dirty Dozen list; It shows % of Samples That Contain Residues, % of Residues that Exceed MRLs and % of Samples that contain Multiple Residues..Please click on the hyperlink to see the details..

UK's most contaminated fruit

Soft Citrus
Pineapple
Pears
Apples
Grapes
Strawberries
Peaches &
Nectarines
Apricots


The least contaminated fruit

Star Fruit
Plum
Exotic Fruits
Kiwi Fruit
Banana
Raspberries
Other Berries
Melons

The most contaminated vegetables

Tomatoes
Parsnips
Cucumber
Carrots
Lettuce
Beans in a pod
Peas in a pod
Sweet Potatoes
Courgettes and Marrows
Yams

The least contaminated vegetables

Corn (cob)
Leeks
Aubergines
Onions
Ginger
Chilli
Potatoes
Peppers
Celery
Spinach

Other contaminated food:

Oily fish
Cereal grains
Flour
Cereal bars
Dried fruit
Bread
Herbs
Chips
Crisps
Rice

I was a bit disappointed not to find information about kale or avocado, one day I just might call to find out.. For now I am sticking with organic kale..

Yael :)
 

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