And since 1995, it’s been publishing an annual “Dirty Dozen” list of fruits and vegetables the organization claims have dangerously high levels of pesticides. The Environmental Working Group’s annual “Dirty Dozen” list misleadingly stokes the public’s fears of eating fruits and vegetables A uniquely frightening time like this provides a great moment for us all to do what’s best for neighbors, employees, customers — the greater good. Putting safe, health and affordable food on Canadians’ tables, Health Canada clearly states that there is no health risk from eating conventionally grown foods, Looking closely at EWG’s list of the Dirty Dozen, Regulations for products of modern plant breeding. Environmental Working Group's 'Dirty Dozen' List Debunked Gregory Conko • August 11, 2011 Since 1993, the group has been terrorizing America about everything from apples to the zinc-oxide used in some sunscreens , and practically everything in between. The EWG pesticide alarmism began in 1995, when, backed by such eminent scientific entities as the Barbra Streisand Foundation (we are not making this up), the organization published its first "Dirty Dozen" — a list of produce that supposedly contained the highest levels of chemical pesticides. The EWG published of the "dirty dozen" non-organic foods to avoid, because they have the highest levels of pesticides. QuackWatch describes EWG as one of "[t]he key groups that have wrong things to say about cosmetic products". Although the list has been discredited by the scientific community, it still garners some attention and has the effect of discouraging people from eating fruits and vegetables, which I think we can all agree is a bad thing. A peer reviewed analysis of the “dirty dozen” list found EWG uses no established scientific procedures to develop the list. Click to read Facts and Figures: Pesticides. Ratings for more than 120,000 food and personal care products, now at your fingertips. Critics of the Dirty Dozen list have suggested that it significantly overstates the risk to consumers of the listed items, and that the methodology employed in constructing the list "lacks scientific credibility". The problem with lists like the Dirty Dozen is they fail to consider the potential for harm. 4. For example, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) – an activist group based in the United States – publishes an annual list of the 12 fruits and vegetables that they claim should be avoided due to pesticide residues: “The Dirty Dozen”. Many regulations being scrapped to help fight COVID-19 were never needed in the first place. If you haven’t heard of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and their annual “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen” lists by now, consider yourself lucky. The USDA selects which specific types of produce will be tested each year, so there isn’t annual data for everything. Strawberries topped the “Dirty Dozen” list for the fourth year in row. But both show up on EWG’s “Clean Fifteen” list, without really knowing levels within the last 14+ years. Essentially, consumers could eat about 50 times their normal daily amount of the worst food on the EWG Dirty Dozen list, and do that every day for their entire lives, and still not expose themselves to much risk of harm. Dirty Dozen. As for raspberries, another delicately-skinned fruit like strawberries (notoriously #1 in the “Dirty Dozen”), they haven’t been analyzed since 2013 – a long time for … EWG takes this illiteracy a step further by referring to them as Toxics. The list, which EWG has been compiling annually since 2004, highlights the most contaminated fresh fruits and vegetables on the American market based on testing carried out by the USDA and FDA. Let's debunk them one by one. Chemicals. A peer reviewed analysis of the “dirty dozen” list found EWG uses no established scientific procedures to develop the list. The list is compiled from the EWG’s analysis of 47 fresh produce, using data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Pesticide Data Program. This is important because most Canadians aren’t eating enough fruits and vegetables. EWG'S CLEAN 2020 15TM 2. Strawberries topped the “Dirty Dozen” list for the fourth year in row. 3. This is just one study comparing the effects of commercial produce washes and water. Drummond Pike, a co-founder of the progressive Tides Foundation, was involved in EWG from its foundation.From 1993 to 1999, EWG operated under the aegis of Pike’s Tides Foundation and Tides Center. The Environmental Working Group has released its latest Dirty Dozen. © 2021 CropLife Canada. To come up with their Dirty Dozen list, the EWG uses data from USDA and FDA sampling. Each year, the EWG takes advantage of the transparent availability of the USDA-PDP data, but then performs their own “analysis” which experts have rejected as utterly anti-scientific. The EWG named apples at the top of this year’s “Dirty Dozen List” due to the presence of pesticide residues approved by EPA. Carl Winter, a food toxicologist who directs the university’s FoodSafe Program, and PhD student Josh Katz estimated consumers’ exposure to the pesticides “studied” in the EWG report and then compared them with the Environmental Protection Agency’s chronic reference dose (RfD), which estimates the amount of a chemical a person could be exposed to every day over an entire lifetime without an appreciable risk of harm. The list is based on data from the Pesticide Program Residue Monitoring of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), [4] which conducts random screening tests of these products every year. They generate an incorrect "grade" for the crop and post it as part of their "Shopper's Guide," and on their notorious "Dirty Dozen List." The 2020 Dirty Dozen. It's a word used mainly by the scientifically naïve to mean "scary things." EWG's Skin Deep® Mobile App. Researchers have discovered an unbalance of good and bad bacteria in the guts of MS patients. For those that have heard of these lists that are published each spring, you may wonder if we really need to worry about “dirty” food. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently released its 2020 “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen” lists — a catalog of conventionally grown fruits and vegetables with the highest and lowest amounts of pesticide residue. In the meantime, removing the chronic infl… Let’s take the fight out of food and encourage Canadians to eat more fruits and vegetables no matter how they are grown. For example, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) – an activist group based in the United States – publishes an annual list of the 12 fruits and vegetables that they claim should be avoided due to pesticide residues: “The Dirty Dozen”. Timely Information for a Nutritional Lifestyle Change – Thank you for Your Care & Concern for the Health of Our Community! Every spring the Environmental Working Group (EWG) creates the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen produce list. Fortunately, a couple of scientists at the University of California, Davis, have conducted their own study that essentially debunks the Dirty Dozen argument. They help farmers grow healthy abundant crops by protecting them against insects, weeds and diseases. All are climate alarmists, which confirms earlier…, ©2021 Competitive Enterprise Institute | Privacy Policy, conducted their own study that essentially debunks the Dirty Dozen argument, http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalyan/2334853138/, State AGs’ Lawsuit Against Energy Dept. Since 1993, the group has been terrorizing America about everything from apples to the zinc-oxide used in some sunscreens, and practically everything in between. When this year’s Dirty Dozen list was published in June, EWG president Ken Cook wrote that: “Though buying organic is always the best choice, we know that sometimes people do not have access to that produce or cannot afford it.” … “Our guide helps consumers concerned about pesticides to make better choices among conventional produce, and lets them know which fruits and vegetables they may want to buy organic.”, And when last year’s study was published, an EWG press release claimed that “consumers can lower their pesticide consumption by nearly four-fifths by avoiding conventionally grown varieties of the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables.”. All pesticide exposure estimates were well below established chronic reference doses (RfDs). The Environmental Working Group released its annual Shoppers Guide to Pesticides in Produce, also known as the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen. Winter and Katz concluded by noting that their: “findings conclusively demonstrate that consumer exposures to the most frequently detected pesticides from commodities on the “Dirty Dozen” list are at negligible levels.” … And “the EWG methodology is not sufficient to allow meaningful ranking among commodities or that substituting organic forms of the commodities on the “Dirty Dozen” list will lead to measurable consumer health benefit.”, Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalyan/2334853138/, In response to a lawsuit filed by 15 state attorneys general and the City of New York against the Department of Energy’s (DOE) final…, WASHINGTON, DC – Congress intends to include ban a chemical commonly used in air-conditioners and refrigerators and extend billions in existing government spending toward unreliable…, President-elect Joe Biden this week announced his choices for the top environment and energy positions in his administration. And of course, your best choice will almost always be homegrown since you can control what methods you use to nourish and protect the crops . Further studies are currently under way that will determine which bacteria is needed to restore a healthy balance. 10. All Rights Reserved. 8. Chemicals. Avocados Sweet Corn Pineapple Onions Papaya 6. EWG takes this illiteracy a step further by referring to them as Toxics. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the "Clean Fifteen and the Dirty Dozen" refer respectively to the fruits and vegetables that are the least and most contaminated by pesticide use within the United States. Raisins don’t appear on the list because they’re a dried fruit, not fresh produce. Download EWG’s Healthy Living App Today! And Health Canada clearly states that there is no health risk from eating conventionally grown foods because of pesticide residues. The following 12 fruits and veggies ranked the worst in this year’s analysis. It’s that time of year again! So the next time you see your favorite news outlet reporting the annual Dirty Dozen list, or sunscreen ratings or anything else from the Environmental Working Group, send them a link to this episode, or to any of the specific articles debunking the EWG claims listed in the references below.

Illinois What I’m talking about are pesticides. This year’s dirty dozen is exactly the same as last year. The Environmental Working Group has released the 2020 version of its annual Dirty Dozen list. Every year the Environmental Working Group, as Washington-based organic lobbying group, publishes a list they call the Dirty Dozen, allegedly a list of fruits and vegetables with the highest residual pesticide concentrations.And every year the gullible mainstream press parrots their “findings” completely uncritically. And of course, your best choice will almost always be homegrown since you can control what methods you use to nourish and protect the crops . In the U.S. it’s estimated that if just half of all Americans increased their consumption of fruits or vegetables by a single serving a day, it could prevent 20,000 cancer cases. After Tides spun off EWG, it was run by former aide to former Massachusetts Governor and 1988 Democratic Presidential nominee Mich… Below, I summarize the EWG’s Dirty Dozen and Clean 15. Check out EWG's Clean Fifteen list to help decide when you can save money by buying conventional fruits and vegetables – part of our annual Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ How the Dirty Dozen Works. Here in Canada we enjoy one of the safest food supplies in the world. We’re fortunate to be able to visit the grocery store and find the shelves fully stocked with a wide range of fruits and vegetables, and to have confidence that they are safe to eat and feed to our families. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) was founded in the late 1980s as a project of the Center for Resource Economics/Island Press, a publisher of environmentalist books. The analysis that is performed is not designed to provide specifics about residue levels or provide the significance of that type of exposure. With so many Aussies referring to this list as a 'go-to' guide for pesticide On the right is a screenshot of the current list of "Toxics" that has the EWG … The Alliance for Food and Farming in the U.S. developed a pesticide residue calculator to help put this issue into perspective. Download EWG’s Healthy Living App Today! EWG's List of Scary Chemicals. Dishwasher Rule Will Soak Consumers, New Law Banning Refrigerant Will Harm Consumers and Benefit Special Interests, Biden Names Climate Alarmists to All Top Environment and Energy Positions. On the right is a screenshot of the current list of "Toxics" that has the EWG riled up. The Environmental Working Group just released their Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists, meant to educate the public about the pesticides in their produce.. What is the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen? The EWG's "Dirty Dozen List" claims to tell you which produce to buy organic to avoid pesticide residues. Check out EWG's Dirty Dozen™ and Clean Fifteen™ lists to help decide when you should splurge for organic fruits and vegetables, and when you should save money by buying conventional. By Pierre Petelle, president and CEO, CropLife Canada EWG's List of Scary Chemicals. But it’s worth noting that 99% of non-organic raisins contained at least two chemical residues! 5 months ago. They’ve been publishing the Dirty Dozen (which hasn’t always gone by that name) since 1995, and it inevitably garners major media attention . Check out EWG's Dirty Dozen list to help decide when you should splurge for organic produce – part of our annual Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ 9. Health Canada is responsible for ensuring all pesticides, whether used for conventional or organic production, are safe for both people and the environment, and that includes taking into account pesticide residues on food. Below, I summarize the EWG’s Dirty Dozen and Clean 15. The analysis that is performed is not designed to provide specifics about residue levels or provide the significance of that type of exposure. For example, an adult woman would have to eat 850 apples in one day and a child would have to eat 7,240 servings of carrots before pesticide residues would pose any safety concern. The EWG is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting human health and the environment. The “dirty dozen” are the produce that have the highest amount of pesticide residues. It's a word used mainly by the scientifically naïve to mean "scary things." * Note: this blog post is an update from a previous post. This year the EWG added a twist: raisins. Only one of the 120 exposure estimates exceeded 1% of the RfD (methamidophos on bell peppers at 2% of the RfD), and only seven exposure estimates (5.8 percent) exceeded 0.1% of the RfD. The fact of the matter is, the mere presence of a substance doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s present at a dangerous level. 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