Before you take a bite of that apple ask yourself – What are you about to consume?
Delicious fruit, of course! But did you stop to consider what is covering that fruit? You got it – pesticides.
Consuming pesticides isn't necessarily something you want to think about, but you do it more often than you'd think. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that the U.S. uses approximately 1.1 billion pounds of pesticides each year, so it's definitely hard to avoid in your food. And, about 29 of these pesticides are found in an average American body. A lot of these pesticides that are used by farmers are beneficial for our health, however. They help keep crop yields up so we have more nutritious fruits and vegetables to eat. They also prevent pests that carry bacteria that could spur widespread illness from contaminating stock, reported the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA is confident that the pesticides used on foods are perfectly safe to eat.
However, consumers still have the right to know what they're putting into their bodies. So without further ado, here are some of the most common foods that contain pesticides Americans consume every day:
1. Peaches
Not everything is peachy here – according to NDTV Food, 98 percent of peaches contain pesticide residue even after washing. Peaches' soft skin tends to make it harder to wash off, so you're likely still ingesting the chemicals even after a rinse.
2. Apples
Good Housekeeping magazine explained that apples are always packed with pesticides. In fact, there have been more than 45 different types of chemicals detected on them – this is residue that is also found in apple products like juices and sauce.
3. Strawberries
But if you thought apples were loaded, wait until you see how many pesticides strawberries contain. GH reported that this little berry can have 40 different pesticides on its skin. Strawberries that are frozen tend to have less pesticides, but it's still best to give them a thorough wash.
4. Potatoes
NDTV Food found that potatoes have more chemicals by weight than all the other produce on the market. These can then be transitioned into foods like mashed potatoes and french fries.
5. Kale
Just when you thought kale was the answer to all your nutrition needs, NDTV Food reported that researches have found at least 51 types of pesticides on this leafy green.Some of these, the source warned, are extremely toxic as well – so don't forget to wash thoroughly before your next salad or kale smoothie!
