Getting Pesticides Off Fruits and Veggies

Using more than water to wash produce can clean pesticide residues

- BY EMMA GOMETZ

BLUEBERRIES ARE NUTRITIOUS, DELICIOUS and—if unwashed—probably coated in a film of pesticide residue.

The squidgy berries were highlighted by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) in this year’s “Dirty Dozen” analysis, an annual look at which fruits and vegetables have the highest amounts of pesticide residue, based on data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Alongside the blueberries were spinach, kale, strawberries, grapes, nectarines, peaches, cherries, apples, blackberries, pears and potatoes.

A quick dip under a faucet helps to clean these residues off. But for extra pesticide-busting effects, some food scientists recommend adding common kitchen ingredients to a produce wash. (Don’t use soap or detergents—those products aren’t food safe and can be absorbed by fruits and vegetables.)

The produce items highlighted in the report are already safe according to federal guidelines: each is under the legal limits on pesticide exposure set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. But scientists haven’t fully evaluated the long-term effects of consuming many pesticides used on produce.