EWG report: strawberries have most pesticides

(HealthDay)—Strawberries have the highest level of pesticide contamination in produce, while sweet corn and avocados have the lowest levels, according to an annual report from the Environmental Working Group.

They tested 36,000 samples of 48 types of conventionally grown produce and found that nearly 70 percent had pesticide residues, a 6.6 percent decline from last year, CNN reported.

Strawberries contained at least 20 pesticides. The other types of produce on the group's "Dirty Dozen" list included spinach, nectarines, apples, peaches, celery, grapes, pears, cherries, tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, and potatoes.

The "Clean Fifteen" list included sweet corn (including corn on the cob and frozen corn), avocados, pineapples, cabbage, onions, frozen sweet peas, papaya, asparagus, mangoes, eggplant, honeydew melon, kiwis, cantaloupe, cauliflower, and grapefruit, according to the report. Only 1 percent of avocado and sweet corn samples had any detectable pesticides, and more than 80 percent of pineapple, papaya, asparagus, onion and cabbage samples had no pesticide residue, CNN reported.