Hello everyone,
I've just done a quick search for a list of conventional produce that is generally unsprayed / pesticide free. I know that certain fruit / veg are pretty easy to grow and do not generally need pesticides etc. And so although they might not be marketed as organic ... generally the pretty much are. However, I cannot find a list of which fruit and veg this includes. Does anyone have such a list or web link?

I very much prefer organic and the taste of organic fruit and veg (inspite of the extra cost) and so I try to always buy organic. However, I am going to perhaps start to look at some conventional stuff that I cannot get organic here in the UK. For example ... papayas, custard apples, sweet ripe pineapples (the organic ones are picked too soon and are not ripe and sweet) etc.

So ... does anybody know which conventional fruit and veg are usually grown pesticide free inspite of being marked 'conventional'?

Thanks,
John

Conventional figs and persimmon and avocados don't require much pesticides.

i got this list a few months ago off of [www.foodnews.org] the link shows more detailed date then what i show below

The Full List: 43 Fruits & Veggies
RANK
FRUIT OR VEGGIE
SCORE

1 (worst)
Peaches
100 (highest pesticide load)

2
Apples
96

3
Sweet Bell Peppers
86

4
Celery
85

5
Nectarines
84

6
Strawberries
83

7
Cherries
75

8
Lettuce
69

9
Grapes - Imported
68

10
Pears
65

11
Spinach
60

12
Potatoes
58

13
Carrots
57

14
Green Beans
55

15
Hot Peppers
53

16
Cucumbers
52

17
Raspberries
47

18
Plums
46

19
Oranges
46

20
Grapes-Domestic
46

21
Cauliflower
39

22
Tangerine
38

23
Mushrooms
37

24
Cantaloupe
34

25
Lemon
31

26
Honeydew Melon
31

27
Grapefruit
31

28
Winter Squash
31

29
Tomatoes
30

30
Sweet Potatoes
30

31
Watermelon
25

32
Blueberries
24

33
Papaya
21

34
Eggplant
19

35
Broccoli
18

36
Cabbage
17

37
Bananas
16

38
Kiwi
14

39
Asparagus
11

40
Sweet Peas-Frozen
11

41
Mango
9

42
Pineapples
7

43
Sweet Corn-Frozen
2

44
Avocado
1

45 (best)
Onions
1 (lowest pesticide load)

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

OH JODI, thank you, I've always wanted to know but could never find out exactly the information you have!

hehe yea i used to spend SO much money on organic avos ..now i just buy the conventional ones like bryan .. and save my organic funds for stuff like peaches and apples ,

i was actually quite suprised that pineapples were low on the list too i was under the impression they were highly sprayed for some reason .. or maybe i was thinking coconuts or bananas or something ! lol



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/01/2007 06:04PM by Jgunn.

Hi Jgunn, Pineapples are pretty heavily sprayed, but only at the very begining of their lifecycle. The lifecycle is between 18-24 months for the first harvest and then 12 months additionally for each following harvest from the same plant. This might be why there are low levels of toxins detected. Even so, I do think organic pineapple tastes much better

Hmm.. I would be tempted to question where that info comes from and how reliable it is. Also I doubt it would take into account the post harvest treatment.

yea i agree lightform ..true enough who did the studies .. what do they have to gain or lose ..

but it makes some sense to me .. a peach with its fuzzy light skin would absorb more toxins then say a thick skinned avocado

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

The roots will take up some stuff from what's in the soil. And some things that are sprayed on the leaves, stems, etc. will get transported by the plant vascular tissues to the fruits. You can't wash it all off, some is embedded in the fleshy parts.

I don't worry about it. I am not wealthy enough to afford organic for the most part. I can hardly afford conventional produce.

Hello Bryan, Jodi and everyone,
Many thanks for the useful info.
John