(NaturalNews) The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has officially released its 2015 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce, giving people all across the country the opportunity to make smarter purchasing decisions when shopping for produce.

The free report, which is issued annually, contains a list of the top 15 cleanest fruits and vegetables based on tests conducted by the Department of Agriculture (USDA), as well as an outline of the worst 12 when it comes to contamination with pesticides and herbicides.

These "Clean Fifteen" and "Dirty Dozen" lists are available in a free PDF file that you can download and print out as a handy guide to use while shopping. You can access the free 2015 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce here:
EWG.org.

Avoid conventional apples, peaches, nectarines, potatoes, grapes, peppers and strawberries

Based on 3,015 produce samples tested by the USDA in 2013, the data from which was used to compile the new report, a shocking two-thirds were found to contain pesticide residues. Among these samples, more than 165 different pesticides were identified, despite increasing consumer demand for chemical-free produce.

Even when washed and/or peeled, many of the fruits and vegetables tested were still found to contain high levels of pesticide chemicals, some more than others. Conventional apples, peaches and nectarines were found to be the worst when it comes to chemical contamination.

"99 percent of apple samples, 98 percent of peaches, and 97 percent of nectarines tested positive for at least one pesticide residue," states a key finding from the report.

The average potato was found to be even worse, containing more pesticides by weight than any other produce item tested. A single grape sample and a sweet bell pepper sample were also each found to contain an astounding 15 different pesticides, while single samples of cherry tomatoes, nectarines, peaches, imported snap peas and strawberries all contained 13 different pesticides each.

Print out EWG's helpful shopper's guide and use it while shopping for produce

Depending on where you live, even shopping at farmers' markets for produce won't necessarily protect you from these imperceptible poisons. Unless a farmer explicitly states that he or she doesn't use pesticides, or grows and sells only certified organic produce, you're probably consuming harmful chemicals every time you attempt to be healthy by eating more "fresh" produce.

On the flip side, avocados, regardless of whether or not they're organic, are typically free of chemicals. Only 1 percent of avocado samples tested showed any detectable pesticides. Similarly, 89 percent of pineapples, 88 percent of mangoes, 82 percent of kiwis, 80 percent of papayas and 61 percent of cantaloupes showed no chemical contamination.

"No single fruit sample from the Clean Fifteen™ tested positive for more than 4 types of pesticides," explains EWG. "Multiple pesticide residues are extremely rare on Clean Fifteen™ vegetables. Only 5.5 percent of Clean Fifteen samples had two or more pesticides."

The two lists are as follows:

Dirty Dozen
• Apples
• Celery
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Grapes
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Potatoes
• Snap Peas
• Spinach
• Strawberries
• Sweet Bell Peppers
• Hot Peppers & Kale/Collard Greens

Clean Fifteen
• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Cabbage
• Cantaloupe
• Cauliflower
• Eggplant
• Grapefruit
• Kiwi
• Mangoes
• Onions
• Papayas
• Pineapples
• Sweet Corn
• Sweet Peas (frozen)
• Sweet Potatoes

You can download a free PDF of these two lists for easy access by visiting:
EWG.org.

You can also check out a more thorough summary of the findings of the report, including further information about genetically engineered (GE) crops and pesticides in baby food as well as more on how to avoid pesticides while shopping by visiting:
EWG.org.

You can also raise your own clean, chemical-free produce at little to no cost using the revolutionary Food Rising Mini-Farm Grow Box system. To learn more, visit FoodRising.org.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.ewg.org

http://www.ewg.org

http://www.drweil.com