Blueberries rate low on pesticide

By Shea Rarback
Concerns about pesticides can make the ''eat more fruit'' recommendation hard to swallow. I learned this from a reader who stopped eating blueberries when told they were high in pesticides. Here are the facts. In 2003 the Environmental Working Group tested and ranked 46 common fruits and vegetables for pesticide contamination. According to their findings, the produce with the highest amount of contamination, coined the dirty dozen, are peaches, strawberries, apples, spinach, nectarines, celery, pears, cherries, potatoes, bell peppers, raspberries and imported grapes. These would be the best choices for organic. Blueberries ranked No. 31.
Fruits and vegetables are great sources of naturally occurring disease-fighting compounds. They are low in fat and high in fiber. There might be small amounts of residue on produce but the benefits outweigh the risk and I encourage all to bring back the berries and at least four other servings of fruits and veggies daily.