Question about avocados.

Gaer

Gaer

"Angel whisperer"
Location
New Mexico U.S.A.
DDT has been banned in the U.S. for a long time. It's apparently used to spray
fruits and vegetables in Mexico though. All the avocados they sell in this state
are from Mexico. They sell no organic avocados here.

Can DDT seep through the skin into the meat of the fruit?
I tried to look on line but couldn't get any answers. Thanks.
 

This is what I've been able to find (source: Business Insider)

"Avocado skins are tough, and harmful chemicals generally don't penetrate them. But the bumpy skin can harbor pesticides and bacteria you don't want in your body. If you cut through it without washing, your knife can drag those harmful elements into the fruit's flesh."
 
CallMeKate said:
This is what I've been able to find (source: Business Insider)

"Avocado skins are tough, and harmful chemicals generally don't penetrate them. But the bumpy skin can harbor pesticides and bacteria you don't want in your body. If you cut through it without washing, your knife can drag those harmful elements into the fruit's flesh."
Click to expand...
Oh! Thank you!!!!! This is wonderful! I will then wash them and separate the fruit from the skin!
THANK YOU KATE!
 

EWG’s 2023 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce

https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php

The 2023 DIRTY DOZEN:

Of the 46 items included in our analysis, these 12 fruits and vegetables were most contaminated with pesticides.
  1. Strawberries
  2. Spinach
  3. Kale, collard and mustard greens
  4. Peaches
  5. Pears
  6. Nectarines
  7. Apples
  8. Grapes
  9. Bell and hot peppers
  10. Cherries
  11. Blueberries
  12. Green beans
THE 2023 CLEAN FIFTEEN:

These 15 items had the lowest amounts of pesticide residues, according to EWG’s analysis of the most recent USDA data.
  1. Avocados
  2. Sweet corn
  3. Pineapple
  4. Onions
  5. Papaya
  6. Sweet peas (frozen)
  7. Asparagus
  8. Honeydew melon
  9. Kiwi
  10. Cabbage
  11. Mushrooms
  12. Mangoes
  13. Sweet Potatoes
  14. Watermelon
  15. Carrots

Bella✌️
 
Found this hope it helps

Do pesticides penetrate avocados?
Avocado skins are tough, and harmful chemicals generally don't penetrate them. But the bumpy skin can harbor pesticides and bacteria you don't want in your body. If you cut through it without washing, your knife can drag those harmful elements into the fruit's flesh.Mar 15, 2017
https://www.google.com/search?q=Can...&biw=1280&bih=881&dpr=1#bsht=CgRmYnNtEgQIBDAB

I think it's more likely that absorbtion thru the roots would be possible
 
Besides the usual items, I wash avocados, limes and lemons prior to cutting. I know that restaurants aren’t scrubbing the citrus with soap and water prior to cutting, so avoid any drinks that have these. You should see the maneuvers that I go through to squeeze a little bit of lime into a Corona.
 
Gaer said:
DDT has been banned in the U.S. for a long time. It's apparently used to spray
fruits and vegetables in Mexico though. All the avocados they sell in this state
are from Mexico. They sell no organic avocados here.

Can DDT seep through the skin into the meat of the fruit?
I tried to look on line but couldn't get any answers. Thanks.
Click to expand...
You got some good answers. However I would not worry too much about DDT, since it has long been banned here you will never be exposed to much, and it really isn't all that toxic. It was just one of the first boogeyman chemicals we regulated. No more toxic than things like caffeine or aspirin, the big difference is that it bioaccumulates and doesn't degrade quickly.

I think banning, or limiting it was for the best, the newer pesticides we use now can be more toxic, but don't accumulate or persist the way DDT does.

How Poisonous Is DDT?
https://www.acsh.org/news/2016/02/11/how-poisonous-is-ddt
 
Last edited:
Avocados, I always rinse my avocados before removing the skin and putting
them on my salads. They taste so good to me, I could eat them daily but mostly
eat one weekly.
 
Alligatorob said:
You got some good answers. However I would not worry too much about DDT, since it has long been banned here you will never be exposed to much, and it really isn't all that toxic. It was just one of the first boogeyman chemicals we regulated. No more toxic than things like caffeine or aspirin, the big difference is that it bioaccumulates and doesn't degrade quickly.

I think banning, or limiting it was for the best, the newer pesticides we use now can be more toxic, but don't accumulate or persist the way DDT does.

How Poisonous Is DDT?
https://www.acsh.org/news/2016/02/11/how-poisonous-is-ddt
Click to expand...
Thank you! I thought DDT was much more dangerous than this reports! I was concerned over nothing!
 
Gaer said:
DDT has been banned in the U.S. for a long time. It's apparently used to spray
fruits and vegetables in Mexico though. All the avocados they sell in this state
are from Mexico. They sell no organic avocados here.

Can DDT seep through the skin into the meat of the fruit?
I tried to look on line but couldn't get any answers. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Avocados aren't on the "Dirty Dozen" list. To be safe I bought a veggie wash for "dirty" produce or if I'm just not sure.
 
Bella said:
EWG’s 2023 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce

https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php

The 2023 DIRTY DOZEN:

Of the 46 items included in our analysis, these 12 fruits and vegetables were most contaminated with pesticides.
  1. Strawberries
  2. Spinach
  3. Kale, collard and mustard greens
  4. Peaches
  5. Pears
  6. Nectarines
  7. Apples
  8. Grapes
  9. Bell and hot peppers
  10. Cherries
  11. Blueberries
  12. Green beans
THE 2023 CLEAN FIFTEEN:

These 15 items had the lowest amounts of pesticide residues, according to EWG’s analysis of the most recent USDA data.
  1. Avocados
  2. Sweet corn
  3. Pineapple
  4. Onions
  5. Papaya
  6. Sweet peas (frozen)
  7. Asparagus
  8. Honeydew melon
  9. Kiwi
  10. Cabbage
  11. Mushrooms
  12. Mangoes
  13. Sweet Potatoes
  14. Watermelon
  15. Carrots

Bella✌️
Click to expand...
The dirty dozen is a media creation w little to no relevance or scientific value in today's US produce market. The data these ratings are based on represent a very limited number of samples some of which were done over 10 years ago.
 
againstthegrain said:
The dirty dozen is a media creation w little to no relevance or scientific value in today's US produce market. The data these ratings are based on represent a very limited number of samples some of which were done over 10 years ago.
Click to expand...
Exactly. I KNOW PINNAPLE ARE VERY TOXIC w/ Chemicals
 
Good tip about washing them! Yes, the skins are tough - when I try to compost them they are still intact a year later when I am putting the compost on the garden! Likewise the seeds.
 

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