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High Risk Items

Produce Buying Guide

Highest Risk for Pesticide Contamination- buy these organic! (1=worst).  From FoodNews.org “Dirty Dozen”

  1. celery
  2. peaches
  3. strawberries
  4. apples
  5. blueberries
  6. nectarines
  7. bell peppers
  8. spinach
  9. cherries
  10. kale/collard greens
  11. potatoes
  12. grapes

Lowest Risk for Pesticide Contamination (1 = lowest risk).  From FoodNews.org “Clean 15″

  1. onion
  2. avocado
  3. sweetcorn
  4. pineapple
  5. mango
  6. sweet peas
  7. asparagus
  8. kiwi
  9. cabbage
  10. eggplant
  11. cantaloupe
  12. watermelon
  13. grapefruit
  14. sweet potato
  15. honeydew melon

Learn more at FoodNews.org

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Seafood Buying Guide (From Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch page)

Northeast: Best Choices (Abundant, well managed, caught or farmed in environmentally friendly ways.  * Limit consumption due to concerns of mercury and other contaminants.)

  • Arctic char (farmed)
  • barramundi (us farmed)
  • catfish (US farmed)
  • clams, mussels, oysters ( farmed)
  • clams: soft shells /steamers ( wild)
  • cobia ( US farmed)
  • crab: dungeness, stone
  • croaker: Atlantic*
  • halibut: Pacific
  • lobster: spiny (US)
  • Salmon ( Alaska wild)
  • scallops ( farmed off-bottom)
  • squid: longfin (US)
  • striped bass (farmed or wild*)
  • swordfish ( Canada harpooned and handline)*
  • tilapia (US farmed)
  • trout: rainbow (farmed)
  • tuna: albacore, including canned white tuna(troll/poll,US and BC
  • tuna: skipjack including canned light tuna (troll/poll)

Northeast: Avoid (over-fished or caught or farmed in ways that harm other marine life or the environment. * Limit consumption due to concerns of mercury and other contaminants.)

  • caviar, sturgeon* (imported,wild)
  • Chilean sea bass/toothfish*
  • cod: Atlantic
  • crab: king ( imported)
  • flounder, halibut, soles (Atlantic)
  • haddock (trawled)
  • hake: white
  • mahi mahi /dolphinfish (imported)
  • marlin: blue*, striped*
  • monkfish
  • orange roughy*
  • salmon (farmed including Atlantic)*
  • shark* and skates
  • shrimp (imported)
  • snapper: red
  • swordfish (imported)*
  • tilapia (Asian farmed)
  • tilefish (southeast US)
  • tuna: albacore, bigeye, yellowfin (longline)*
  • tuna: bluefin*, tongol
  • tuna: canned (except troll/poll)*
  • yellowtail (imported/farmed)

West Coast:Best Choices (Abundant, well managed, caught or farmed in environmentally friendly ways.  * Limit consumption due to concerns of mercury and other contaminants.)

  • abalone (US farmed)
  • Arctic char (farmed)
  • barramundi (US farmed)
  • catfish (US farmed)
  • clams, mussels, oysters ( farmed)
  • cod: Pacific (Alaska longline)
  • crab: dungeness
  • halibut: Pacific
  • lobster: spiny (US)
  • rockfish: black (CA,WA,OR, hook and line)
  • sablefish/blck cod (Alaska,BC)
  • salmon ( Alaska wild)
  • sardies: Pacific (US)
  • scallops ( farmed off-bottom)
  • shrimp: pink (OR)
  • striped bass (farmed or wild*)
  • tilapia (US farmed)
  • trout: rainbow (farmed)
  • tuna: albacore, including canned white tuna(troll/poll,US and BC
  • tuna: skipjack including canned light tuna (troll/poll)
  • white sea bass

West Coast: Avoid (over-fished or caught or farmed in ways that harm other marine life or the environment. * Limit consumption due to concerns of mercury and other contaminants.)

  • caviar, sturgeon* (imported,wild)
  • Chilean sea bass/toothfish*
  • cod: Atlantic, imported Pacific
  • Cobia (imported, farmed)
  • crab: king ( imported)
  • dogfish (US)*
  • lobster:spiny (Brazil)
  • mahi mahi /dolphinfish (imported)
  • marlin: blue*, striped*
  • monkfish
  • orange roughy*
  • rockfish (traweled)
  • salmon (farmed including Atlantic)*
  • salmon (wild, CA and south of Cape Falcon, OR*)
  • shark*
  • shrimp (imported)
  • swordfish (imported)*
  • tilapia (Asian farmed)
  • tuna: albacore, bigeye, yellowfin (longline)*
  • tuna: bluefin*, tongol
  • tuna: canned (except troll/poll)*

For guides to other regions visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch page.