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By Jeffrey Hollender

Unlike organic foods, conventional produce is often treated with pesticides and other chemicals while being grown and harvested. The pesticides are typically made from some of the most toxic substances available, and residue often remains on the foods we buy in the supermarket.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) examined more than 100,000 federal government pesticide-residue test results and found 192 different chemicals were present in varying amounts on common fruits and vegetables. Based on this analysis, the EWG ranked these 10 foods as the most contaminated, starting with the worst:

1. Peaches
   
2. Apples
   
3. Sweet bell peppers
   
4. Celery
   
5. Nectarines
   
6. Strawberries
   
7. Cherries
   
8. Lettuce
   
9. Grapes, imported
   
10. Pears

The least contaminated were onions, avocados and frozen sweet corn. Find the complete list and more information on pesticides at www.foodnews.org.

Regardless of where your favorite fruits and vegetables fall on the EWG list, all conventional produce should be washed before eaten. Although washing can't completely eradicate pesticide contamination, it can make your food healthier.

Steps for washing produce:

1. Use a glass bowl or your sink for washing produce. The debris you're removing will leave behind residue, and glass bowls and sinks are easier to clean than plastic.

2. Most pesticides are oil-based, so you'll need some soap for the job. I recommend a vegetable-based product like Seventh Generation dish liquid.

3. Fill the bowl with lukewarm to semi-hot water. The temperature you choose will depend on the fragility of the produce. Generally, the warmer the water, the more effective the cleaning result, so don't be afraid to add a little heat if your produce can take it. Always finish with a cold-water rinse.

4. Add a teaspoon of soap, agitate the water until it gets sudsy, toss in the produce and soak it for a few minutes. Use less time for thin-skinned foods like berries; more time for hard-skinned foods like celery.

5. After soaking, start scrubbing. Hard-skinned foods such as peppers and apples can be scrubbed with a vegetable brush. Soft-skinned foods such as peaches require a gentle hand washing.

6. Rinse the food thoroughly in as warm water as possible, finish with a cold-water rinse and place the food on a rack or other surface to dry. Or use a salad spinner for faster results. Be careful with berries.

7. To get rid of any debris, scrub the container clean.

8. Even food you're planning to peel, like bananas and eggplants, should be washed first because pesticide residue can transfer fromthes skin to the edible portions inside.

9. Make sure the counter where you place the washed produce is free of chemicals, including those found in many conventional kitchen cleaners.

Get more information at www.seventhgeneration.com.