For the second year in a row, apples were found to carry the most pesticides in an annual environmental report. — AFP-Relaxnews picWASHINGTON, June 22 — If you want to reduce your intake of pesticides, choose organic apples, celery and sweet bell peppers, as a US environmental group has singled out these produce as being the biggest carriers of insecticides.

For the second year in a row, apples topped the Environmental Working Group's 'Dirty Dozen' list which identified the most pesticide-laden fruits and vegetables in the US.

Last year, apples knocked celery off the top spot, which this year ranks as the second biggest offender.

In the 8th edition of the Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce, researchers added kale and collard greens, which were also found to carry a highly toxic organophosphate insecticide, a toxin for the nervous system.

To come up with the rankings, the group analyzed residue testing data from the US Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration. Nectarines, blueberries, plums and cantaloupe were from both domestic and imported sources.

Meanwhile, a report from the European Food Safety Authority published last year identified grapes, bell peppers, aubergines, peas and wheat as carrying the most pesticides across Europe.

Here are the top pesticide-laden fruits and vegetables from the Dirty Dozen list that you may want to buy from the organic section of your supermarket:

1.    Apples

2.    Celery

3.    Sweet bell peppers

4.    Peaches

5.    Strawberries

6.    Nectarines-imported

7.    Grapes

8.    Spinach

9.    Lettuce

10.   Cucumbers

11.   Blueberries-domestic

12.   Potatoes

For the full list, visit http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/list/. — AFP-Relaxnews