Are you interested in avoiding pesticide-tainted produce but can't afford to purchase all organic? Information from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) may be helpful.
EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ can help you prioritize which produce to purchase organic and which to purchase conventional. Each year EWG publishes information about pesticide residues on conventional fruits and vegetables and extracts a list of those with the least pesticide (Clean Fifteen™) and a list of those with the most pesticide (Dirty Dozen™ Plus). My summary of those lists is given below.
EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ can help you prioritize which produce to purchase organic and which to purchase conventional. Each year EWG publishes information about pesticide residues on conventional fruits and vegetables and extracts a list of those with the least pesticide (Clean Fifteen™) and a list of those with the most pesticide (Dirty Dozen™ Plus). My summary of those lists is given below.
Clean Fifteen
The 15 fruits and vegetables with the least pesticide residue are as follows:
- Fruits (seven)
Citrus fruit: grapefruit
Melons: cantaloupe
Tropical small-seed and tiny-seed fruits: papayas, kiwi; pineapples
Tropical stone fruits: avocados; mangoes - Vegetables (eight)
Seed vegetables: sweet corn; sweet peas - frozen
Underground vegetables: onions; sweet potatoes
Vegetative vegetables: asparagus; cabbage; cauliflower; eggplant
The EWG ranks the cleanest seven as follows:
- Avocados
- Sweet corn
- Pineapples
- Cabbage
- Sweet peas - frozen
- Onions
- Asparagus
The Dirty Dozen Plus
The 15 fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residue are as follows:
- Fruits (five)
Stone fruits: nectarines - imported; peaches
Medium-size-seed fruit: apples
Tiny-seed fruits: grapes; strawberries - Vegetables (ten)
Leafy green vegetables: collards; kale; spinach
Elongated green vegetables: celery; cucumbers; snap peas - imported
Nightshade-family vegetables: cherry tomatoes; hot peppers; potatoes; sweet bell peppers
The EWG ranks the dirtiest half dozen plus one as follows:
- Apples
- Strawberries
- Grapes
- Celery
- Peaches
- Spinach
- Sweet bell peppers