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| Spraying apple trees |
Once a year, the U.S.-based
Environmental Working Group releases its "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean 15" lists, which rank popular fruits and vegetables based on their pesticide residue testing results as provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration.
Dirty Dozen (Highest in pesticide residues)
- Apples
- Celery
- Strawberries
- Peaches
- Spinach
- Nectarines – imported
- Grapes – imported
- Sweet bell peppers
- Potatoes
- Blueberries – domestic
- Lettuce
- Kale/collard greens
Clean 15 (Lowest in pesticide residues)
- Onions
- Sweet Corn
- Pineapples
- Avocado
- Asparagus
- Sweet peas
- Mangoes
- Eggplant
- Cantaloupe - domestic
- Kiwi
- Cabbage
- Watermelon
- Sweet potatoes
- Grapefruit
- Mushrooms
If you're concerned about ingesting pesticides, which can remain on food even after washing, the EWG recommends avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables altogether and choosing the least contaminated conventionally grown produce whenever possible. Purchasing organically grown produce is another solution, especially if some of your favourite fruits and veggies are part of the Dirty Dozen (I mean, who could avoid eating apples forever?). The EWG even has a convenient
wallet card you can download and print.
See how all 53 fruits and vegetables tested stack up here. The lower the number, the higher the pesticide residues.
