EWG (Environmental Working Group) analyze pesticide residue testing data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to come up with rankings for these popular fresh produce items.
It is called “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen“.
They update the list often, please check the latest list.
The full list – ALL 48 FRUITS AND VEGETABLES WITH PESTICIDE RESIDUE DATA is here, from worst to best (lower numbers = more pesticides).
News from EWG
Spinach jumped up four spots on this year’s Dirty Dozen™ list putting it in second place for produce with the highest levels of pesticide residue, just behind strawberries. Spinach contained the most pesticides by weight, including a neurotoxic bug killer called permethrin, which has been banned on food in Europe and is linked to ADHD in kids.
Learn more about conventional spinach and permethrin below:
Another surprising find on this year’s list are pears. The amount of pesticides on conventionally grown pears have skyrocketed in recent years, putting this popular snack fruit back on EWG’s Dirty Dozen™ list.
Check out the graphic below to learn more about the pesticides commonly found on conventionally grown pears: