Is it worth the extra cost to buy organic produce? According to the Environmental Working Group, if you buy organic for the twelve fruits and vegetables on its 2023 Dirty Dozen list, you can greatly reduce your pesticide exposure. If you can’t buy all organic, they suggest prioritizing your purchases by buying organic from the Dirty Dozen group where it counts the most.
The Dirty Dozen (fruits and vegetables with lower numbers test for more pesticide residues)
- strawberries
- spinach
- kale, collard, mustard greens
- peaches
- pears
- nectarines
- apples
- grapes
- bell and hot peppers
- cherries
- blueberries
- green beans
Strawberries are again listed as the most contaminated produce. More than ninety percent of the sampled apples, nectarines, cherries, and grapes tested positive for two or more pesticide residues. The crops with the highest number of pesticides detected were kale, collard, and mustard greens, with hot peppers and bell peppers a close second.
The vegetables on the “Clean 15” list rarely test for multiple pesticides, and almost sixty-five percent of the Clean Fifteen fruit and vegetable samples had no pesiticide residue at all. Just over percent of the other samples tested positive for two or more pesticides.
Less than two percent of avocados and sweet corn tested showed any detectable pesticide residue.
The Clean 15 (lower number equals least pesticide residues)
- avocados
- sweet corn
- pineapples
- onions
- papayas
- sweet peas (frozen)
- asparagus
- honeydew melons
- kiwis
- cabbages
- mushrooms
- mangoes
- sweet potatoes
- watermelon
- carrots
Note: Some sweet corn, papaya, and summer squash is grown from genetically modified seeds. If you want to avoid genetically modified produce, buy these organically grown.
If you’re curious about fruits and vegetables that are not included in the “Dirty Dozen” or “Clean 15” lists, here is the EWG’s analysis of the rest of the fruits and vegetables that the USDA tested for pesticide residue.
Complete List of Fruits & Vegetables Tested for Pesticides
Produce is ranked from “worst” to “best”… the lower the number, the more pesticides in the produce.
- strawberries
- spinach
- kale, collard, mustard greens
- peaches
- pears
- nectarines
- apples
- grapes
- bell and hot peppers
- cherries
- blueberries
- green beans
- tomatoes
- winter squash
- celery
- potatoes
- cherry tomatoes
- lettuce
- tangerines
- cucumbers
- broccoli
- summer squash
- plums
- eggplants
- raspberries
- grapefruit
- snap peas
- oranges
- cantaloupe
- bananas
- cauliflower
- carrots
- watermelon
- sweet potatoes
- mangoes
- mushrooms
- cabbages
- kiwis
- honeydew melons
- asparagus
- sweet peas (frozen)
- papayas
- onions
- pineapples
- sweet corn
- avocados
The research used to develop these lists assumes that the produce is rinsed or peeled. Unfortunately, rinsing produce reduces but does not eliminate pesticides, and there often are many nutrients in the peel. The EWG’s suggestion is to “eat a varied diet, rinse all produce, and buy organic when possible.”
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