The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is out with their annual "Shoppers Guide to Pesticides" report. This includes The Dirty Dozen, a list of the fruits and vegetables likely to contain the highest amounts of pesticide residue. It features the Clean 15, a list of fruits and vegetables least likely to contain pesticides.
How this helps you: Choose organic produce when buying anything listed on The Dirty Dozen. And while we always encourage buying local and organic, if money's tight, then it's not going to kill you to buy conventional from the second group. As the EWG says, "The health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks of pesticide exposure."
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What's new this year? Once again, apples, strawberries, and spinach are included in the Dirty Dozen. Blueberries and lettuce fell off the list, but cherry tomatoes and cucumbers are on there.
The Dirty Dozen for 2013
- Apples
- Celery
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Grapes
- Hot peppers
- Nectarines (imported)
- Peaches
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Strawberries
- Sweet bell peppers
Dirty Dozen Plus: Kale/collard greens and Summer squash
The Clean Fifteen for 2013
- Asparagus
- Avocados
- Cabbage
- Cantaloupe
- Sweet corn
- Eggplant
- Grapefruit
- Kiwi
- Mangoes
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Papayas
- Pineapples
- Sweet peas (frozen)
- Sweet potatoes