The Environmental Working Group (EWG) released its annual Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce. The guide ranks pesticide contamination on 48 popular fruits and vegetables.

 

2015 Dirty Dozen List

The fruits and vegetables that rank the highest in pesticide load are known as the Dirty Dozen, and the EWG advises that if you can’t afford to buy all organic produce, you should at least buy organic versions of these 12 items. There are also two extra Dirty Dozen Plus vegetables on the list.

 

 

Dirty Dozen Plus + category

This plus category includes domestically grown hot peppers and leafy greens, specifically kale and collards. While they didn’t make the top 12, they were found to be commonly contaminated with pesticides that are exceptionally toxic to the nervous system, including organochlorine, which has been banned for home use and withdrawn for many agricultural uses, but is still applied to certain commercial crops.

 

Information provided by the Environmental Working Group

 

 

 

THE DIRTY DOZEN

1. Apples

2. Peaches

3. Nectarines

4. Strawberries

5. Celery

6. Grapes

7. Spinach

8. Sweet Bell Peppers

9. Cucumbers

10. Cherry Tomatoes

11. Snap Peas

12. Potatoes

13.Hot Peppers+

14. Kale/Collards/Greens +