One of the first articles posted on this site was about the 12 dirtiest conventionally farmed fruits and veggies, or the ones that have the highest pesticide contamination levels. I also included the 12 least contaminated, because these are the produce that an be purchased conventionally with much less worry. There has recently been an update to the EWG list, and some of the dirty and clean fruits and veggies have changed (I'm most sad to see bananas drop way off the clean list!).
To quote our previous article,
For a number of reasons, purchasing organic produce is becoming increasingly popular, but it still remains too expensive for many. Switching over to organic groceries can be a difficult, and expensive, task. For those who want to start the switch, but cannot afford to buy all organic, it is important to know which fruits and vegetables are less contaminated with pesticides, and which are important to purchase organic. By avoiding the 12 dirtiest fruits and vegetables, or buying them organic, we can lower our pesticide exposure by almost 90%.
The Dirty Dozen
- Peaches- 96.7% of samples tested positive for pesticides, 87% for multiple pesticides
- Apples- 94.1% tested positive, 82.3% for multiple pesticides
- Sweet Bell Peppers- 81.5% tested positive, 62.2% for multiple pesticides
- Celery- 94.1% tested positive, 79.8% for multiple pesticides
- Nectarines- 97.3% tested positive, 85.3% for multiple pesticides
- Strawberries
- Cherries
- Kale- 53.1% for multiple pesticides
- Lettuce
- Imported Grapes
- Carrots- 82.3% tested positive
- Pears
New to the dirty dozen are carrots and kale, while spinach has dropped to 14th dirtiest, and potatoes have dropped to 15th.
The Clean Fifteen
- Onions- no detectable residues on 90% or more of samples, zero samples positive for multiple pesticides
- Avocado- less than 10% tested positive, less than 1% for multiple pesticides
- Frozen Sweet Corn- no detectable residues on 90% or more of samples, zero samples positive for multiple pesticides
- Pineapples- less than 10% tested positive, less than 1% for multiple pesticides
- Mango- less than 10% tested positive, less than 1% for multiple pesticides
- Asparagus- no detectable residues on 90% or more of samples
- Frozen Sweet Peas- 77.1% had no detectable pesticides
- Kiwi
- Cabbage- 82.1% had no detectable pesticides
- Eggplant- 75.4% had no detectable pesticides
- Papaya
- Watermelon- 28.1% tested positive, 9.5% for multiple pesticides
- Broccoli- 65.2% had no detectable pesticides
- Tomatoes- 53.1% had no detectable pesticides, 13.5% positive for multiple pesticides
- Sweet Potatoes and Grapefruit tie
Bananas, my favorite, have moved from 9th cleanest to 27th dirtiest (or 21st cleanest, if you want to be optimistic about it). To see the full list of 47 fruits and veggies tested, visit Environmental Working Group.
March 19th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
My family is currently on a mostly fruit and vegetable diet, due to cancer. We also do a lot of juicing on organic fruits and veggies.
As far as the top "dirty" fruits, like apples and nectarines go, would it still be dirty if the fruits were peeled?
Just throwing that out there...
Thanks!
March 19th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
I'm surprised that Grapes aren't listed... I always heard that they were one of the dirtiest, when it came to pesticide contamination.
I usually try to buy all organic anyways, but I would be interested to see the results for grapes.
March 20th, 2009 at 12:04 am
WOW! It's really a nice list of organic fruits. I was unaware about all these things thanls for nice info!
March 20th, 2009 at 1:53 am
I'm definately getting onto those fruits... and for my child
March 20th, 2009 at 5:43 am
Thanks for the update....my kids eat like Bugs Bunny so will make sure the carrots are all organic now!
March 20th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Cabbage, broccoli and tomatoes are amongst my favorite. Thank goodness these three kinds of veggies are listed in "The Clean Fifteen", Stefanie.
March 20th, 2009 at 11:00 am
Amazing post. Apparently just eating the things that are good for you just isn't enough anymore.
March 23rd, 2009 at 7:09 am
great post! What about bananas, my coworkers are crazy about them and I would like to inform you about the risks they take..
March 23rd, 2009 at 10:19 am
I do not understand , how could I miss this info , I thought that fruits and vegetables are the only healthy products left on the planet.
))))))))
Thank for sharing
March 23rd, 2009 at 10:37 am
[...] Focus Organic: Produce – Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen Updated [...]
March 24th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
I'm still unclear about how, exactly, we're supposed to remove the pesticides from the fruit, other than basic washing. Does washing actually remove all the residue?
March 25th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
Thanks for the valuable information!
March 25th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Good to hear onions and tomatoes are one of the cleanest, at least I can still have my salads.
I'm dissapointed about the peaches, apples and strawberries though. They're mainly the only fruits I eat.
March 30th, 2009 at 9:53 am
No pomegranate in the list? Must not be enough of them sold in the US to qualify. Good stuff...best of all in antioxidants...and tasty, too!
April 9th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Chazz, I don't think it matters if it is peeled, chemicals are able to penetrate the skins of fruits and veggies.
Jeff, imported grapes are listed, 10th dirtiest. Domestic grapes are 21st.
Patty, your kids sound like how I was with tomatoes! My grandfather grew his own tomatoes, and told me if I kept eating as many as I did, I would turn red
Wilson, I'm not a cabbage or broccoli fan, but my husband loves broccoli, and I do love tomatoes!
Grog, it's scary, isn't it?
La Plagne, bananas are 27th dirtiest.
Marlborogirl, they are still healthy, you just have to be careful. Home gardening is one way to be sure
Lisa, washing the fruit doesn't wash away the chemicals. I believe these samplings were done AFTER the fruits and veggies were washed.
mens t-shirts, onions are definitely a favorite of mine, but I'm a huge fan of fruit, so seeing that any fruits have high levels of pesticides upsets me.
pomegranate, you know, I would like to know that, too! I don't know how popular they are here as a whole fruit, but I know they're popular as a juice and as a flavoring.
April 15th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Amazing post Stefanie.
I am new to the world of focussing on organic products. One can not be sure these days. I though believed earlier that fruits are good for health, I believe it today also. But what good a contaminated food with pesticides can do but to harm you. That is bad.
But the post is excellent with so much info.
Keep up the good work
Dr Kingston
May 1st, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Very useful post. I linked to it in my 30 Quick, Green and Frugal Meal Planning Resources list.
http://www.itsfrugalbeinggreen.com/2009/05/30-quick-green-and-frugal-meal-planning.html
June 4th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
In direct answer to those who are wondering about washed and peeled fruits and vegetables the below is a quote from the methodology page of the EWG website regarding the study:
'Nearly all the studies used to create the list test produce after it has been rinsed or peeled.'
June 9th, 2009 at 10:48 am
[...] Produce - Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen Updated at Focus Organic - I’m using these lists to maximize what I get for my money when I buy organic [...]
June 19th, 2009 at 1:04 am
W-O-W. That is gross, I knew it was bad but when you see the numbers, its just plain scary!
June 22nd, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Surprising that this knowledge is not made more widespread. Maybe it is just a matter of time?
July 4th, 2009 at 3:58 am
Thanks for this list, it was exactly what I was looking for.
July 7th, 2009 at 8:08 am
I wonder if there is a large % difference from location in which they are grown? Or even bought, sicne that might vary based on geographic location, such as East coast Vs West coast?
July 15th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Is there a difference between washing with cold, warm or hot water?
does either remove more pesticides?
August 18th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
CAT, that's a good question! Something we should look into.
Tech Support Guru, I don't know the scientific answer, but I would think it wouldn't make a difference. Hot water can kill germs (when it's hot enough), but pesticides aren't alive as germs are, so I don't think it would work the same way. I may be wrong, so don't quote me on that, but I can't see how it would be any different.
August 20th, 2009 at 8:15 am
Looks like the Sweet Potato lobbyists were way more effective than the Grapefruit lobbyists: both show on the original list with a load of 29, but Grapefruit didn't make the "Clean Fifteen". How come?
Full list: http://www.foodnews.org/fulllist.php
August 20th, 2009 at 11:13 am
Chris, I only listed the first 15 of the cleanest, but you're right, since grapefruit ties, I'm going to add it as a tie for 15th. Thanks for pointing that out!
August 20th, 2009 at 11:23 am
Great, Stefanie. A list like this has a lot of influence. Some people will just go by the list and assume that anything not on the list is to be avoided.
A follow-up article on how to use the list would be great. If Sweet Potatoes and Grapefruit, at a load of 29, are ok, how much less ok are the Honeydew Melon (at 30) and Cranberries (at 33)?
Since they all have some load, perhaps rationing my intake of the more loaded produce is a reasonable strategy. For instance, would 1 lb of "15 load" be as bad for me, in terms of pesticides, as 1/2 lb of "30 load"?
September 9th, 2009 at 1:25 am
I'm going to use them just because they're good for my health
October 12th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
I guess maybe the extra money is worth it for some produce. Over the long haul, the little bit of extra money may not be such a waste.
October 15th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
I wonder if there is a difference between storing in plastic or paper. Any ideas?
October 15th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
Server Support Company said:
I'm not sure I understand. Do you mean will storage affect the chemicals already on and in the produce?
November 7th, 2009 at 1:56 am
Very surprised to see apple as one of the highest with pesticides. Ironic the statement "an apple a day keeps the doctor away"
December 22nd, 2009 at 10:15 pm
[...] potatoes are both on the clean 15 list so I went with non-organic to get a better price, I do have the clean 15 and the dirty dozen lists posted on my refrigerator for easy reference and I’m really making an effort to start [...]
January 10th, 2010 at 7:18 pm
[...] Check out this link to find out which produce items tested highest and lowest for pesticides. http://focusorganic.com/produce-dirty-dozen-and-clean-fifteen-updated/ If a produce item you typically buy tested higher for pesticides, you probably would be better [...]
January 13th, 2010 at 3:51 am
Does it means, that an "Apple a day, keeps the doctor in?" I just moved to diet of one Apple a day now knowing it has "Apples- 94.1% tested positive, 82.3% for multiple pesticides", what should I do?