Whether organic or conventionally grown, fruits and vegetables are fundamental components of a healthy diet. However, many crops contain potentially harmful pesticides, even after washing, peeling or scrubbing. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), nearly 70 percent of the non-organic fresh produce sold in the U.S. contains residues of potentially harmful chemical pesticides. And the residue is not limited to fresh produce. Unfortunately, it has also been found in frozen fruits and vegetables.
Pesticides are substances that are meant to control pests and are intended to serve as plant protection products. Sadly, the vast majority of the products used to “protect plants” are poisoning humans and animals.
The term pesticide includes all of the following: herbicide, insecticides nematicide, molluscicide, piscicide, avicide, rodenticide, bactericide, insect repellent, animal repellent, antimicrobial, and fungicide. 80% of pesticide use comes in the form of herbicides, commonly known as weedkillers, and are substances used to control unwanted plants.
Acute health problems may occur in people who handle pesticides, such as abdominal pain, dizziness, headaches, nausea, vomiting, as well as skin and eye problems. There are also serious long term effects including cancer, neurological issues, birth defects, miscarriages and infertility.
If people can get sick simply handling these chemicals, imagine what they can do when you ingest them on a regular basis.
I recommend always buying organic when you can because Organic standards prohibit the use of synthetic pesticides. However, if you are on a tight budget, focus your attention on buying organic for the dirtiest foods.
The Dirty Dozen vs The Clean 15
Every year, the EWG comes up with a list of foods based on pesticide residue. The list is fairly consistent from year to year with a slight change here and there. The Dirty Dozen™ and the Clean 15™ are trademark terms to describe the fruits and vegetables that have the highest and lowest amount of pesticide residue.
The EWG uses data from United States Department of Agriculture Pesticide Data Program to make their annual list.
You can sign up for their 2021 shopping guide here.
The Clean 15 Food List for 2021
These 15 items had the lowest amounts of pesticide residues, according to EWG’s analysis of the most recent USDA data:
- Avocados and sweet corn were the cleanest. Fewer than 2 percent of samples showed any detectable pesticides.
- The first seven Clean Fifteen crops tested positive for three or fewer pesticides on a single sample.
- Almost 70 percent of Clean Fifteen fruit and vegetable samples had no pesticide residues.
- Multiple pesticide residues are extremely rare on Clean Fifteen vegetables. Only 8 percent of Clean Fifteen fruit and vegetable samples had two or more pesticides.
The complete list is as follows:
- Avocado
- Sweet Corn
- Pineapple
- Onion
- Papaya
- Frozen Sweet Peas
- Eggplant
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Kiwi
- Cauliflower
- Mushrooms
- Honeydew Melon
- Cantaloupes
The Dirty Dozen Food List for 2021
According to the EWG, of the 46 items included in their analysis of the USDA data, the following Dirty Dozen foods were contaminated with more pesticides than other crops:
- More than 90 percent of samples of strawberries, apples, cherries, spinach, nectarines, and leafy greens tested positive for residues of two or more pesticides.
- A single sample of kale, collard and mustard greens had up to 20 different pesticides.
- On average, spinach samples had 1.8 times as much pesticide residue by weight as any other crop tested.
- Hot peppers and bell peppers had the most pesticides detected, 115 pesticides in total and 21 more pesticides than the crops with the second highest amount – kale, collard and mustard greens.
The complete list is as follows:
- Strawberries
- Spinach
- Kale, collard and mustard greens
- Nectarines
- Apples
- Grapes
- Cherries
- Peaches
- Pears
- Bell and hot peppers
- Tomatoes
- Celery
It is a good idea to buy organic foods whenever possible. However, if you have limited resources, focus on purchasing organic items from the Dirty Dozen since they have the most pesticide residue. I also recommend using an organic veggie wash. You can buy it at the Grocery Store or make one yourself at a fraction of the price. While it is possible that a wash will not clean the pesticides off the produce completely, it will definitely help and it will get rid of germs and harmful bacteria.
