A nonprofit and environmental organization called Environmental Working Group (EWG) looks at data supplied by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about pesticide residues and compiles a list each year of the best and worst pesticide loads found in commercial crops. The Dirty Dozen list advises which fruits and vegetables you should always buy organic. The Clean Fifteen list lets you know which produce is considered safe enough, when grown conventionally, to allow you to skip the organics. This does not mean that the Clean Fifteen produce is pesticide-free, though, so wash these fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
These lists change every year, so make sure you look up the most recent before you fill your shopping cart. You’ll find the most recent lists as well as a guide to pesticides in produce at EWG.org/FoodNews .
2017 Dirty Dozen
Apples
Celery
Cherry tomatoes
Cucumbers
Grapes
Nectarines
Peaches
Potatoes
Snap peas
Spinach
Strawberries
Sweet bell peppers
In addition to the Dirty Dozen, the EWG added two foods contaminated with highly toxic organophosphate insecticides:
Hot peppers
Kale/Collard greens
2017 Clean Fifteen
Asparagus
Avocados
Cabbage
Cantaloupe
Cauliflower
Eggplant
Grapefruit
Kiwis
Mangoes
Onions
Papayas
Pineapples
Sweet corn
Sweet peas (frozen)
Sweet potatoes