The Environmental Working Group (EWG) puts out an updated list of the produce that contains the most toxins each year, as well as the produce that has the least. They test 47 types of produce and the ones that are contaminated with the most pesticides are called the ‘Dirty Dozen’ and the ones that are least contaminated are the ‘Clean Fifteen’.
These lists are good references when making choices about when to spend more money on the organic version and when to save money by buying conventional produce when it is too expensive to buy all organic food.
Dirty Dozen as of 2025:
- Spinach
- Strawberries
- Kale, Collard, and Mustard Greens
- Grapes
- Peaches
- Cherries
- Nectarines
- Pears
- Apples
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Potatoes
Clean Fifteen as of 2025
- Pineapples
- Sweet Corn Fresh and Frozen
- Avocados
- Papaya
- Onion
- Sweet Peas (Frozen)
- Asparagus
- Cabbage
- Watermelon
- Cauliflower
- Bananas
- Mangoes
- Carrots
- Mushrooms
- Kiwi
I like knowing where it is most important to focus my organic-only dollars and appreciate that the EWG updates these lists yearly. It would be ideal if we did not need these lists at all, and maybe if you grow your own food, you don’t, but for the rest of us, the more we know, the better choices we can make.
Eat Well!🍓🍌🌿🍆✨