Every year the Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes results from government tests on pesticide residue in conventionally grown fruit and vegetable. EWG’s Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen shows which fruit and vegetable you’d be better off buying organic (if you don’t care much for pesticide in your food).
Food to buy organically (Dirty Dozen – high in pesticides):
- apples
- celery
- cherry tomatoes
- cucumbers
- grapes
- nectarine
- peaches
- potatoes
- snap peas
- spinach
- strawberries
- sweet bell peppers
- hot peppers
- kale/collards
Food that’s ok to buy conventionally-grown (Clean Fifteen – low in pesticides):
- asparagus
- avocados
- cabbage
- cantaloupe
- cauliflower
- eggplant
- grapefruit
- kiwis
- mangoes
- onions
- papayas
- pineapples
- sweet corn
- sweet peas (frozen)
- sweet potatoes
from: EWG’s 2014 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™
