Environmental Working Group has some good information. Choosing organic foods is important to me, but sometimes they are not available, the quality is poor or they are too expensive. They’ve compiled two lists: the dirty dozen plus (only buy organic) and the clean 15 (lowest in pesticides). If you want to read more details, following this list are some Key Findings by EWG that might interest you.
Here is a link to download a free pdf guide of EWG’s shopper’s guide to pesticides in produce.
Donate to EWG for all the hard work that they do to keep us informed and get a wallet card with the Dirty 12 and the Clean 15!
Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides
| Dirty Dozen | Clean 15 |
|---|---|
| Buy these organic | Lowest in Pesticides |
| 1. Strawberries | 1. Avocado |
| 2. Spinach | 2. Sweet Corn* |
| 3. Kale | 3. Pineapples |
| 4. Nectarines | 4. Sweet Peas – frozen |
| 5. Apples | 5. Onions |
| 6. Grapes | 6. Papayas* |
| 7. Peaches | 7. Eggplant |
| 8. Cherries | 8. Asparagus |
| 9. Pears | 9. Kiwis |
| 10. Tomatoes | 10. Cabbages |
| 11. Celery | 11. Cauliflower |
| 12.Potatoes | 12. Cantaloupes |
| + Dirty Dozen PLUS | 13. Broccoli |
| 14. Mushrooms | |
| 15. Honeydew Melons |
|
+ Dirty Dozen PLUS includes: Sweet Bell Peppers, Cherry Tomatoes, Lettuce, Cucumbers, Blueberries, Hot Peppers, Plums, Green Beans, Tangerines, Raspberries, Grapefruit, Winter Squash, Snap Peas, Carrots, Oranges, Summer Squash*, Mangoes, Bananas, Sweet Potatoes, Watermelons, Honeydew Melons, Mushrooms, Broccoli, Cantaloupes, Cauliflower, Cabbages, Kiwis, Asparagus, Eggplants, Papayas*, Onions, Sweet Peas Frozen, Pineapples, Sweet Corn*, Avocados More Details. |
| + May contain pesticide residues of special concern |
|
* A small amount of sweet corn, papaya and summer squash sold in the United States is produced from genetically modified seeds. Buy organic varieties of these crops if you want to avoid genetically modified produce. Read the Report on the details of study of their tests on samples of fruits and vegetables. There is also lots of good information on health benefits, genetically engineered crops (GMOS), pesticide avoidance and regulation. |