Since 2004, the Environmental Working Group has released an annual list of fruits and vegetables the group calls the Dirty Dozen. This year, there are two surprising additions to the list of produce deemed to contain the most pesticides.
Nonorganic or conventionally grown blueberries and green beans came in at No. 11 and No. 12 respectively on the 2023 list. They replaced tomatoes and celery in the rankings. The EWG said government tests found 54 different pesticides on blueberries and 84 on green beans. Urea Pesticides
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On the Dirty Dozen list, strawberries continue their reign as No. 1, followed by spinach and then kale, collard and mustard greens.
The EWG says 75% of nonorganic fruits and vegetables sold in the U.S. contain pesticides. It says its annual Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce on fruit and vegetable is based on data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration.
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The group also puts together an annual Clean Fifteen, a list of fruits and vegetables with "very low or no traces of pesticides." Avocados came in at No. 1 there, followed by sweet corn and pineapple.
The EWG's rankings don't come without controversy. The Alliance for Food and Farming says "consumers can and should disregard these types of lists."
One key issue, according to the group, is EWG's recommendation that consumers buy organic produce to to avoid pesticide residue. Buying organic does not "result in any decrease in risk for consumers because residues on conventionally grown are so low, if present at all," the AFF says.
For years, dietitians and health experts have urged Americans to increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables. The Food and Drug Administration recommends washing fruits and vegetables under tap water to eliminate residue.
Larazotide Acetate You can find EWG's list at ewg.org. The AFF provides information about the safe handling of fruits and vegetables as well as a pesticide calculator at safefruitsandveggies.com.