Which Fruits and Vegetables Contain the Most Pesticide? The 2013 List

by Chris Jones on May 30, 2013

The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington D.C., has now published its 2013 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce (1) compiled from data obtained from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Nearly 70 percent of the fruits and vegetables had detectable pesticide residues after they had been washed or peeled.

The Most Contaminated

There have been some changes from last year’s list although Apples still remain supreme as being the most contaminated on the list. The top 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables, also known as the Dirty Dozen, are as follows with the most contaminated first: Apples, Strawberries, Grapes, Celery, Peaches, Spinach, Sweet Bell Peppers, Nectarines ( Imported ), Cucumbers, Potatoes, Cherry Tomatoes and Hot Peppers. For the second year running, the Dirty Dozen™ has been expanded by the addition of a Plus category to highlight two crops. In the latest report, they are domestically-grown summer squash and leafy greens, specifically kale and collards. These crops did not meet the traditional Dirty Dozen™ criteria but were commonly found to be contaminated with pesticides that are exceptionally toxic to the nervous system. The Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) is restricting the use of most toxic pesticides but some are still showing up on produce.

The Least Contaminated

At the other end of the spectrum, the 15 least contaminated fruits and vegetables, known as the Clean Fifteen, are as follows with the cleanest first: Sweet Corn, Onions, Pineapples, Avocados, Cabbage, Sweet Peas ( Frozen ), Papayas, Mangos, Asparagus, Eggplant, Kiwi Fruit, Grapefruit, Cantaloupe, Sweet Potatoes and Mushrooms. ( It should be noted that some Sweet Corn is genetically modified to produce the bacterial pesticide Bt Toxin, and the only way to be certain of avoiding this is to purchase corn that has been grown organically.)

In the video below, the renowned physician and author Dr. Andrew Weil comments on the findings.

© Christopher J. Jones, M.Sc., Ph.D.

1. EWG’s 2013 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php

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Tagged as: contaminated fruits and vegetables, Dr. Andrew Weil, Dr. Chris Jones, Environmental Working Group, EWG, fruit, most contaminated fruit, most contaminated vegetables, Pesticides, pesticides in fruit and vegetables, Shopper's Guide to Pesticides, vegetables

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The information and recommendations given on this site are based upon the experience of the author and on assessments of published findings by others. You should seek advice from an appropriate health professional such as a physician, dietician, nutritionist or exercise specialist if you are considering making changes to your diet and lifestyle, in the event that there may be health and fitness issues and possible food allergies to consider. It is prudent to make changes gradually rather than all at once.