2020 Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 List
2020 Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 List
Nearly 70% of the fresh produce sold in the US contains residues of potentially harmful chemical pesticides. This is according to EWG’s analysis of the latest test data from the federal Department of Agriculture.
Strawberries, kale and spinach continue to be some of the “dirtiest” produce in terms of pesticides. Even after certain conventional fruits and vegetables are washed and peeled, pesticide residue remains.
But the dirtiest produce commodity, according to the USDA’s Pesticide Data Program, is not a fresh fruit or vegetable but a dried one - raisins! For the first time in over a decade the EWG tested raisins and discovered that 99% of non-organic raisins tested have residues of at least two pesticides.
As with last year’s Shopper’s Guide, kale ranks third on the 2020 Dirty Dozen list. Even as kale’s popularity as a health food rich in vitamins and antioxidants has soared in recent years, the level and type of pesticide residues on kale has expanded significantly.
Here is the EWG’s 2020 Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 List in its entirety.
The following items on its “Dirty Dozen” list of fruits and veggies with the most pesticide residue detected for 2020 are as follows:
Strawberries •
Spinach
Kale
Nectarines
Apples •
Grapes
Peaches
Cherries
Pears
Tomatoes
Celery
Potatoes •
The items the Environmental Working Group (EWG) identified for its “Clean 15,” which report the least likelihood to contain pesticide residue for 2020 are as follows:
Avocados
Sweet corn •
Pineapples •
Onion
Papaya
Sweet Peas Frozen
Eggplants
Asparagus
Cauliflower
Cantaloupes
Broccoli
Mushrooms
Cabbage
Honeyew
Kiwi
Look for produce stickers that are 5 digits and start with the number 9. These will always be organic!
And do your best to clean store bought produce by soaking in a vinegar/water solution with 1 part organic white distilled vinegar to 7 parts cold water for a half hour to remove bacteria and other unhealthy residues.