The Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen are two lists of produce produced by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). They are taken from a list of 48 fruits and vegetables tested for pesticide residues and represent the dirtiest and cleanest fruits and vegetables respectively. The Dirty Dozen was originally a list of the dirtiest twelve fruits and vegetables, however EWG has included more than twelve in recent years. In 2013 zucchini/courgette/summer squash and kale were found to contain pesticides which are particularly toxic to the nervous system and it was deemed appropriate to include them.
Dirty Dozen | Clean Fifteen |
---|---|
Apples | Corn |
Strawberries | Onions |
Grapes | Pineapple |
Celery | Avocado |
Peaches | Cabbage |
Spinach | Sweet peas |
Sweet bell peppers | Papaya |
Nectarines | Mango |
Cucumbers | Asparagus |
Potatoes | Eggplant |
Cherry tomatoes | Kiwi |
Hot peppers | Grapefruit |
DIRTY DOZEN PLUS | Cantaloupe |
Kale/greens* | Sweet potatoes |
Zucchini/summer squash* | Mushrooms |
Here is the full list of 48 fruits and vegetables tested by the EWG, listed in order from dirtiest to cleanest (select 50 from the drop down to expand the list):
Apples |
Strawberries |
Grapes |
Celery |
Peaches |
Spinach |
Sweet bell peppers |
Nectarines - imported |
Cucumbers |
Potatoes |
Cherry tomatoes |
Hot peppers |
Blueberries - US |
Lettuce |
Snap peas - imported |
Kale / collard greens |
cherries |
Nectarines - US |
Pears |
Plums |
Raspberries |
Blueberries - imported |
Carrots |
Green beans |
Tangerines |
Summer squash |
Broccoli |
Winter squash |
Green onions |
Snap peas - US |
Oranges |
Tomatoes |
Honeydew melon |
Cauliflower |
Bananas |
Watermelon |
Mushrooms |
Sweet potatoes |
Cantaloupe |
Grapefruit |
Kiwi |
Eggplant |
Asparagus |
Mangos |
Papayas |
Sweet peas frozen |
Cabbage |
Avocados |
Pineapples |
Onions |
Sweet Corn |