Check out what produce had the highest pesticide residue and which has the lowest with the dirty dozen and clean fifteen lists, so you can make the best decisions for yourself and your family.
I originally shared this information and list in 2017. It was last updated on April 18th, 2024. I try to keep it updated each year to make it more useful to you.
Each year the nonprofit organization Environmental Working Group (EWG) releases its Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen guides using data from the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The lists are often seen as controversial because it’s not clear if we really can reduce our pesticide exposure by eating organic food versus conventionally raised food.
“Residues on conventional-grown are already so minute if they’re present at all. The second thing is that this list has been shown again through peer-reviewed research to negatively impact consumers. When low-income consumers were exposed to this list and some of the messaging in the Dirty Dozen list, they stated they were less likely to purchase any produce, organic or conventional.” – Teresa Thorne, executive director of the Alliance for Food and Farming,
However, given there are known health risks from pesticide exposure some may choose to avoid it when possible. The dirty dozen and clean fifteen lists can help you choose when it’s more important.
If organic is always out of your budget eating a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables is much healthier than avoiding them due to possible pesticide concerns. All produce should be washed anyway, water is usually enough or you can use a simple produce wash, which can remove a lot of residues on produce.
One thing to note is many people suggest that you use vinegar with baking soda to clean produce. This is not a helpful method as mixing vinegar and baking soda only makes salt water. You can learn more about this and other cleaning ingredients you shouldn’t mix on my post Household Cleaning Products You Should Never Mix.
I’m sharing these lists for those who want to avoid pesticides and have room in their budgets. Being an informed consumer is always helpful but don’t let these lists cause a lot of fear.
Dirty Dozen Foods List
These are the fruits and vegetables that tested as having the highest amount of pesticide residue. These are the ones to consider buying organic.
If not noted the produce is in the same spot as 2023.
- Strawberries
- Spinach
- Kale, Collard, & Mustard Greens
- Grapes (up from 8 in 2023)
- Peaches (down from 4 in 2023)
- Pears
- Nectarines
- Apples
- Bell & Hot Peppers
- Cherries
- Blueberries
- Green Beans
Clean Fifteen Foods List
These are the fruits and vegetables that tested as having the least amount of pesticide residue. These would be the ones to buy conventional to save some money.
If not noted the produce is in the same spot as 2023.
- Carrots
- Sweet Potatoes (up from 3 in 2023)
- Mangoes (up from 4 in 2023)
- Mushrooms (up from 5 in 2023)
- Watermelon (down from 2 in 2023)
- Cabbage
- Kiwi
- Honeydew Melon
- Asparagus
- Sweet Peas (frozen)
- Papaya
- Onions
- Pineapple
- Sweet Corn
- Avocados
Printable Dirty Dozen & Clean Fifteen Lists
Get this printable dirty dozen and clean fifteen guides to keep handy when you make your meal plan and shopping list. Just sign up below and it will be sent straight to your inbox.
Sara says
Thanks for sharing, I would have missed the update. I always keep a picture of these lists on my phone. for easy reference!
Alina says
This is very VERY useful, thank you for sharing! I’m going to print the list out and pin it to my board in the kitchen!
Lisa Sharp says
Good idea, the visual reminder is so helpful!
Good Enuf Mommy says
great lists! I need to save these for later!
Terry says
We are a senior couple who have not cared about gmo’s or pesticides etc.for nearly 40 years of marriage but now my husband has a gluten sensitivity and a problem with leaky gut/yeast overgrowth. He also has an aversion to most any vegetable with the exception of bell peppers,onions,potatoes,celery if I slip it into his favorite stir fry. I find your lists interesting and yes will likely bear them in mind as I shop. I have access to organic farmers markets here in the spring and summer and at least 5 natural food stores that I haven’t considered until now. I was a no nonsense nurse for over 30 years and don’t believe a lot of what I hear or read,but this has a ring of truth. Trouble is you can find dissenting opinions about most things if you want to. My test will be how we feel and so far we both seem to feel ok.
Lisa Sharp says
For me I feel like it’s better safe than sorry. My mom is an RN and I love science so I like to be reasonable and ignore a lot of the fear based stuff. I just feel there are somethings we don’t know yet so I’ll be a bit cautious but not overly panic or anything. Hope this does help you! I’m not a big veggie eater naturally either but if I season them well and add cheese it helps. Cheese helps everything, ha.
Alice says
I used to never like veggies either till my late hubs became diabetic and I bought a rice steamer and started using it on all my veggies. Now I am in love. Been doing it this way for about 20 years now. And I do agree cheese makes it better -so does garlic or bacon!
Holly Whiteside says
I have a degree in agriculture, and I disagree that corn should be on the “clean 15” list. Unless organic, most corn today is GMO modified, often to make it “Round-up Ready.” The generic name for Round-Up is glyphosate, and it is a strong chemical herbicide that they apply to fields of corn, soy, and cotton, so strong, in fact, that they have to modify the corn so that the corn is not killed by the glyphosate. Though we are not an herb, traces of the glyphosate remain on the vegetable, and when we ingest it, it kills off some of the natural bacteria in our guts and can cause us digestive issues and inflammation over time. There are many reputable sources that discuss the health hazards of glyphosate both from breathing or digesting it, hazards which include a higher risk of cancer. I will put just one reputable source here, and you can investigate further.
Lisa Sharp says
This list is put out by EWG. It’s just one resource for people to use to make choices.