The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Dirty Dozen

Let’s talk about the Dirty Dozen; each spring, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) releases the Dirty Dozen & Clean 15 list which outlines the fruits and vegetables that contain the highest levels of pesticides. The EWG recommend buying these items organic where possible. Unfortunately we are not all in positions to be able to buy/afford organic produce all the time. However if you do worry about pesticides in your diet the two lists are a great tool to help differentiate and prioritise what’s best for you.

This year they are - Strawberries, Kale, Spinach, Peaches, Pears, Nectarines, Apples, Grapes, Bell and Hot Peppers, Cherries, Blueberries, Green Beans

A total of 210 pesticides were found on Dirty Dozen items.

Clean 15

In contrast, there is a list of the Clean 15, conventionally raised produce that shows the lowest amount of pesticide residues:

This year they are - Avocados, Sweetcorn, Pineapple, Onions, Papaya,

Frozen Peas, Aubergine, Asparagus, Broccoli, Cabbage, Kiwi, Cauliflower, Mushrooms, Honeydew Melon, Cantaloupe Melon

The list changes yearly.

The More You Know.