The Environmental Working Group (EWG) analyzes pesticide residue testing data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration. Below are the top 12 fruits and veggies that the EWG highly recommends that you purchase organic since they are the most contaminated and most sprayed fruits and vegetables (lower numbers = more pesticides).
1. Strawberries
2. Spinach
3. Nectarines
4. Apples
5. Grapes
6. Peaches
7. Cherries
8. Pears
9. Tomatoes
10. Celery
11. Potatoes
12. Sweet Bell Peppers
THE CLEAN FIFTEEN™
EWG’s 2018 Clean Fifteen list of produce least likely to contain pesticide residues include: avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, cabbages, onions, frozen sweet peas, papayas, asparagus, mangoes, eggplants, honeydews, kiwis, cantaloupes, cauliflower, broccoli.
Key findings:
* Avocados and sweet corn were the cleanest. Less than 1 percent of samples showed any detectable pesticides.
* More than 80 percent of pineapples, papayas, asparagus, onions and cabbages had no pesticide residues.
* No single fruit sample from the Clean Fifteen tested positive for more than four pesticides.
Multiple pesticide residues are extremely rare on Clean Fifteen vegetables.
* Only 5 percent of Clean Fifteen vegetable samples had two or more pesticides.
Source: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php
