Each year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) reviews thousands of produce samples tested by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and ranks them by pesticide residue levels.
Their resulting Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists shine a light on how your favourite fruits and veggies stack up, and why food grown to certified organic standards matters now more than ever. Source: www.ewg.org
❌ Dirty Dozen: What To Watch Out For
Many Dirty Dozen items have thin or edible skins, so pesticide residues are harder to wash off or peel away. Regular exposure to multiple pesticide residues over time can increase your body’s cumulative burden.
These 12 fruits and vegetables consistently show the highest levels of pesticide residues when grown conventionally. For 2025, the list includes:
- Spinach
- Strawberries
- Kale, collard & mustard greens
- Grapes
- Peaches
- Cherries
- Nectarines
- Pears
- Apples
- Blackberries (new to the list in 2025)
- Blueberries
- Potatoes (new to the list in 2025)
Because these items frequently test positive for pesticides - often multiple types per sample - the EWG flags them as priorities for buying organic to remove the burden of nasty chemicals on our food.
🍏 Clean Fifteen: Produce at Lower Risk
These 15 fruits and vegetables tend to have the lowest detectable pesticide residues when grown conventionally:
- Pineapple
- Sweet corn
- Avocados
- Papaya
- Onions
- Frozen sweet peas
- Asparagus
- Cabbage
- Watermelon
- Cauliflower
- Bananas
- Mangoes
- Carrots
- Mushrooms
- Kiwi
Because many of these have thick skins, protective rinds, or robust outer layers, they’re often less penetrated by pesticides, making them lower-risk for chemical residues.
What This Means for You
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Whenever you buy conventional produce, the Dirty Dozen items are the riskiest picks for pesticides. It is always best to opt for certified organic versions of the items on this list.
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If organic isn’t available, the Clean Fifteen can give you lower-residue options.
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At Good Harvest, we go a step further: The vast majority of our produce is certified organic (and if not certified, at least guaranteed spray free). So regardless whether it’s from the Dirty Dozen or elsewhere on the list, your risk from pesticide residue is essentially eliminated!
Final Thoughts
The Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists are valuable tools, but they don't paint the whole picture. They highlight where pesticide risk is highest or lowest based on detectable residues, but they don’t guarantee safety or harm either way.
That’s why at Good Harvest, we believe organic is the foundation of food that nourishes you and your family.
Every time you order a home-delivered box or visit our farmers market stalls, you can trust that what you're buying is even better for you than items on the Clean Fifteen list.
