The Environmental Working Group's annual Dirty Dozen guide helps shoppers determine which fruits and vegetables have the most pesticide residues, and are therefore the most important to buy organic. This year's guide is identical to last year's, with two notable additions to the high pesticide watch: leafy greens and green beans.
They're calling it Dirty Dozen Plus to especially highlight green beans and leafy greens like kale and collard greens. While these veggies don't meet traditional Dirty Dozen criteria, the EWG says they are often contaminated with highly toxic organophosphate insecticides, and so should be purchased organic whenever possible.
As usual, the guide also contains a list of the Clean 15, the produce lowest in pesticides and therefore safe to buy conventional.
The Dirty Dozen (Always Buy Organic)
Apples
Celery
Sweet bell peppers
Peaches
Strawberries
Nectarines - imported
Grapes
Spinach
Lettuce
Cucumbers
Blueberries - domestic
Potatoes
+ PLUS
Leafy greens
Green Beans
The Clean 15 (OK to Buy Conventional)
Onions
Sweet Corn
Pineapples
Avocado
Cabbage
Sweet peas
Asparagus
Mangoes
Eggplant
Kiwi
Cantaloupe - domestic
Sweet potatoes
Grapefruit
Watermelon
Mushrooms
Download the Full List [PDF]
Read More: The EWG's 2012 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce
Related: It's True! Organic Fruits and Vegetables Taste Better
(Image: Veronin36/Shutterstock)
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Very helpful list for those of us on a budget. I'd add: buy organic sweet potatoes because they are still a pretty inexpensive food even at the higher organic price, and for some reason the organic ones ALWAYS taste better. I really haven't found this to be consistently true of any other type of produce.
My "always buy organic" list includes carrots because sometimes, conventional ones taste soapy in my opinion. Ever since I switched to organic, I've never encountered a soapy-tasting carrot. And they even last longer in the fridge!
Agreed on both the sweet potatoes and carrots! The organic ones always seem to taste better. And it seems like pesticides in the ground would have the same effects on those two as regular potatoes, as they're roots.
So good to see that plums are okay! It has been impossible to find organic plums right now and my son is ADDICTED to them (so we're calling organic pluots, plums :) They are also 4.99 a lb, so it would be lovely to get him some regular plums.
What about brussel sprouts? Another vegi that is nearly impossible to find organic...
I have two lists here: one has tomatoes on the "buy organic" side and one has them on the "safe" side. I've been trying to limit them to organic but they tend to be much pricier.
@chicagocook-- Part of the reason why potatoes are a problem and the others are not even though they are all root crops is that different pests go after different crops. Conventionally grown potatoes tend to be heavily sprayed because they have a lot of pest problems. I think carrots and sweet potatoes just don't get sprayed nearly as much.
I agree that organic carrots always taste way better, but mine always go all limp in the fridge in under a week. Does anyone else have trouble with organic apples? I've bought them a few times, but they've always been soft and/or mealy. I'm not going to pay more for apples I don't want to eat.
Does this list only apply to vegetables and fruit you can buy in the US, or does it apply to Europe as well? Just a dutch girl wondering...