Taste Life Blog

In 1995, the Environmental Working Group identified fruits and vegetables in the conventional, non-organic food supply that were most often contaminated with pesticide residues. Foods with the highest amounts of pesticides were nicknamed the “Dirty Dozen.”

EWG’s latest report issued in 2012 featured the following fruits and vegetables as the “Dirty Dozen Plus.” These are presented in descending order in terms of pesticide residue frequency (the uppermost food contains pesticide residues on the most frequent basis, and the next food down contains pesticide residues at the second highest frequency):

• Apples
• Celery
• Sweet bell peppers
• Peaches
• Strawberries
• Nectarines-imported
• Grapes
• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Cucumbers
• Blueberries-domestic
• Potatoes

The “Plus” in the “Dirty Dozen Plus” refers to a new category that the Environmental Working Group added to their report this year. It reflects two types of produce that didn’t meet the traditional Dirty Dozen criteria yet were of special concern. While they may not have been among the top 12 crops in which pesticide residues were found, these conventionally grown “Plus” crops were found to commonly be contaminated with organophosphate insecticides, which are considered to be highly toxic to the nervous system.

For the 2012 list, the “Plus” crops included:

Green beans and Leafy greens, such as kale and collard greens

If pesticides bother you learn more about joining a CSA or shop the farmers markets more often.