Pesticide on Fruits and Vegetables

Why Should You Care About Pesticides?

The growing consensus among scientists is that small doses of

pesticides and other chemicals can cause lasting damage to human

health, especially during fetal development and early childhood.

Scientists now know enough about the long-term consequences of

ingesting these powerful chemicals to advise that we minimize our

consumption of pesticides.

What’s the Difference?

EWG research has found that people who eat five fruits and

vegetables a day from the Dirty Dozen list consume an average of

10 pesticides a day. Those who eat from the 15 least contaminated

conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables ingest fewer than 2

pesticides daily. The Guide helps consumers make informed choices

to lower their dietary pesticide load.

Will Washing and Peeling Help?

The data used to create these lists is based on produce tested as

it is typically eaten (meaning washed, rinsed or peeled, depending

on the type of produce). Rinsing reduces but does not eliminate

pesticides. Peeling helps, but valuable nutrients often go down the

drain with the skin. The best approach: eat a varied diet, rinse all

produce and buy organic when possible.

How Was This Guide Developed?

EWG analysts have developed the Guide based on data from nearly

96,000 tests for pesticide residues in produce conducted between

2000 and 2008 and collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture

and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. You can find a detailed

description of the criteria EWG used to develop these rankings and

the complete list of fruits and vegetables tested at our dedicated

website, www.foodnews.org.

Shoping Guide

Dirty Dozen (advice: buy organic)	Clean 15 (Lowest in Pesticides)
Celery	Onion
Peaches	Avocado
Strawberries	Sweet Corn
Apples	Pineapples
Blueberries	Mangoes
Nectarines	Sweet Peas
Bell Peppers	Asparagus
Spinach	Kiwi
Kale	Cabbages
Cherries	Eggplant
Potatoes	Cantaloupe
Grapes	Watermelon
	Grapefruits
	Sweet Potatoes
	Honeydew Melon