The Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 of Produce

From a nextdoor post!

When it comes to eliminating harmful toxins from your diet, there are two lists that are quite possibly the most important for you to memorize. An organization called the Environmental Working Group (comprised of scientists, researchers and policymakers), developed a list of the certain types of organic produce that can reduce the amount of toxins you consume on a daily basis (“The Clean 15”), and one for common produce items that have the highest amounts of pesticides and other harmful chemicals (“The Dirty Dozen”). 

The lists – compiled using data from the United States Department of Agriculture – were gathered to help consumers know when they should buy organic and when it isn’t necessary. 

“The Dirty Dozen” 
The fruits and vegetables on “The Dirty Dozen” list, when conventionally grown, tested positive for at least 47 different chemicals, with some testing positive for as many as 67. For produce on the “dirty” list, you should definitely go organic. “The Dirty Dozen” list includes: 

apples 
celery 
cherry tomatoes 
cucumbers, grapes, imported snap peas, nectarines, peaches, potatoes, spinach, kale and collard, greens, strawberries, sweet bell peppers 

Buying organic produce can be very expensive if you don’t know what’s in season. To learn more about the best time to buy certain fruits and vegetables, check out the CUESA’s Seasonality Chart. 

“The Clean 15” 
All the produce on “The Clean 15” displayed little to no traces of pesticides, and is safe to consume in non-organic form. This list includes: 

asparagus, avocados, cabbage, cantaloupe, cauliflower, eggplant, grapefruit, kiwi fruit, mangoes, 
onions, papayas, pineapples, sweet corn, sweet peas (frozen), sweet potatoes