Health

Watch out when picking your fruits and veggies: These are the produce items with the highest pesticide residues

The Environmental Working Group has released its latest list of the fruit and vegetables that most expose U.S. consumers to pesticides.

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William Allen

British journalist and translator who joined Diario AS in 2013. Focuses on soccer – chiefly the Premier League, LaLiga, the Champions League, the Liga MX and MLS. On occasion, also covers American sports, general news and entertainment. Fascinated by the language of sport – particularly the under-appreciated art of translating cliché-speak.

Update: Jun 13th, 2025 12:02 EDT

Potatoes and blackberries have this year been added to the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) list of the fruit and vegetables that most expose U.S. consumers to potentially harmful pesticides.

Released most years since 2004, the EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce details what it calls the “Dirty Dozen”: the 12 conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables found to carry the highest amount of pesticide residue.

The EWG’s “Dirty Dozen” - the full 2025 list:

1. Spinach
2. Strawberries
3. Kale, collard and mustard greens
4. Grapes
5. Peaches
6. Cherries
7. Nectarines
8. Pears
9. Apples
10. Blackberries
11. Blueberries
12. Potatoes

How do pesticides affect humans?

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, pesticides can have numerous damaging effects on human health.

“Some […] affect the nervous system,” the EPA explains. “Others may irritate the skin or eyes. Some pesticides may be carcinogens. Others may affect the hormone or endocrine system in the body.”

How did the EWG create its “Dirty Dozen” ranking?

The EWG, an environmental-advocacy and consumer-protection group based in Washington, D.C., compiles its ranking by examining data from pesticide residue tests carried out by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

For its 2025 report, the EWG says it looked at the results of testing on nearly 53,700 samples of 47 types of fruit and vegetable.

The EWG took into account four chief criteria. “This year’s guide not only looks at the number, presence and amount of pesticides on produce but also considers their toxicity, or their ability to cause harm,” the body said in a summary of its report, which was released this week.

The EWG says USDA testing found traces of 203 different types of pesticide across the produce items that make up the “Dirty Dozen”.

Buy organic and wash produce, EWG says

To avoid pesticide exposure when consuming such fruit and vegetables, the EWG recommends going organic: buying produce defined by the EPA as “food grown and processed using no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides”.

The EWG adds: “It doesn’t have to be in the fresh produce part of a store. Frozen options are often available and more affordable.”

Consumers are also advised to wash the fruit and vegetables they buy thoroughly before using. “Washing does not remove pesticides entirely, but data show that unwashed produce contains higher pesticide levels than washed produce,” the body says.

And the EWG also stresses that its report should not put consumers off eating fruit and vegetables, noting that such produce is “essential for a healthy diet”.

“The guide is there to help consumers eat a lot of fruits and vegetables while trying to reduce pesticide exposure,” Alexis Temkin, EWG’s vice-president of science, told CNN.

How much fruit and veg do we need per day?

According to a 2021 study by experts at Havard Medical School, humans should have five servings of fruit and vegetables each day. This dietary habit is associated with a lower risk of death from conditions such as heart disease and stroke, cancer, and respiratory disease, Havard’s research says.

“Fruits and vegetables are major sources of several nutrients that are strongly linked to good health, particularly the health of the heart and blood vessels: potassium, magnesium, fiber, and polyphenols [antioxidant plant compounds],” says Dr. Daniel Wang, the study’s lead author.

Which fruit and veg has least pesticide residue?

As part of its efforts to help consumers reduce their pesticide exposure, the EWG’s report also names the “Clean Fifteen” - the USDA-tested produce which displayed the lowest amounts of pesticide residue.

1. Pineapple
2. Sweet corn (fresh and frozen)
3. Avocados
4. Papaya
5. Onions
6. Sweet peas (frozen)
7. Asparagus
8. Cabbage
9. Watermelon
10. Cauliflower
11. Bananas
12. Mangoes
13. Carrots
14. Mushrooms
15. Kiwi