The dirty dozen
According to research conducted by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), “the dirty dozen” are those fruits and veg found to have the highest residues of pesticides out of 48 different items. These are the ones that I’d strongly recommend either buying organic or even better, growing your own.
- apples
- strawberries
- grapes
- celery
- peaches
- spinach
- sweet bell peppers/capsicums
- nectarines
- cucumber
- potatoes
- cherry tomatoes
- hot peppers/chilli peppers
The “clean” dozen, i.e those with the lowest levels of pesticide residues are:
- sweetcorn
- onions
- pineapple
- avocado
- cabbage
- sweet peas (frozen)
- papaya
- mango
- asparagus
- eggplant
- kiwi
- grapefruit
A full list of the 48 fruits and veg that the EWG tested can be found here.
If you can’t afford to buy organic or grow your own then the next best thing is to buy your fresh produce at a farmers’ market. The fruits and veggies will often be in season and fresher, therefore containing more nutrients. If you do have to buy from a supermarket, be sure to focus on buying those non-organic items that are in season.