NutriHelpers
Nutrition & Lifestyle Solutions for Menopause
Clean
Eating
​
Have you heard of EWG's "Dirty Dozen" & "Clean 15"?
No, those aren't movie titles! The Environmental Working Group (EWG) researchers annually compile their data based on lab tests done by the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Pesticide Testing Program.
Highlights of EWG’s 2023 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce:
-
More than 90 percent of samples of strawberries, apples, cherries, spinach, nectarines, and kale tested positive for residues of two or more pesticides.
-
Kale, collard and mustard greens, as well as hot peppers and bell peppers, had the most pesticides detected, 103 and 101 pesticides in total, respectively.
-
A single sample of kale, collard and mustard greens had up to 21 different pesticides.
-
On average, spinach samples had 1.8 times as much pesticide residue by weight as any other crop tested.
-
Almost 70 percent of Clean Fifteen fruit and vegetable samples had no detectable pesticide residues.
-
Avocados and sweet corn were the cleanest produce – less than 2 percent of samples showed any detectable pesticides.
-
Just under 5 percent of Clean Fifteen fruit and vegetable samples had residues of two or more pesticides.
Hope this helps you on your next shopping expedition!
Dirty Dozen
Clean Fifteen
In a Nutshell
​
This is a list of produce that is either encouraged to buy organic because of how easily the specific fruit or vegetable absorbs toxins from water, soil or fertilizer versus fruits and vegetables that are less likely to be saturated. This list is updated annually.
​
The EWG tests fruits and vegetables on the market to determine which conventionally grown produce contain the most and the least chemical pesticides, which they then tabulate as a shopper’s guide for our convenience.
​
