Strawberries, Spinach, Kale: High on the 'Dirty Dozen' List

Once again, strawberries and spinach, along with kale and collard and mustard greens, top this year's "Dirty Dozen" list, an annual and controversial ranking of non-organic fruits and vegetables based on the amount of pesticides found in samples of the foods.

The yearly report comes from the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to improving human health and the environment, and also includes a "Clean 15" list of produce.

The report gives people valuable information, says the Environmental Working Group's Alexis Temkin, PhD, a toxicologist, so they can make informed choices about the fruits and vegetables they buy.

2022 Results: Dirty Dozen

More than 70% of the conventionally grown produce had detectable pesticide residue, the Environmental Working Group found. These fruits and vegetables were found to have the most pesticide residues this year:

1. Strawberries

2. Spinach

3. Kale, and collard and mustard greens

4. Nectarines

5. Apples

6. Grapes

7. Bell and hot peppers

8. Cherries

9. Peaches

10. Pears

11. Celery

12. Tomatoes

2022 Results: Clean 15

Almost 70% of the Clean Fifteen fruit and vegetable samples had no detectable residues of pesticides, the Environmental Working Group found. Avocados and sweet corn were the cleanest, with less than 2% of samples showing any detectable pesticides.

1. Avocados

2. Sweet corn

3. Pineapple

4. Onions

5. Papaya

6. Sweet peas (frozen)

7. Asparagus

8. Honeydew melon

9. Kiwi

10. Cabbage

11. Mushrooms

12. Cantaloupe

13. Mangoes

14. Watermelon

15. Sweet potatoes