The 2017 Dirty Dozen-Clean Fifteen Veggies-Fruits list from the EWG (Environment Working Group) has been released. EWG analyzed pesticide residue testing data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration to come up with rankings for the following popular fresh produce items. All 48 foods are listed below from worst to best – lower numbers indicate more pesticides. Each year the EWG comes up with its list of the dozen different fruits and veggies that toxic-chemical-aware consumers should know before purchasing.
Below are the 2017 Dirty Dozen-Clean Fifteen Veggies and Fruits
2017 Dirty Dozen Vegetables and Fruits
- Strawberries *
- Spinach
- Nectarines
- Apples
- Peaches
- Pears
- Cherries
- Grapes
- Celery
- Tomatoes
- Sweet Bell Peppers
- Potatoes
*According to the EWG, Americans eat nearly eight pounds of fresh strawberries a year. Strawberry growers use jaw-dropping volumes of poisonous gases – some developed for chemical warfare but now banned by the Geneva Conventions – to sterilize their fields before planting, killing every pest, weed and other living thing in the soil. If you want to avoid pesticides and don’t want strawberries grown in soil injected with nerve gases, EWG advises that you always buy organically grown berries. We make the same recommendation for other Dirty Dozen™ foods.
Now for the good news…below are the 2017 clean fifteen vegetables and fruits that do not necessarily need to be purchased organically. However, I still encourage you to shop your local farmers’ markets and support locally grown vegetables and fruits.
2017 Clean Fifteen™ Vegetables and Fruits
- Sweet Corn*
- Avocados
- Pineapples
- Cabbage
- Onions
- Sweet Peas (frozen)
- Papayas*
- Asparagus
- Mangos
- Eggplant
- Honey Dew Melon
- Kiwi
- Cantaloupe
- Cauliflower
- Grapefruit
*A small amount of sweet corn, papaya and summer squash sold in the United States is produced from genetically modified seeds. Buy organic varieties of these crops if you want to avoid genetically modified produce.
EWG’s Healthy Living App
With ratings for more than 120,000 food and personal care products, now at your finger tips, I highly encourage you to download this app so you will be able to refer to it when shopping for vegetables and fruits. Convenience at your fingertips – EWG’s Healthy Living App
- Scan a product
- Review its rating
- Pick the better choice
†Results may vary. Information and statements made are for education purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. Oasis Advanced Wellness/OAWHealth does not dispense medical advice, prescribe, or diagnose illness. The views and nutritional advice expressed by Oasis Advanced Wellness/OAWHealth are not intended to be a substitute for conventional medical service. If you have a severe medical condition or health concern, see your physician of choice.
