The Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteeen

One of the main reasons people choose to eat organic is to avoid the consumption of dangerous pesticides. A few weeks ago we revealed five shocking facts about the use of pesticides in Australia and many of your were gobsmacked. Obviously, the best option to avoid nasty pesticides is to buy organic but sometimes that isn’t always possible and that’s where the ‘Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen’ comes in.

Developed by The Environmental Working Group and updated annually, the ‘Dirty Dozen’ lists the top twelve fruits and vegetables that are exposed to the greatest number of pesticides and therefore have a highest pesticide residue. The Clean Fifteen on the other hand, lists the top fifteen fruits and vegetables which have the lowest pesticide residue.

Here they are:

The Dirty Dozen: Apples, Celery, Capsicum, Peaches, Strawberries, Nectarines, Grapes, Spinach, Lettuce, Cucumbers, Blueberries, Potatoes.

The Clean Fifteen: Onions, Sweet Corn, Pineapple, Avocado, Sweet peas, Cabbage,  Asparagus, Mangoes, Eggplant, Kiwi, Cantaloupe, Sweet potatoes, Grapefruit, Watermelon, Mushrooms.

So, when making the choice to buy organic the dirty dozen should be your top priority. And whilst the ‘Clean Fifteen’ have a lower pesticide residue unless you buy organic they still aren’t completely safe, they are just the ‘better’ option.

Were you aware of the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen? Are you surprised by what made the list?