The Produce Puzzle, Explained.

Filling your grocery cart full of fresh produce? Make sure you’re not loading up on pesticides, too. Keep these lists handy the next time you hit the store so you know which fruits and veggies to buy organic, and which ones you can cut corners on and buy conventional.

What’s so important about organic?

The Environmental Working Group’s dirty dozen is based on pesticide data from the Department of Agriculture. They estimate that you can reduce your exposure by 80% if you switch to organic versions of the 12 organic foods listed as “The Dirty Dozen.” Conventionally grown, they have the highest level of pesticides, which have been linked to harming the developing brain according to several long-term studies.*

Note: The benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables outweighs the known risks of consuming pesticide residue, so don’t avoid these foods all together!

How do I know if it’s organic?

If your grocery store doesn’t have a dedicated organic produce section, look for the USDA Organic label, or check the numbered sticker codes on the produce itself. A four-digit code starting with the numbers 3 or 4 means that fruit or veggie was grown with conventional farming techniques (often involving pesticides). A five-digit code starting with the number 9 means that produce is organic.

The Environmental Working Group's 2018 Dirty Dozen List

The Dirty Dozen

  1. strawberries
  2. spinach, kale, collard greens, lettuce
  3. nectarines
  4. apples
  5. imported grapes
  6. peaches
  7. cherries
  8. pears
  9. tomatoes
  10. celery
  11. potatoes
  12. sweet bell peppers
The Environmental Working Group's Clean Fifteen List

The Clean 15

  1. avocados
  2. sweet corn
  3. pineapples
  4. cabbage
  5. onions
  6. sweet peas
  7. papayas
  8. asparagus
  9. mangos
  10. eggplant
  11. honeydew melon
  12. kiwi
  13. cantaloupe
  14. cauliflower
  15. broccoli
*Bouchard MF et al. Prenatal Exposure to Organophosphate Pesticides and IQ in 7-Year Old Children. Environ Health Perspect. 2011;119(8):1189-1195. Available at ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21507776.
*Rauh V et al. 7-Year Neurodevelopmental Scores and Prenatal Exposure to Chlorpyrifos, A Common Agricultural Pesticide. Environ Health Perspect. 2011;119(8):1196-1201. Available at ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21507777.
*Engel SM et al. Prenatal Exposure to Organophosphates, Paraoxonase 1, and Cognitive Development in Childhood. Environ Health Perspect. 2011;119(8):1182-1188. Available at ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21507778.