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:
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Strawberries
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Spinach
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Kale, and collard and mustard greens
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Nectarines
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Apples
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Grapes
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Bell and hot peppers
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Cherries
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Peaches
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Pears
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Celery
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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.
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Avocados
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Sweet corn
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Pineapple
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Onions
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Papaya
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Sweet peas (frozen)
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Asparagus
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Honeydew melon
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Kiwi
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Cabbage
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Mushrooms
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Cantaloupe
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Mangoes
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Watermelon
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Sweet potatoes