New 2019 Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen Food Lists Released by EWG

Each year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes a list of the “Dirty Dozen,” or the fruits and vegetables that nonprofits claim to have the most pesticides when grown conventionally compared to organic.

The EWG has compiled the list annually since 2004 based on internal data that has not been peer-reviewed. Using 40,900 samples for 47 different types of products, the EWG found that these twelve had the most pesticide residues:

The 2019 Food Dirty Dozen List

1. Strawberries
2. Spinach
3. kale
4. Nectarines
5. Apples
6. Grapes
7. Peaches
8. Cherries
9. Pears
10. Tomatoes
11. Celery
12. Potato

Strawberries rank first for the fourth year in a row, and the rest of the list looks similar to previous years with one exception: Kale made it into the top 12 for the first time in a decade.

As a Registered Dietitian (RD), my philosophy about vegetables and fruits of all kinds is that they are nature’s little gift to us. In fact, I often say (and write!) That more is more when it comes to how often you should eat them. This is because countless peer-reviewed studies have linked these potencies with health benefits, weight management, and long-term risk of chronic disease.

And even though the EWG finally agrees with that statement, I always get a little nervous when the list is published every year, simply because it often appears without context. There is no validated method to determine our actual pesticide exposure from vegetables and fruits. Although they are washed and peeled before testing, the actual intake and risk of consuming harmful residues is not evaluated.

For example, kale that makes a comeback on the list will likely make headlines, despite a lack of data on whether eating large amounts of kale can actually hurt you. Most research suggests the exact opposite, in fact. Kale is linked to reducing the risk of chronic diseases and vision loss, lowering blood pressure and improving bone health, FWIW.

The other thing missing from the Dirty Dozen discussion is that organic pesticides can raise similar concerns (yes, organic farms use third-party validated pesticides!). We still cannot say with certainty that organic products present more or less risk than those grown conventionally.

In my opinion: the biggest problem is that 50% of Americans do not eat enough fiber, nor do we consume the recommended amounts of potassium, calcium, magnesium, minerals found in, you guessed it, vegetables and fruits. What’s worse? In reality, less than 10% of us meet our needs for recommended servings of fruits and vegetables.

When we demonize a specific food (or 12 foods) that are generally beneficial to health, we are laying the groundwork to avoid vegetables and fruits, a trend that has taken off with diets like keto. So regardless of whether or not you buy organic products, here are two things we all need to know about products:

Consider eating more. Period. Just choose more vegetables and fruits at meals or snacks and you’re on the right track to better health. They displace other more processed foods on your plate that may not be as nutritious.

Think about whole food vs. Cool food: Whole describes the best way to eat fiber-packed fruits and vegetables: fruits instead of fruit juice, vegetables instead of vegetable chips, baked potatoes instead of fried… you get the point. It will help you reduce saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar. This can include frozen and canned goods, so fresh isn’t the only way to go.

---

List of 15 clean foods of 2019



environmentalfake images

If you are concerned about pesticides, the EWG also publishes a list of the “clean 15,” also known as the products from conventional producers that generally had the least residue in the group’s tests. This year they are:

1. Avocados
2. Sweet corn
3. Pineapples
4. Frozen sweet peas
5. Onions
6. Papayas
7. Aubergines
8. Asparagus
9. Kiwis
10. Cabbages
11. Cauliflower
12. Melons
13. Broccoli
14. Mushrooms
15. Melons

---

The bottom line

Ultimately, even the EWG states that we should all eat more produce and the benefits outweigh the risks when it comes to fruits and vegetables. Since this is one of the few strict rules in nutritional science to date, it is a recommendation. We can all support each other!

Jaclyn London, MS, RD, CDN
Jaclyn “Jackie” London, a Registered Dietitian with a Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University and a Master of Clinical Nutrition from New York University, handled all nutrition-related content, testing and evaluation for Good Housekeeping from 2014 to 2019.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and is imported to this page to help users provide their email addresses. You can find more information about this and similar content on piano.io