The Dirty Dozen & Clean 15,

Guide to Organic Produce

If you’ve seen “organic” produce at the grocery store and are wondering if it’s worth spending the extra money for it, maybe this article will help you decide. The Environmental Working Group (an organization of scientists, researchers and policymakers) has released the 2012 guide to the most and least contaminated fruit and vegetables crops out there, also known as the “Dirty Dozen” and the “Clean 15.”

“Organic” Produce Costs More. Is It Worth It?

In order for fruits and vegetables to be labeled “organic,” they must be grown without chemical fertilizers and without most synthetic herbicides and pesticides. Eating non-organic, or conventional, produce means that you might be ingesting these chemicals into your body, and over time these chemicals can wreak havoc on our bodies.

How Can We Save Money and Still Minimize Pesticide Exposure?

Growing and raising organic crops cost more money, which is why organic produce is more expensive than conventional produce. If you are on a budget, but are still concerned about pesticides and other toxic chemicals contaminating the fruits and vegetables your family eats, there is some good news. Every year, the Environmental Working Group releases a list of the foods with the highest and lowest pesticide residue to help shoppers determine which foods to buy organic and which foods are okay to buy conventional.

The most highly contaminated foods are under the Dirty Dozen List, and contain the highest pesticide residue. If you can, buy these fruits and veggies organic to avoid exposure. The Clean 15 List contains the types of produce that have the lowest amount of pesticide residue. Buying the conventional fruits and vegetables on the Clean 15 list should be a safer bet for your family.

The foods on the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 Lists change from year to year. Here are the 2012 Lists.

The Dirty Dozen Plus*:

1. apples
2. celery
3. sweet bell peppers
4. peaches
5. strawberries
6. imported nectarines
7. grapes
8. spinach
9. lettuce
10. cucumbers
11. domestic blueberries
12. potatoes

*This year the EWG also mentioned green beans and leafy greens (such as kale) as additional foods that contain enough pesticide residue to warrant concern.

The Clean 15:

1. onions
2. sweet corn
3. pineapples
4. avocado
5. cabbage
6. sweet Peas
7. asparagus
8. mangoes
9. eggplant
10. kiwi
11. domestic cantaloupe
12. sweet potatoes
13. grapefruit
14. watermelon
15. mushrooms

*Remember, even organic produce should be washed thoroughly before eating.

Keep the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists on hand (or in mind) the next time you go grocery shopping and you can reduce the amount of toxins your family consumes on a daily basis by as much as 80 percent.

by Pamela Layug Laney