WHO KNEW You Should Consider the “Dirty Dozen” List and the “Clean Fifteen” List when Grocery Shopping?

According to the EWG Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit whose mission is to “empower you with breakthrough research to make informed choices and live a healthy life in a healthy environment”, not all fruits and vegetables are treated the same when it comes to pesticides.

In 2024 the EWG used test results from the Dept. of Agriculture and the FDA on 47,510 samples of 46 non-organic fruits and vegetables and found the twelve showing the most contamination. The Dirty Dozen included: 1. Strawberries, 2. Spinach, 3. Kale, Collard and Mustard greens 4. Grapes, 5. Peaches, 6. Pears, 7. Nectarines, 8. Apples, 9. Bell and Hot peppers, 10. Cherries, 11. Blueberries, and 12. Green Beans.

The Clean Fifteen with the lowest amounts of pesticide residues included 1. Avocados, 2. Sweetcorn, 3. Pineapple, 4. Onions, 5. Papaya, 6. Sweet Peas (frozen), 7. Asparagus, 8. Honeydew Melon, 9. Kiwi, 10. Cabbage, 11. Mushrooms, 12. Mangoes, 13. Sweet Potatoes, 14 Watermelon, and 15. Carrots.

These general guides can be useful in making selections at the store. Maybe you can buy organic for some of your choices and choose conventional for others. Or maybe you are familiar with some of the local farms and can ask them about their pesticide practices. Living in the Upper Valley gives us access to many farms and farm stands, but maybe you want to plant a vegetable garden yourself? Items on the list can change from year to year. Look for 2025’s list on the EWG website (ewg.org) this spring.

***Save the date April 12, 2025 for the next styrofoam recycling event. At Hanover Street School parking lot, next to Lebanon High School, 193 Hanover Street in Lebanon. ***