- Environmental Working Group published its 2024 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce report.
- Strawberries topped the “Dirty Dozen,” a list of 12 fruits and vegetables ranked by pesticide contamination.
- Vegetables like kale and green beans also made the list.
Strawberries continue to reign supreme on the Environmental Working Group’s annual “Dirty Dozen” list, which ranks fruits and vegetables by pesticide contamination.
The “Dirty Dozen” list is part of EWG’s 2024 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce published on Wednesday. The report analyzed data collected from tests conducted by the USDA and FDA on 47,510 samples from 46 fruits and vegetables.
Both agencies take precautions to clean the produce before testing, with the USDA peeling or scrubbing produce before washing and the FDA only removing the dirt. Still, the report found that the analyzed produce contained 254 traces of pesticides.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences reports that more than 800 pesticides are registered in the United States, “some of which are used in large quantities and may pose risks for a variety of health problems.”
The use of pesticides has been linked to adverse health effects, including higher risks of obesity, breast cancer, memory loss, and others. However, a toxicologist told Business Insider in 2017 that the amount of pesticides in produce on the “Dirty Dozen” list is likely too small to have significant consequences.
Here are the fruits and vegetables ranked on this year’s “Dirty Dozen.”
