Every year theEnvironmental Working Group (EWG)an American organization for the defense of environmental health, publishes a list called “Dirty dozen” (dirty dozen). It is a list of the 12 non -organic fruit and vegetable products which, on the basis of the official tests of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), present The highest levels of pesticide residues.
The EWG has analyzed the data of over 53,000 samples of 47 types of fruit and vegetables tested by the United States (USDA) agriculture department. The samples were washed, peeled or rubbed before the analysis, therefore the residues found represent what remains after normal domestic preparation.
This year the methodology for classifying fruit and vegetables, which is no longer only on the basis of the quantity and frequency of pesticide residues, but also considers the intrinsic toxicity of the substances detected. This makes the guide even more useful and significant for those who want to reduce exposure to the most dangerous pesticides through the diet.
The exposure to pesticides, we remember, is associated with endocrine disorders, damage to development and nervous system, with long -term effects also demonstrated by several studies. Exposure to a mix of pesticides, then, could have even more serious toxic effects than exposure to individual substances, but it is still known little about it.
The purpose of the guide, however, is not alarming, but informing consumers, helping them to choose when it is worth buying organic, especially for the products that are consumed most often. According to Alexis Teky, scientific vice -president of the AWG, several studies have shown that going from a conventional to a biological diet can significantly reduce pesticide levels detected in the urine.
But we now come to the ranking that this year sees two new entries.
The news of Dirty Dozen 2025
The ranking, usually stable and very similar from year to year, in 2025 some surprises instead reserved:
The 12 most contaminated products of 2025
According to the analysis of the 53,692 samples tested by the USDA, and reworked by the EWG, these are the 12 fruits and vegetables with the highest levels of pesticides:
In addition to these, The EWG has also reported some “plus” products with particularly high toxicity levels:
In total, 203 different pesticides were found in the samples analyzed. Each fruit or vegetables – with the exception of potatoes – contained on average at least four pesticides per sample. The cherry samples were the only ones not to exceed the threshold of the 50 pesticides detected overall.
A guide to choose with awareness
The EWG stresses that this guide does not want to discourage the consumption of fruit and vegetables, but to offer an extra tool to reduce exposure to pesticides, especially for families with children. Eating fruit and vegetables remains fundamental for a healthy and balanced diet but, when possible, choosing organic products – especially among those that fall into dirty dozen – can help reduce exposure to pesticides.
For those with a limited budget or do not have easy access to organic products, there are however safer alternatives: the Clean Fifteen list lists the 15 products with less pesticide residues and can help make healthier and more accessible choices. In addition, the EWG stresses that washing fruit and vegetables well, even if it does not completely eliminate pesticides, contributes to significantly reducing surface residues, as well as dirt and bacteria.
On the manufacturers side, the Alliance for Food and Farming, which represents both conventional and organic farmers, criticizes the list by defining it alarmistic, and recalls that all the products sold must comply with the legal limits.
Clean Fifteen, the “cleaner” fruit and vegetables
The EWG has identified 15 types of fruit and vegetables that have the lowest quantities of pesticides residues among the 47 products analyzed.
The list includes:
Almost 60% of the samples analyzed among these 15 products showed no detectable residues of pesticides. Only a small part, about 16%, had traces of two or more pesticides, a very low percentage compared to other foods. Among these, avocado, papaia, pineapple, onions and sweet corn are distinguished not only due to the scarcity of residues, but also for the low overall toxicity linked to pesticides.
Interestingly, in the first six products on the list no sample exceeded the presence of three different pesticides. Finally, this year’s novelty are bananas, which are confirmed among the fruits with the lower overall pesticide toxicity, excellent news considered the great diffusion of this fruit.
How to wash fruit and vegetables effectively
According to Food and Drug Administration (FDA), all fresh products, even organic products, should be washed under running water for at least 15-20 seconds, even before peeling them, to prevent dirty or pesticides on the peel they end up in the pulp. It is not necessary to use soap or chemicals, but it is useful to rub gently with your hands or a clean brush.
