Every year the Environmental Working Group (EWG), an American organization that deals with environmental health protection, publishes the now famous “Dirty dozen“, Known in Italy as”Dirty dozen”. It is a List of the 12 non -biological fruits and vegetables and vegetables with the highest concentrations of pesticide residuesgiven to the hand of the United States’s Department of Agriculture (USDA).
To draw up this list, the EWG examined the data of Over 53,000 samples relating to 47 types of fruit and vegetables tested by the USDA. Each sample was washed, peeled or rubbed before the analysis, so as to reproduce normal domestic habits and evaluate what actually ends on our tables.
This year the methodology has been updated :. A choice that makes the guide an even more precious tool for those who want to reduce exposure to the most harmful pesticides through a conscious diet.
Scientific research has already highlighted that pesticides can compromise the endocrine system, development and nervous systemwith effects that can manifest themselves in the long run. Some studies suggest that the exposure combined with multiple pesticides could lead to higher risks than in contact with a single substance, even if literature in this regard remains evolving.
It is not a question of creating alarmism, but of providing useful information to families who want to choose with greater awareness when preferring organic, especially for those products that are consumed most often. Alexis Temkin, scientific vice -president of the AWG, recalls that moving from a conventional diet to a organic diet contributes to significantly reducing the pesticides levels found in the urine, as have shown several studies.
The spinach at the top: the symbol of the dirty dozen 2025
In this year’s ranking, The spinach go up to the highest stepalso overcoming the strawberries, almost always first in the past. The spinach represent a precious food for their supply of iron, antioxidants and vitamins, but the high ability to absorb pesticides makes them a sensitive indicator of the impact of agricultural practices on daily nutrition.
Two new entries stand out among the surprises of this year:
The 12 most contaminated products of 2025
The EWG has reworked the USDA data, publishing the complete ranking of fruits and vegetables with the highest concentrations of pesticides:
In the analysis, we count 203 different pesticides traced. Each fruit or vegetables, with the exception of potatoes, contained on average at least four pesticides per sample, with cherries that distinguished themselves for not having exceeded the threshold of the 50 pesticides detected overall.
Eating consciously, without giving up fruit and vegetables
The EWG reiterates that the consumption of fruit and vegetables remains essential for a healthy diet, e The guide aims to reduce exposure to the most risky pesticidesparticularly in families with children. When possible, choosing organic products for the foods present in Dirty Dozen can be a useful strategy to decrease the ingestion of pesticides.
Those who have a more limited budget or live in areas with little availability of organic products can orient themselves on the “Clean Fifteen”, The list of 15 products with minor residues of pesticidessuch as pineapple, sweet corn, avocado and onions, for a more conscious expense. Wash carefully fruit and vegetables, however it reduces the amount of surface residues and bacteria, even if it does not completely eliminate them.
On the manufacturers’ side, Alliance for Food and Farming has expressed criticisms towards this list, claiming that each product on the market however respects the limits of the law provided.
The 15 more “clean” products according to the EWG
Among the 47 foods analyzed, the 15 that showed the lowest quantities of pesticides are:
Almost the 60% of the samples of these products did not show detectable residues of pesticides. Only the 16% had traces of two or more pesticidesa modest percentage compared to other foods. In the first six on the list, no sample exceeded the threshold of three different pesticides, while bananas are confirmed among the less contaminated fruits, a positive news given their widespread consumption.
How to wash fruit and vegetables correctly
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends washing all fresh products thoroughly, including organic ones, under running water for at least 15-20 seconds, even before peeling them, to prevent any residues on the peel from ending up in the pulp. The use of soaps or chemicals is not necessary, while it is recommended to rub gently with your hands or a clean brush.
