The Easiest Way to Cut Back on Pesticides? Start With These 15 Fruits and Vegetables

These picks consistently rank lowest for pesticide use and toxicity, and nearly 60% had no detectable residue in USDA testing.

Key Points

• The EWG’s 2026 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, based on more than 54,000 USDA samples, found 264 pesticide residues on produce even after washing. It ranks items into the Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen to help shoppers make informed decisions.

• This year’s Dirty Dozen list highlighted PFAS — or “forever chemicals” — as some of the most notable findings, frequently detected and heavily concentrated in certain fruits.

• Nearly 60% of Clean Fifteen samples had no detectable residues, while 96% of Dirty Dozen samples contained pesticides.

Pesticides are present on the fruits and vegetables we eat, even after washing. While they help protect crops from pests and diseases, many can harm human health — affecting hormones and fertility, and increasing the risk of chronic illnesses. That makes knowing which produce carries the most residues essential. Fortunately, that’s where the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) 2026 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce comes in, ranking fruits and vegetables into the Clean Fifteen (lowest residue) and the Dirty Dozen (highest residue). 

Before we get into the weeds of it all, pesticides are chemicals — or combinations of chemicals — used to control insects, weeds, fungi, and rodents during growth or after harvest. The intention is to protect crops, but a surprising amount of pesticide residue remains on produce by the time it reaches your kitchen.

Given the facts, it’s important to understand exactly what’s on your produce, says EWG science analyst Varun Subramaniam. “The Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen lists aren’t meant to discourage the consumption of fruits and vegetables, but rather to help shoppers better understand what may be on their produce so they can make informed decisions at the grocery store.”

Understanding the EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce 

The EWG has published its Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce annually since 2004. The 2026 edition is based on data from pesticide residue testing conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), covering 54,344 samples across 47 types of fruits and vegetables. Before testing, all produce was rinsed under running water for 15 to 20 seconds, and inedible peels (like those on citrus and avocados) were removed. 

Despite this preparation, residues of 264 pesticides and their breakdown products were still detected across samples. Based on these findings, the EWG categorizes fruits and vegetables into two groups — Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen — according to pesticide toxicity and how frequently and heavily the chemicals are detected. The 2026 Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen lists remain the same as 2025, although the ranking of some items has shifted slightly.

Which pesticides were found on the produce?

One of the most notable findings in this year’s EWG report was the detection of the PFAS pesticide fludioxonil, which was found in 14% of all produce samples and nearly 90% of peaches and plums. Two additional PFAS pesticides — fluopyram and bifenthrin — also ranked among the 10 most frequently detected chemicals.

“PFAS are a class of more than 10,000 synthetic chemicals known as ‘forever chemicals’ because of their extreme persistence in the environment,” Subramaniam says. Only a small number are used in pesticides, but their breakdown product, particularly ultra-short-chain compounds like trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), are increasingly detected in water, soil, and the human body, he says. While more research is needed to fully understand its effects, early studies suggest TFA may accumulate in crops and could pose reproductive and developmental risks.

Subramaniam also points out that current regulatory approaches typically evaluate pesticides individually. In reality, however, consumers are actually exposed to multiple chemicals at once, he says. This raises concerns that combined exposures could be more harmful than exposure to a single chemical alone.

How to mitigate pesticide exposure

“The benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweigh the risk of pesticide exposure, so the bottom line is that folks should still eat plenty of produce, whether organic or conventionally grown,” Subramaniam says. To reduce pesticide exposure, he recommends the following tips:

• Choose either organic or conventional options (fresh or frozen) from the Clean Fifteen list and opt for organic versions of Dirty Dozen items whenever possible. You do not need to avoid foods listed on the Dirty Dozen; organic varieties just have overall lower pesticide residues and specifically prohibit the use of PFAS. 

• Thoroughly wash all produce under running water for at least 20 seconds before eating. While water doesn’t eliminate all pesticide residue, it can significantly reduce the amount

EWG’s 2026 Clean Fifteen

Nearly 60% of Clean Fifteen samples showed no detectable pesticide residues, and only 16% of samples had residues from two or more pesticides. The top items — pineapple, sweet corn, and avocado — also ranked among the lowest in overall pesticide toxicity.

These 15 types of produce have the lowest pesticide residue levels out of all 47 types sampled, according to the EWG’s analysis of the most recent USDA data.

RANK	2025	2026
1	Pineapple	Pineapple
2	Sweet Corn	Sweet Corn
3	Avocados	Avocados
4	Papaya	Papaya
5	Onion	Onion
6	Sweet Peas	Sweet Peas
7	Asparagus	Asparagus
8	Cabbage	Cabbage
9	Watermelon	Califlower
10	Cauliflower	Watermelon
11	Bananas	Mangoes
12	Mangoes	Bananas
13	Carrots	Carrots
14	Mushrooms	Mushrooms
15	Kiwi	Kiwi

EWG’s 2026 Dirty Dozen 

Pesticides were detected on 96% of samples across all 12 types of produce. In total, 203 different pesticides were identified, with most samples containing an average of four or more pesticides per sample. PFAS pesticides were found on 63% of Dirty Dozen samples, and 90% of potatoes contained chlorpropham, a sprout inhibitor that’s been banned in the European Union due to health concerns.

Of the 47 items tested, the following 12 fruits and vegetables were found to be the most contaminated with pesticides, according to the 2026 EWG’s analysis of the most recent USDA data.

RANK	2025	2026
1	Spinach	Spinach
2	Strawberries	Kale, Collard, and Mustard Greens
3	Kale, Collard, and Mustard Greens	Strawberries
4	Grapes	Grapes
5	Peaches	Nectarines
6	Cherries	Peaches
7	Nectarines	Cherries
8	Pears	Apples
9	Apples	Blackberries
10	Blackberries	Pears
11	Blueberries	Potatoes
12	Potatoes	Blueberries