The Dirty Dozen and The Clean Fifteen
Organic or conventional? What’s the difference between the two? And is ‘organic’ just a trendy health term?
As a foodie, nutritionist, and farmers market lover, I’ve explored these questions in depth to understand what organic really means when it comes to fruits and veggies.
Produce that is certified as organic by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) means that the produce has grown on soil that has no prohibited substances applied, three years prior to harvest. Prohibited substances include most synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
What does this mean and why should you care?
Synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are used to kill living organisms – insects, plants and fungi that are considered pests. Many pesticides also pose health dangers to us, humans, including hormone disruption, brain and nervous system toxicity, and cancer (!!). Yes, cancer has been linked to synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
The USDA has set organic standards to prohibit the use of synthetic pesticides, among other things. Look for the symbol below for a USDA organic certification when shopping for produce:
If the item claims it’s organic but doesn’t have the USDA certification then it is not organic. It’s an attempt at marketing.
Now, let’s talk about conventional…
Conventional farming is when genetically altered seeds are used to develop plants with faster growth, higher yield, pest resistance or sweeter fruit. Nearly 70% of conventional produce sold in the U.S. contains residues of potentially harmful chemical pesticides, again - some are even classified as human carcinogens.
Naturally, eating organic food reduces pesticide exposure and is linked to a variety of health benefits. However, as much as I’d love to have all my groceries be organic, it can get pricey…
So, how do I decide what items to buy organic? Thanks to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), I know when to choose organic versus conventional. The EWG regularly sample tests 40k+ produce and have compiled sample tests by the USDA to create yearly shopper guides, such as The Dirty Dozen and The Clean Fifteen. Since pesticide contamination varies by crop, it is important to understand which items are most or least contaminated. Here comes a detailed look at The Dirty Dozen and The Clean Fifteen:
The Dirty Dozen
These Dirty Dozen foods were contaminated with more pesticides than other crops
Images from Pinterest
1. Strawberries 2. Spinach 3. Kale, collard and mustard greens 4. Nectarines 5. Apples 6. Grapes
7. Cherries 8. Peaches 9. Pears 10. Bell and hot peppers 11. Celery 12. Tomatoes
Although no citrus fruits landed on the Dirty Dozen, the EWG and the USDA have found that 90+% of non-organic citrus is contaminated with toxic pesticides. Imazalil, a fungicide linked to cancer and hormone disruption, was detected on over 95% of tangerines tested by the USDA in 2019. In independent tests commissioned by EWG, nearly 90% of all the oranges, mandarins, grapefruit and lemons sampled contained either imazalil or thiabendazole, another endocrine-disrupting fungicide. More than half the samples had both.
If you can, opt for organic when buying these delicious fruits.
Pinterest image
The Clean Fifteen
These 15 items had the lowest amounts of pesticide residues
1. Avocados 2. Sweet corn 3. Pineapple 4. Onions 5. Papaya
6. Sweet peas 7. Eggplant 8. Asparagus 9. Broccoli 10. Cabbage
11. Kiwi 12. Cauliflower 13. Mushrooms 14. Honeydew melon 15. Cantaloupes
My love for avocados just became stronger, they are the cleanest on the list. The items listed above are okay to buy conventional.
Do the best you can when it comes to the cleanliness and quality of your food, fresh produce is better than none.
Bottom line -
Fruits are vegetables are crucial to a healthy diet, so eating conventional fruits and vegetables is better than not eating any. Some organic food buyers may think eating conventional produce is almost as bad as smoking a pack of cigarettes. That kind of thinking is dangerous because it could potentially lead to a decrease in overall fruit and vegetable consumption. Displacing processed foods with fruits and veggies - conventional or not - is the right path to a better, healthier lifestyle. The benefits of eating more conventional produce definitely outweigh the risks, so please don’t let a list scare you away from the wonderful, magical health benefits of fruits and vegetables.
Sources cited:
USDA. February 2015. USDA Factsheets - Conventional Farming. Retrieved from https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/coexistence-conventional-farming-factsheet.pdf
USDA. March 2019.USDA Organic 101: What the USDA Organic Label Means. Retrieved from
https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means
EWG. 2021. EWG’s 2021 Dirty 12 and EWG’s 2021 Clean 15. Retrieved from