This year’s analysis of conventionally grown produce found ongoing widespread pesticide residue on popular non-organic fruits and vegetables including pesticides that are the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS.
The “2026 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce” analyzes the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture testing data, finding that 75 percent of non-organic, or conventionally grown, produce samples contained pesticide residues.
The most frequently detected pesticide on all fruits and vegetables was fludioxonil, a PFAS fungicide linked to some potential health concerns. Three of the 10 most detected pesticides were PFAS.
“Consumers have a right to know what’s on their food,” Varun Subramaniam, science analyst for the Environmental Working Group, or EWG, an advocacy organization, said in a statement. “This year’s findings underscore the presence of PFAS pesticides in the food supply.”
Subramaniam said the guide shows there are steps shoppers can take to reduce exposure while still eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.
The Clean Fifteen
The EWG’s 2026 Clean Fifteen identifies the conventionally grown produce with the lowest pesticide levels. Pineapple, sweet corn, and avocados top this year’s list, followed by papaya and onions.
Other Clean Fifteen items include frozen sweet peas, asparagus, cabbage, cauliflower, watermelon, mangoes, bananas, carrots, mushrooms, and kiwi.
Key findings:
- Nearly 60 percent of Clean Fifteen samples had no detectable pesticide residues.
- Only 16 percent had residues of two or more pesticides.
- The top items also ranked among the lowest for overall pesticide toxicity.
The Dirty Dozen
The EWG’s 2026 Dirty Dozen highlights the produce with the highest pesticide contamination, based on the number, amount, and toxicity of detected pesticide residues.
At the top of this year’s Dirty Dozen list are spinach, kale, collards, and mustard greens, followed by strawberries, grapes, and nectarines.
Blackberries had an average of more than four pesticides per sample. Ninety percent of potatoes contained chlorpropham, a sprout inhibitor banned in the European Union due to health concerns.
Key findings:
- 96 percent of Dirty Dozen samples contained pesticides.
- A total of 203 different pesticides were detected on them.
- PFAS pesticides appeared on 63 percent of Dirty Dozen samples.
- Most items had an average of four or more pesticides per sample.
Health and consumer guidance
Studies link pesticide exposure to hormone disruption, nervous system harm, and reproductive effects. Some research suggests that eating produce with high pesticide residues may diminish the cardiovascular and fertility benefits usually associated with fruit and vegetable intake.
Children are especially vulnerable to pesticide exposure during pregnancy and early life.
The EWG emphasizes that the Shopper’s Guide is designed to encourage produce consumption of plenty of fruits and vegetables, regardless of if they are conventional or organic, not deter it.
“A diet rich in fruits and vegetables is essential,” said Dayna de Montagnac, associate scientist for the EWG. “The Shopper’s Guide empowers families to continue enjoying these significant health benefits while making informed choices to reduce pesticide exposure, particularly for children, without sacrificing nutrition.”
EWG recommends:
- Buying organic versions of Dirty Dozen produce when possible.
- Choosing conventional options from the Clean Fifteen.
- Considering frozen produce as an affordable alternative.
- Washing all fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating
Some good news
Produce pesticide residue levels of a neurotoxic class of insecticides, known as organophosphates, have fallen sharply since the EWG first published the Shopper’s Guide. That represents a major win for children’s health, given these chemicals’ links to harms to the developing brain and nervous system, de Montagnac said.
But organophosphates haven’t vanished. Recent federal data show organophosphates residues still appearing on some produce. USDA tests from 2021–2022 found acephate on green beans despite its 2011 ban on that crop, and residues have also been detected on blueberries and, most recently, blackberries imported from Mexico.
She said the dramatic decline in organophosphates use is real progress, adding their continued presence on produce, and growing concerns about the insecticides that replaced them, pyrethroids and neonicotinoids, highlights the need for ongoing monitoring and a shift to safer farming practices.
