Overview
- The Environmental Working Group, which released its 2026 Shopper’s Guide on Tuesday, analyzed 54,344 USDA-tested samples from 47 produce items after wash-and-peel steps that mimic home prep.
- Spinach topped the report’s Dirty Dozen, and about 96% of those high-residue items tested positive with many samples carrying four or more different pesticides.
- About 63% of Dirty Dozen samples contained PFAS-class pesticide residues, a group of long-lasting chemicals linked by studies to health harms, and the fungicide fludioxonil was most frequently detected on stone and pome fruits.
- The Clean Fifteen list highlighted lower-residue choices such as pineapple, sweet corn, and avocados, with nearly 60% of those samples showing no detectable pesticides.
- Industry groups and federal agencies said most residues fall below EPA safety limits, while EWG advises buying organic for high-residue items, choosing more Clean Fifteen produce, and washing all fruits and vegetables.