The Aesthetics Advisor

Fresh produce, whether organic or conventionally grown, is one of the healthiest food choices you can make. Organic produce gains an edge, however, because it tends to be more nutritious, tastes better and, importantly, does not contain pesticide residues like conventional produce does. In fact, the No. 1 reason people go organic is to avoid pesticides and other chemicals, and 40% of Americans consume organic food either all of the time or occasionally. (1) If your budget prevents you from buying organic food 100% of the time — or there's not an adequate selection in your area — it's useful to know which conventional foods are the most contaminated and therefore the most important to buy organic. Since 2004, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has released a "Dirty Dozen" list for produce, based on testing data from the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. These are the foods most heavily contaminated with pesticides. They also release a “...

Fresh produce, whether organic or conventionally grown, is one of the healthiest food choices you can make. Organic produce gains an edge, however, because it tends to be more nutritious, tastes better and, importantly, does not contain pesticide residues like conventional produce does. In fact, the No. 1 reason people go organic is to avoid pesticides and other chemicals, 1   and the majority of Americans consume organic food at least occasionally. 2 If your budget prevents you from buying organic food 100% of the time — or there's not an adequate selection in your area — it's useful to know which foods to prioritize over others. Namely, which conventional foods are the most contaminated and therefore the most important to buy organic? Every year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) releases their "Dirty Dozen" list for produce, which are among the most heavily contaminated with pesticides. For 2018, you'll see a familiar fruit earned the dubious top spot for t...