Cleaning your fridge and freezer is important to do every so often, but what about the food sitting inside it? Specifically, that bottom drawer, where fruits and veggies go to retire. Even the healthiest-looking produce can carry unwelcome hitchhikers like dirt, bacteria and trace pesticides.
Now, don't freak out. According to the USDA's Pesticide Data Program, over 99% of tested foods were well within the EPA's safety limits -- and more than a quarter didn't have a speck of pesticide residue. But still, giving your produce a quick rinse before eating is an easy habit that pays off in peace of mind (and fewer surprise crunches of dirt). So before you bite into that apple like you're in a commercial, maybe give it a little scrub first.
Certain varieties of produce are more likely to have persistent pesticide residues than others. To help consumers identify which fruits and vegetables are the most contaminated, the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit focused on food safety, publishes a list known as The Dirty Dozen. The group examined 47,510 samples of 46 fruits and vegetables tested by the US Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture, highlighting those with the highest pesticide levels at the time of sale.
Strawberries are the produce most likely to have pesticides, according to the study. Angela Lang/CNET
What's the no.1 offender for pesticides in The Dirty Dozen's latest study? Strawberries. It might be hard to believe, but the popular berries had more total instances of chemicals found on them than any other fruit or vegetable included in the analysis.
Below you'll find the 12 foods most likely to contain pesticides -- and the 15 foods least likely to be tainted.
The Dirty Dozen: The fruits and vegetables to always wash
Foods most likely to contain pesticides, according to FDA and USDA data.
Strawberries Spinach Kale, collard and mustard greens Grapes Peaches Pears Nectarines Apples Bell and hot peppers Cherries Blueberries Green beans
Strawberries, spinach and kale are foods you'd be wise to wash thoroughly before eating. Mitatzgrzkan/500px/Getty Images
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