In their 2026 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) lists the fruit and vegetables in the US that are most and least contaminated with pesticide residues. The annual guide serves as a tool for US consumers to help them make informed choices when shopping for produce.

Using data from the United States Department of Agriculture, EWG has curated the ‘Dirty Dozen’ and the ‘Clean Fifteen’ lists. On the Dirty Dozen list, the top five fruit and vegetables most contaminated with pesticides were spinach, kale (alongside collard and mustard greens), strawberries, grapes, and nectarines.

According to EWG’s analysis, a total of 203 pesticides were found on samples of the 12 vegetables that make up the Dirty Dozen list. Pesticides were detected on 96% of all Dirty Dozen produce samples and PFAS pesticides were detected on 63%.

EWG highlights the prevalence of PFAS pesticides across samples of all fruit and vegetables in its report, including those from the Clean Fifteen list, with three of the ten most frequently detected pesticides being PFAS pesticides.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of over 10,000 chemicals, also known as the ‘forever chemicals’, as they are highly persistent and take generations to break down in the environment. Exposure to some PFAS has been linked with adverse health impacts, including certain cancers, reduced fertility, and the disruption of the immune system.

The guide emphasises that more targeted research is needed to determine the health impacts of pesticides containing PFAS, particularly regarding exposure to multiple pesticides at once.

Some PFAS pesticides can break down into ultra-short-chain PFAS, such as trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). Research conducted in Europe has found widespread contamination of TFA in food, tap water, and wine. Studies have raised concerns about potential adverse health impacts, including potential toxicity to the liver and the reproductive system. Read more about TFA here.

In the UK and the EU, the organisations PAN UK and PAN Europe have produced similar reports. PAN UK released a UK version of the Dirty Dozen list last December, which analysed data from the UK government. In January, PAN Europe released a report on the prevalence of pesticides in EU apples.

To find out more about how to reduce your risk of exposure to harmful chemicals, check out our webpage.

Read more news.