- The Environmental Working Group (EWG) released its annual “Dirty Dozen” list, which features the fruits and vegetables with the most pesticides.
- Spinach topped the list for the second year in a row, with over three-fourths of the spinach sampled containing residue of an insecticide banned in the EU.
- Also on the list are potatoes, which are the most-consumed vegetable in the country.
Skyrocketing prices, constant recalls, and shifting dietary guidelines mean there’s always something to worry about at the grocery store. And with the release of the annual Dirty Dozen list from the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit environmental organization, consumers are reminded of yet another risk lurking in our food supply: pesticides.
EWG mines USDA data to identify the 12 fruits and vegetables with the highest levels of pesticide contamination. In 2026, spinach retains its title as the most pesticide-packed vegetable in the country.
USDA research reveals that more than three-fourths of non-organic spinach sold in the U.S. is contaminated with permethrin, a neurotoxic insecticide whose use on food crops is banned in the European Union.
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In large quantities, permethrin is associated with tremors, seizures, and even respiratory failure. The risk to children is believed to be present in even smaller doses, with one study suggesting that young people with permethrin detected in their urine are twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD.
The other fruits and vegetables to earn a spot on the Dirty Dozen list remain unchanged from last year. It is worth noting, however, that the most consumed vegetable in the U.S.—potatoes—moved up the ranks. Spuds count for 21% of America’s vegetable intake and are now the 11th most pesticide-contaminated food crop in the country.
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The Department of Agriculture tested over 1,300 potato samples between 2022 and 2024, only to find that 90% of them contained chlorpropham residue. The herbicide is used to suppress the growth of potato sprouts during storage (which are toxic on their own). But, like permethrin, chlorpropham is banned for use on food in the EU.
The impacts of chlorpropham on the human body are not fully understood. But studies on animals suggest that the pesticide can harm the thyroid and disrupt hormone production. An EU-based study before the ban found that chlorpropham is the most commonly detected pesticide in human urine samples.
To minimize pesticide exposure, EWG recommends opting for organic produce when possible or switching to fruits and vegetables with lower contamination levels. To help you identify safer substitutes, the EWG also releases an annual Clean Fifteen list, highlighting the food crops with the least pesticide residue.
