2022’s Dirty Dozen: What You Need to Know

This article originally appeared on Clean Eating

Each spring, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) releases its annual "Dirty Dozen" list. This list, along with its counterpart, the "Clean Fifteen", takes hold of media headlines and causes a lot of confusion for consumers regarding decisions about what's safe to eat.

To ensure you have the facts, we've put together a cheat sheet, which covers everything you need to know about both the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen. You're going to want to keep these key tips in mind as you grocery shop!

What is the Dirty Dozen?

Back in 2004, the EWG began releasing the Dirty Dozen list in an effort to help guide consumers in making the best choices for their health. While the list is rooted in a mission to inform the public on a topic that many find confusing - pesticides and produce - what scientists have found is that lists like this end up causing more confusion than confidence.

You see, the Dirty Dozen list identifies which fruits and vegetables have been found to contain the highest trace levels of pesticide residue, according to data obtained from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, what isn't presented to the public in mainstream media is the methodology that the EWG uses to identify these lists.

Exploring the EWG's methodology for the Dirty Dozen list

According to Dr. Carl Winter, a toxicologist from the University of California, Davis, while the EWG uses data presented from the USDA to identify the produce listed on the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists, the organization neglects to assess or present the actual risk consumers face when consuming produce.

Dr. Winter goes on to share that, "The EWG focuses upon the presence (or absence) of pesticide residues in its methodology and public statements rather than on the actual amounts of pesticides detected, which are extremely low. To accurately assess consumer risks from pesticides, one needs to consider three major factors: 1) the amount of residue on the foods, 2) the amount of food consumed, and 3) the toxicity of the pesticides."

While the EWG's prior 2021 report methodology posted online indicates the organization takes into account the average amount of pesticides found, measured in parts per million, it neglects to indicate the amount a person would have to consume, as well as the toxicity of the pesticides reported.

It's interesting to note, however, that while the EWG notes measuring the pesticide presence in parts per million, according to Tamika Sims, PhD, Senior Director, Food Technology Communications at the International Food Information Council (IFIC), most pesticide residues have dissipated on fruits and vegetables, both organically and conventionally grown, by the time the food reaches consumers. She shares, "Even in the cases where they haven't, the amount of pesticides on fruits and vegetables is so small that it has to be measured in parts per billion."

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