Leafy greens such as spinach and perennial kid favorites such as strawberries and grapes held the highest levels of potentially harmful pesticide residues based on government tests, according to the 2026 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce.
Nectarines, peaches, cherries, apples, blackberries, pears, potatoes and blueberries filled out this year’s “Dirty Dozen” most pesticide-laden fruits and vegetables, according to the report released Tuesday by the Environmental Working Group, or EWG, a health advocacy organization.
To do the report, EWG examined the most recent pesticide residue tests conducted by the US Department of Agriculture on 54,344 samples of 47 fruits and vegetables.
Before the USDA examines each sample, the fruit or vegetable is peeled or scrubbed and thoroughly washed to mimic consumer behavior at home. Even after taking those steps, testing found traces of 264 pesticides — of those, 203 appeared on Dirty Dozen produce.