The 2024 Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 Fruits and Vegetables

Personally, I have always found if very peculiar that the nomenclature refers to the use of toxic chemicals being applied to food crops many of which are harmful to humans as conventionally grown produce. What is conventional about smothering your food in poisonous chemicals which destroy the soil, harm those who eat the produce, the workers who grow the food, pollutes the water table, kill animals and degrades the wider ecosystem we rely on for life. 

This abhorrent status quo of widespread use of toxic pesticides hasn’t caused any hesitation among the agricultural industry as the use of pesticides in agricultural has increased rapidly across the globe as small scale privately owned and subsistence farming which works in partnership with nature is replaced with corporate owned petrochemical industrial farming.

The current agricultural industry is addicted to pesticides, and the entire world is paying the price. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that global pesticide use in 2012 amounted to approximately six billion pounds. Unfortunately, they haven’t published a report since then, and based on industry trends in industrial agriculture the use of agrichemicals has likely increased substantially since the report was published.  

While the term “pesticides” creates the impression these chemicals are targeted and exclusively kill “pests,” a more accurate name would be “biocides” as these chemicals are ubiquitous in their effects and kill far more than the target species they are designed to effect, the reality is a wide assortment of life including essential soil biota, beneficial insects and animals which rely on these organisms as a food supply and even the ecosystem of organism in your guts microbiome succumb to these chemicals.

Pesticides poison insects and pollinators; contaminate soil, water, and even the air; and can cause harm to farmworkers, agricultural communities, and people who eat produce sprayed with pesticides.

How common is it for US produce to have pesticide contamination? “In 2024, 75% of nonorganic produce and 95% of items on the Dirty Dozen are contaminated with pesticides,” according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG)’s 2024 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce. Things don’t look much better in Australia.

According to an article written by Lenore Taylor published in the Guardian, and I quote “Australia has some of the highest pesticide use in the western world – yet finding out who tests fruit and vegetables for chemical residue is surprisingly hard”

The article goes on to elucidate further surprising revelations including the fact more than 7% of pears and 3.7% of apples tested by Australia’s federal agriculture department were found to have more pesticide residue than the maximum legal limit, according to the department’s most recent survey in 2020-21.

That’s one in 14 pears exceeding the limits. Yet there was no warning to consumers, despite the sudden jump in pesticide detection in these fruits compared with other years. The article goes on to explain that the vast majority of fruit and vegetables eaten by Australians are tested under a self-regulatory scheme, run by the wholesale markets or major supermarkets, and the results are not made public.

The last major testing for pesticide residues by the federal food regulator, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), was on samples from 2013 and 2014, with the results published in 2019.

This situation creates somewhat of a conundrum as hundreds of studies, published in peer-reviewed journals, clearly demonstrate that eating more fruits and vegetables is good for your health. The more of these foods you eat, the longer you’re likely to live, and the less likely you are to develop a number of the major chronic illnesses of our times. However, conversely, we know many of the pesticides used in growing fruit and vegetable crops are harmful to our health, leaving us wondering how we can continue to gain the benefits from eating fruits and vegetables while avoiding or minimising the negative effects of pesticides. To help you to this end that is precisely what we will clarify in this article. Ideally you should buy as much organic produce as possible, however if you can’t access or afford organic produce, we will explain which produce items are most highly contaminated and to avoid and which have the least amount of pesticide residue and are safer for consumption. Remember, pesticide residue and contamination aside, if you’re buying fresh produce, you are already making a far better purchase for your overall health and well-being then if you were buying any item of processed packaged fake food from the grocery store.

Who Tests for Pesticide Residue?

In Australia the agriculture department tests a limited number of plant products, generally this is reserved for plant products destined for overseas markets. The testing of domestic fruit and vegetables is done by a voluntary industry scheme, known as FreshTest, run by the wholesale fruit markets. A grower’s produce is tested once a year, usually during harvest, as part of their food handling certification and the results are not publicly available.

However, FreshTest does not cover all of the produce market as many growers sell their produce directly to the major supermarket chains. In these circumstances Woolworths and Coles require their suppliers to undertake annual residue testing. As an additional safeguard Woolworths and Coles conduct their own randomised checks and residue testing for agrichemicals on produce of their suppliers. However, again the results are not made public and there is no standardised procedure.

For this article, we rely two nongovernmental organizations based in the U.S.A for the data on which fruits and vegetables tend to be the dirtiest and cleanest as there is more rigorous and consistent surveillance undertaken in the USA. The best-known of these groups is Environmental Working Group (EWG), which has published its Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce annually since 2004. Their produce guide identifies the least and most pesticide-contaminated produce — also known as their Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen, based on thousands of tests conducted by both the USDA and the FDA.

In carrying out these tests, the produce is made “plate-ready” — washed, peeled, and ready to eat, before being analysed. Therefore, the residues found in these studies are likely to be the same as those you’re exposed to when you eat conventionally grown produce.

In 2020, Consumer Reports (CR) also released a pesticides in produce report based on USDA data. CR came up with their own ratings by running the USDA numbers through several filters. These include the total number of pesticides, the level of pesticides on fruits and vegetables, the frequency with which they were detected, and their toxicity. CR factors in the pesticide’s Food Quality Safety Factor (FQPA), which is published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to avoid underestimating potential harm.

The CR findings overlap significantly with those of EWG. But unlike EWG, CR makes distinctions between US-grown and imported foods, as well as conventional and organic.

Below, is a summary of the EWG’s Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen. Bear in mind as you go through the list that they are looking exclusively at conventionally grown produce, not organic.  If you can’t grow any of your own produce, and you can’t afford organic produce or can’t access it in your community, this shopper’s guide can help you make better consumer choices. Use it when you shop, whether at the grocery store, farmers market, or wherever you buy fresh produce, to help you determine which conventionally grown foods to avoid or to buy organic if you can.

Ratings Disclaimer

One more thing before we dive in: This guide looks at pesticide residues only at the consumer level. In some cases, the ratings might be very different if the researchers factored in the pesticide exposure of farmworkers and communities where the crops are grown and wider effects on the environment.

For example, conventional imported bananas are rated “very good” by CR (because the peel provides pesticide protection for the fruit). But public health research shows that farmworkers exposed to the pesticides used on conventional bananas develop up to 80% more genetic anomalies (i.e., potentially cancer-causing mutations) than those who work in organic or “ecological” farms that do not use conventional pesticides.

Therefore, if the health of farm workers, wildlife and ecosystems are important to you (and it certainly is to me), my recommendation is to choose organic when you can, and especially with imported foods from countries that have lax pesticide and worker protection regulations.

The Dirty Dozen: The Most Pesticide-Contaminated Produce

This list comes from EWG’s Dirty Dozen list. These fruits and vegetables are the foods with the most pesticide residues and are, therefore, the ones that are most important to buy organic if you can.

1. Strawberries

If you want to avoid exposure to multiple noxious chemicals and neurotoxins, including dangerous fumigants that build up in the plant tissue, the fruit, and the soil, the most important food to only buy organic is the strawberry. Most of the fresh strawberries sold in the US come from California, and data from 2015 revealed that, per acre, these strawberries receive 60 times more pesticide application by weight than corn, which itself is a pesticide-intensive crop. In fact, a jaw-dropping 99% of nonorganic strawberry samples had detectable pesticide residue.

But it wasn’t just the amount — the variety and toxicity of the chemicals were also problematic. While most crops showed residues of just over 2 pesticides per sample, strawberries averaged almost 8, with 30% at 10 or more. And some of these pesticides, according to EWG, “have been linked to cancer and reproductive damage, neurotoxicity or are banned in Europe.” Even though the insecticide bifenthrin was deemed a possible carcinogen by the EPA, it was still found on over 29% of tested samples.

If you like strawberries, you have a few options. You can grow them yourself. (It’s not that hard, and you don’t need a lot of land. Or, if you want to buy fresh or frozen strawberries, Consumer Reports recommends choosing organic when possible.

2. Spinach

If strawberries win the dubious distinction of the highest number of pesticides, spinach holds the distinction of highest pesticide residues by weight. The biggest culprit in testing was permethrin, a neurotoxin insecticide banned in Europe that may cause ADHD and various neurological impairments in children.

And speaking of bans, let’s talk about DDT for a minute. The pesticide that was banned in the US in 1972 after being indicted for multiple harms yet is still found on 40% of spinach sampled by the USDA in 2016. DDT, like many other pesticides, has a nasty ability to persist in the environment even after almost half a century.

Your best bet, aside from growing your own spinach, is buying organic spinach which fortunately is one of the most affordable organic crops on the market. It is very important to always wash fresh spinach well, as pesticide levels were higher in unwashed spinach than in the washed spinach tested by the USDA.

3. Kale, Collards, & Mustard Greens

Regrettably these are some of the most contaminated crops in the US. Between kale, collards, and mustard greens, 103 chemicals showed up in tests.

In 2017, the USDA found that almost 60% of nonorganic kale samples had contamination from the herbicide DCPA (marketed as Dacthal), which has been banned in Europe since 2009 because of cancer risks. And in 2019, 35% of examined samples of collard and mustard greens were also contaminated with Dacthal. DCPA’s main application is to kill crabgrass, which can outcompete edible leafy greens in poor soil conditions. Rather than remedy the soil, farmers are told to keep pouring on the chemicals.

The problem here is that DCPA was identified as a possible human carcinogen by the EPA as early as 1995. The data was so alarming, the manufacturer actually petitioned the EPA in 2005 to terminate its use on a variety of crops. Unfortunately, the agriculture industry has chosen to ignore the science and continues to douse our leafy greens in it. In the US, the only kale, collards, and mustard greens deemed generally free from DCPA are those grown organically.

4. Grapes

Grapes moved up in the Dirty Dozen this year, from number eight to number four. EWG tells us that nonorganic grapes contain many different pesticide residues, including 8 cancer-causers, 17 suspected hormone disruptors, 10 neurotoxins, and 4 developmental or reproductive toxins. Plus, they’re often treated with 19 pesticides that are toxic to honeybees.

The only good thing you can say about nonorganic grapes is that they’re better than nonorganic raisins. According to EWG, almost 100% of samples of nonorganic raisins contained residues from two or more pesticides. My recommendation with grapes and raisins is buy organic or not at all, especially given conventionally grown grapes and consequently raisins also have a poor nutrient content meaning your loading up on pesticides with little nutritional benefit.

There is more bad news when it comes to grapes, as the data reveals that wines and vinegars like red wine or balsamic are also subject to potentially harmful doses of pesticides. Roundup is commonly used in nonorganic vineyards, at more than half a pound per acre, as are various other fumigants, herbicides, and nematicides (killers of microscopic organisms called nematodes, the problematic varieties of which flourish in troubled soil. Pesticide residues found in wine rival those found in raw grapes, indicating that the wine-making process isn’t protective. Sadly while vineyards may look serene and picturesque, modern viticulture has evolved into a chemically intensive industry and is responsible for millions of litres of toxic agrichemicals being released globally into the environment each year destroying soil and harming wildlife and ending up in your glass,  as a result there are numerous reasons to opt for wines made from organically grown grapes, if you choose to drink wine at all.

5. Peaches

EWG and CR agree that fresh, nonorganic peaches are among the foods with the most pesticides. Samples examined by the USDA found residues of 59 separate pesticides (3% more than the previous year), with fungicides making up the majority of the chemicals. Fludioxonil, a seed-targeted fungicide, was on nearly 90% of all samples tested, with some even exceeding the maximum allowable amounts.

Peaches also have residues of multiple neonicotinoids (also known as neonics). Neonics are insecticides that attack an insect’s nervous system (more bad news, neonics do the same thing to your nervous system) and may be responsible for mass pollinator die-offs. Some neonics harm wildlife as well as human health. According to one 2020 study, neonic exposure may cause “chronic health effects ranging from acute respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological symptoms to oxidative genetic damage and birth defects.”

If possible, stick to organic peaches. CR also reported that nonorganic, canned peaches are low in pesticides and received an “excellent” rating. If you choose to buy canned peaches, look for those in organic fruit juice instead of syrup.

6. Pears

Most pear samples showed contamination from at least 5 different pesticides. Unfortunately, the number of samples with these pear pesticides increased by 20% this year. Six out of 10 samples of nonorganic pears were found to have residue of pyrimethanil, a fungicide shown to cause multi-organ failure and endocrine disruption in tree frogs. The USDA also classifies it as a Group C (potential) carcinogen.

A quarter of pear samples also had contamination with o-Phenylphenol, a mold growth retardant, a known carcinogen, suspected hormone disruptor, and developmental toxin. Sadly, 64 different pesticides were detected on pears in 2023. And 95% of samples had one or more pesticides, including the fungicide carbendazim, diphenylamine, and acetamiprid and imidacloprid, neonicotinoids which threaten pollinators.

When buying fresh pears, always choose organic.

7. Nectarines

Named after the divine drink of the Olympian gods, it’s a cruel irony that these delicious fruits are heavily tainted by pesticide residues. The USDA found 33 pesticide residues in nectarine samples, including 5 known or probable carcinogens, 17 suspected hormone disruptors, and 6 developmental or reproductive toxins. Nectarines were also found to contain 10 chemicals toxic to honeybees, our most important and most endangered pollinators. I don’t know about you, but I think I will pass on the conventionally grown nectarines.

8. Apples

The big problem with apples occurs after harvest when conventional apples are bathed in a chemical named diphenylamine, which keeps their skins pretty while they’re in cold storage. American regulators decided that diphenylamine didn’t pose any unacceptable risks in contrast to European officials, who paid attention to evidence that by-products of diphenylamine may contribute to cancers of the stomach and oesophagus. For this reason, conventional American-grown apples are banned in Europe.

Some bioengineered apples also exist for cosmetic rather than functional reasons. Arctic apples, for example, are spliced with genes that prevent the flesh from browning when cut open. This doesn’t stop them from degrading, it just keeps the colour white. Personally, I think you are far better off accepting that apples oxidise and discolour after being cut then eating bioengineered food.

Since bioengineered food (GMOs) are viewed by some as a giant uncontrolled experiment in overriding the laws of nature and there is reason to be skeptical about industry claims of safety, there are reasons you may want to avoid these so-called “Franken-apples.”

Your best bets when it comes to apples are homegrown (a well-tended apple tree can last up to five generations) or organic and non-GMO varieties.

9. Bell and Hot Peppers

Overall, peppers had the most types of pesticides detected — a whopping 115 in total. Two pesticides, in particular, showed up more often than not among tested bell and hot pepper samples. Acephate and chlorpyrifos are organophosphate insecticides that attack the acetylcholinesterase enzyme in insects and mammals. This enzyme helps convert the neurotransmitter acetylcholine into acetic acid and choline compounds in the body.

Insecticides like acephate and chlorpyrifos are especially harmful to children’s developing brains and can cause nervous system problems and other unpleasant side effects among humans. Although there is a ban in the EU, the US has not taken steps towards an outright ban on these toxic chemicals, which sadly still end up in our food supply.

To avoid potential exposure to any of the 115 potential pesticides found on bell and hot peppers, you might want to purchase organic as much as possible or grow your own.

10. Cherries

Almost half of the cherries sampled by the USDA contained residues of bifenthrin, a neurotoxin that kills insects by paralysis. It’s moderately harmful to mammals (including humans) and can wreak havoc on fish and their marine ecosystems. It also appears to cause cancer in mice but not rats, so we really don’t know what that says about carcinogenesis in humans. But add to this chemical the residues of 42 others found on cherries by USDA testing, and you have a recipe for individual and environmental concerns.

Therefore, your best bet when it comes to cherries are organic cherries. Even imported fresh organic cherries were rated only “fair” by CR, based on suspicions of inadequate oversight of organic standards by countries such as Turkey and China.

11. Blueberries

Blueberries are back on the Dirty Dozen list for a second year in 2024 after remaining off it for several years. Unfortunately, they gained a spot back due to an increase in pesticide residues on tested samples, with over 90% showing detectable levels. The amount and variety of pesticides found also increased from 2014, with 80% of samples showing 2 or more pesticides and over 17 different pesticides represented across blueberry crops.

Although they’re only in less than 12% of samples, two organophosphate insecticides showed up on blueberries: phosmet and malathion. The former is banned in the EU, and the latter is only approved for US greenhouse usage. But somehow, both have remained in regular circulation among conventionally grown blueberry crops. This is concerning, as both can damage the human nervous system, and children are especially vulnerable.

Detection of increased levels of fungicides and neonic insecticides is also very troubling, especially since the fungicide boscalid may have carcinogenic properties. Blueberries are another crop I personally would only eat organic or if I can afford organic simply do not buy blueberries.

12. Green Beans

Like blueberries, green beans are back on the Dirty Dozen list for the second year in a row due to the detection of several banned pesticides. In 2011, the EPA banned the use of acephate on green beans, and in 2016 reduced tolerable amounts after the banning, trying to crack down on violations. But as we can see from EWG’s findings, that wasn’t enough to stop acephate usage. In fact, one of the samples tested had residues equaling 500 times the allowable limit.

EU-banned pesticides detected on green beans also included carbendazim, bifenthrin, and chlorothalonil, with the former two classified as potential human carcinogens.

In all cases, the pesticide amounts, varieties, and the number of contaminated samples have all increased since 2016. Nearly 8% of nonorganic samples contained pesticide chemicals when tested in 2021 and 2022. And 94 different pesticides were detected, almost twice that of the amount recorded in 2016.

CR actually ranked fresh green beans with one of their worst scores, making them an important produce item to buy organic. Canned or frozen green beans fare slightly better, but only marginally.

The Clean Fifteen: The Least Pesticide-Contaminated Produce

Now that you’ve made it through the gauntlet of bad news, it’s time to reward yourself by discovering the 15 least pesticide-contaminated crops. While these fruits and vegetables are less important to buy organic, it still preferable if you can buy organic since they’re not completely without pesticide residues.

1. Avocados

I love avocados, so I was very happy to read that avocados topped the Clean Fifteen list as one of the most pesticide-free,  conventionally grown produce items tested. Fewer than 2% of avocado samples showed any detectable pesticide residue. And the single pesticide found on avocados, imiprothrin, appears fairly benign in toxicity studies.

2. Sweet Corn

Another clean crop, sweet corn, also contained pesticide residue in fewer than 2% of samples. This result is not based on bioengineered crops therefore you may want to make sure to avoid any bio engineered (GMO) sweet corn, however. While the vast majority of bioengineered corn varieties are for animal feed, oil, and grain, the agronomists at Bayer (formerly Monsanto) have introduced a bioengineered sweet corn into the market.

To steer clear of bioengineered corn, you may still want to opt for organic or check the variety with the grower or your market produce buyer to ensure that it’s non GMO. Other than that, pretty much any corn whether organic, nonorganic, fresh, or frozen seems to be mostly pesticide-free.

3. Pineapple

The thick skins of pineapples appear to create an effective barrier to most pesticides. Of the six chemicals found in pineapple samples, the most common, triadimefon, appeared just under 5% of the time. You may want to avoid the bioengineered “pink pineapple,” which is made by Del Monte. Their “Franken-fruit” is pinker and allegedly sweeter than a regular pineapple, which given how sweet pineapple is makes me recognise how unnecessary this genetic modification was, evidence demonstrates that bioengineered crops benefits tend to lie exclusively in enhanced profit and have little to do with improved quality, nutritional profile or benefit to consumers or the environment.

Aside from saying no to GMO, it seems that you’re fine with any domestic pineapple organic or not, fresh or frozen. If opting for canned pineapple, look for it packed in water or organic fruit juice, not syrup.

4. Onions

Regular onions (that is, not green onions or scallions) also made the Clean Fifteen, whether organic or not. Despite being bombarded with a wide variety of pesticides, the majority of them are in the outer layers and skin, which are typically removed as you peel the onion.

So as long as you peel your onions properly, your pesticide exposure will be minimal. CR rates them as excellent across the board. However, if you can please choose organic onions to protect farmworkers and the environment. As for your own consumption, any onions that you peel will likely have little, if any, pesticide residue on the edible part

5. Papaya

Papayas contain very few pesticide residues. But you may want to pay attention to whether they’re bioengineered. Many papayas are from Hawaii, and, unfortunately for fans of Mother Nature, 75% of Hawaiian papayas are bioengineered.

Originally, bioengineered papayas were introduced on the Big Island of Hawaii to combat a virus that attacked the trees. When consumers began worrying about the safety of bioengineered foods and started demanding non-bioengineered papayas, growers discovered that the bioengineered strains had cross-pollinated with and contaminated the non-bioengineered strains. Therefore, if you want non bio engineered papayas, stick to organic, choose varieties that haven’t been genetically modified, or fruit imported form the US. 

6. Sweet Peas (Frozen)

If you’re not going to use them exclusively as an ice pack, you can feel safe eating just about any variety of frozen peas — organic and nonorganic, domestic, and imported. Of the seven pesticides found on frozen peas, only one, dimethoate, appears in more than 4% of samples. And even that pesticide, which attacks insects’ nervous systems and kills them on contact, was found in only one out of eight samples, as it tends to degrade rapidly once applied.

7. Asparagus

Those happy green spears that have such an interesting effect on our pee are pretty clean even when conventionally grown. Of the nine pesticides found on asparagus, the really nasty ones appeared on less than 1% of samples tested. Any domestic asparagus is a fine choice, although imported varieties may have more pesticide contamination. Washing your asparagus with a solution of water and baking soda will

8. Honeydew Melon

While the USDA doesn’t test honeydew, the FDA’s pesticide data shows about 45% of honeydew samples tested were without pesticides. Luckily, honeydews have a tough outer shell. And like other thick-skinned fruits and vegetables, it’s unlikely that the inner, edible flesh would have pesticides.

9. Kiwifruit

CR rated kiwifruit as “good,” which isn’t exactly a resounding vote of confidence. Their middle-of-the-road rating may be because they’re among the fruits known to have residues of the fungicide fludioxonil, which may have hormone-disrupting effects. But as long as you don’t eat the skin of the kiwi, you’ll likely be fine. However, your best bet all around is to choose organic if you can. And that becomes all the more important if you choose to eat the skin (as many people do).

10. Cabbage

It’s good to know that despite nonorganic kale’s dreadful rating as a source of pesticides, some members of the cruciferous clan can still put on a good show without organic certification. Of the seven most common pesticides found in cabbage by the USDA, only methomyl and flonicamid have associations with health issues. And they appear in 1.3% and 0.8% of tested samples, respectively.

11. Watermelon

Watermelon is another newbie to the Clean Fifteen list as of 2023. Watermelons do have slightly more pesticides than other Clean Fifteen produce. And CR rates domestic watermelon as “good” and imported watermelon as “fair.” But luckily, most pesticides were only found in less than 1% of samples and only found on the outer rind of the fruit, not the flesh.

Around 10 different pesticides used on watermelons are harmful to bees and other pollinators, which are essential for watermelons to grow. But some farmers are beginning to reduce pesticides used on and near watermelon fields to save pollinators and improve yields. Although this news is heartening, you still have the option of buying organic watermelon, which is cleaner and better for pollinators.

12. Mushrooms

By far the most common pesticide used on mushrooms, thiabendazole, is also a pharmaceutical routinely prescribed for humans to treat pinworm and hookworm infections, among others. As far as pesticides go, it’s not considered an especially harmful substance to humans.

Mushrooms are kind of fun to grow, especially if you start with a kit that has everything you need. While organic is generally best, you can pretty safely choose any fresh domestic mushroom, organic or not.

13. Mangoes

Mangoes arrived on the Clean Fifteen list in 2022. While these tropical fruits may contain any of 11 pesticides, most are found in less than 1% of samples. The pesticide most often found on mangoes, thiabendazole, was only found, on average, 15% of the time and only in conventional fruit — either domestic or imported. CR also rates mangoes as “very good” across the board — both conventional and organic varieties.

14. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are also relatively new to the Clean Fifteen list after hanging out in the Middle Nineteen (produce with medium pesticide contamination) for a while — along with mangoes and watermelons. According to the USDA, 19 different pesticide residues were found on conventionally produced sweet potatoes between 2016 and 2018. The vast majority of samples (although still only less than half) contained Dicloran, which is a pre- and postharvest fungicide used to prevent soft rot. If you peel your sweet potatoes, you’ll likely remove most of any pesticide residue. But if not, a soak in a water and baking soda solution is a wise idea. CR rated domestic conventional sweet potatoes as “very good” and organic as “excellent.”

15. Carrots

Carrots received a low–moderate pesticide score, according to USDA data. But despite its recent emergence on this list, carrots are not completely without scrutiny. The USDA found 34 different pesticide residues on carrot samples from 2020–2021, but more than half were found on less than 1% of samples tested. The pesticide that showed up the most was linuron, which is sprayed on newly emerging carrot plants. That said, you may want to avoid conventionally grown carrot greens for this reason, as pesticide residues may be higher than on the carrot skin itself. CR also gives both conventional and organic carrots an “excellent” rating.