Clean 15: Produce You Don't Have to Buy Organic

Now that we’ve revealed the Dirty Dozen, it’s time to reveal the “Clean 15”, or produce that’s OK to buy non-organic. Most often, fruits & veggies that have “thick skins” tend to be safe for consumption. Here they are, ranked starting from lowest in pesticides:

• Onion
• Avocado
• Sweet Corn
• Pineapple
• Mango
• Asparagus
• Sweet Peas
• Kiwi
• Cabbage
• Eggplant
• Papaya
• Watermelon
• Broccoli
• Tomato
• Sweet Potato

This guide assumes that consumers will rinse or peel fresh produce, so still use caution when preparing foods.  Also, check for updates. For example, tomatoes tend to bounce from the ‘dirty’ to OK list frequently. Also, bananas tend to be on the ‘safe’ side since the pesticide stays on the peel.

Check out the Daily Green’s List of Clean Produce for longer explanations.

Posted by Julie

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Julie Hancher is Editor-in-Chief of Green Philly, sharing her expertise of all things sustainable in the city of brotherly love. She enjoys long walks in the park with local beer and greening her travels, cooking & cat, Sir Floofus Drake. View all posts by Julie Hancher