Blueberries just made the dirty dozen
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The Environmental Working Group just dropped its 2026 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce. Blueberries are back on the Dirty Dozen, and the new data on what's actually on them got worse.
EWG analyzed more than 54,000 USDA and FDA samples for the 2026 guide. Two lists came out of it. The Dirty Dozen flags the 12 conventional items with the heaviest pesticide load (buy organic). The Clean 15 flags the 15 cleanest (conventional is fine).
What they found
The headline numbers from the 2026 report:
96% of Dirty Dozen samples carried pesticide residue
203 different pesticides showed up across those 12 items
63% of Dirty Dozen samples tested positive for PFAS pesticides ("forever chemicals")
Fludioxonil, a PFAS fungicide, was the single most-detected pesticide across all produce tested
Dirty Dozen items (excluding potatoes) averaged 4 or more pesticides per sample
Nearly 60% of Clean 15 samples had no detectable pesticide residue at all.
The 2026 Dirty Dozen
These are the 12 most pesticide-contaminated conventional produce items. Buy organic whenever possible:
Spinach - more pesticide residue by weight than any other produce
Kale, collard, and mustard greens - over half of samples tainted with potentially cancer-causing pesticides
Strawberries - Americans eat about 8 pounds per year, often loaded with dozens of pesticide types
Grapes
Nectarines
Peaches
Cherries
Apples - frequently treated post-harvest with additional chemicals
Blackberries - a newcomer based on 2023 USDA tests; 91% of samples had detectable residues
Pears
Potatoes - the most consumed vegetable in America; 90% of samples contained chlorpropham, a sprout inhibitor
Blueberries - back on the list, with traces of highly toxic pesticides detected
What's actually on your blueberries
Blueberries rank #12 on the 2026 Dirty Dozen. USDA testing from 2021-2022 found acephate residues on conventional blueberries, even though the EPA banned acephate use on most fruit crops in 2009.
Other usual suspects on conventional blueberries: fluopyram, bifenthrin, and fludioxonil: linked to endocrine disruption and developmental effects in animal studies.
Blueberries have thin skin, high surface area, and get sprayed often during the growing cycle. A baking soda soak knocks down some surface residue. Anything that's already penetrated the cuticle stays put.
A note on "wild": lowbush blueberries are still farmed and still sprayed. Wyman's caught a 60-day Clean Water Act notice in 2005 over aerial drift of phosmet, propiconazole, and fenbuconazole into Maine salmon habitat. They stopped aerial spraying. Wyman's says every berry gets washed before freezing, but a wash only handles surface residue.
The 2026 Clean 15
These fruits and vegetables had the lowest pesticide residues. Conventional is generally fine here:
Pineapple
Sweet corn (fresh and frozen)
Avocados
Papaya
Onions
Sweet peas (frozen)
Asparagus
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Watermelon
Mangoes
Bananas
Carrots
Mushrooms
Kiwi
Pineapple, sweet corn, and avocados topped the list as the least contaminated of all 47 items tested.
The Simple Shopping Protocol
The Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen make the decision easy. Shift spending toward organic for the highest-risk items and save money on the rest.
Always buy organic: Anything on the Dirty Dozen, especially berries, leafy greens, and stone fruits. If organic is not available, frozen organic is often a better option than fresh conventional.
Conventional is fine: Anything on the Clean Fifteen. Thick-skinned produce like avocados, pineapples, and onions rarely absorb pesticides through their outer layer.
The 80/20 rule: If you can only make a few swaps, start with what you eat most often. Spinach in your daily smoothie matters more than the occasional peach.
Wash organic too. USDA-organic blueberries can still be treated with substances like pyrethrins, sulfur, copper, kaolin clay, and neem oil.
Farmers Juice does the sourcing for you
Farmers Juice home delivers nutrient-dense cold-pressed juices, made with certified organic ingredients - so no pesticide exposure, no guesswork.
Their Antioxidant Blueberry Juice is made with whole blueberries, 6g fiber and 7 plants. It’s delicious. They also have low-sugar, organic green juices, & chiafiber shots.
Everything is small-batch made in California, and they work with organic & family farms to source the highest quality ingredients.
They have a Mother's Day special discount of 30% off. Try them out.
Bottom Line
96% of Dirty Dozen produce had pesticide residues; average of 4+ types per sample
PFAS "forever chemical" pesticides showed up in 63% of Dirty Dozen samples
Blueberries returned to the Dirty Dozen in 2026 despite their health halo
"Wild" blueberries are commercially managed and can still be sprayed with pesticides
Spend the organic premium on the Dirty Dozen; save it on the Clean Fifteen
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