What Changed in the 2025 Dirty Dozen List?

The 2025 guide analyzed 53,692 samples covering 47 fruits and vegetables. According to EWG, more than 95 percent of samples from the Dirty Dozen categories contained detectable pesticide residues. Blackberries entered at number 10, while potatoes arrived at number 12. Blackberries were included after the U.S. Department of Agriculture began testing them in 2023.

The Complete 2025 Dirty Dozen Ranking

1. Spinach
2. Strawberries
3. Kale, collard greens, and mustard greens
4. Grapes
5. Peaches
6. Cherries
7. Nectarines
8. Pears
9. Apples
10. Blackberries
11. Blueberries
12. Potatoes

Bell and hot peppers and green beans were listed as additional “plus” items because they ranked just below the dozen overall but scored highly for pesticide toxicity. In 2026, blackberries and potatoes remained on the Dirty Dozen, so their 2025 debut was not a one-season cameo.

Why Blackberries Joined the Dirty Dozen

Blackberries look rugged, but they are delicate little engineering projects. Each berry is made of many tiny drupelets, creating grooves and crevices where moisture, dirt, fungal spores, and surface residues can linger. Their thin skin also makes vigorous scrubbing impossible unless your goal is blackberry jam before breakfast.

EWG reported that 93 percent of tested blackberry samples had detectable pesticide residues, with an average of four pesticides per sample. The detected chemicals included combinations of fungicides and insecticides. Across all blackberry samples, dozens of different compounds or breakdown products were identified. One conventional sample contained residues from 14 pesticides, illustrating why the crop scored highly under a system that considers multiple detections as well as toxicity.

Why Berries Often Require Crop Protection

Commercial berries face intense pressure from insects, molds, mites, and plant diseases. They are also highly perishable. A farmer can grow a flawless berry, only to watch fungus turn it into a fuzzy science experiment during storage or transport. Fungicides and insecticides help protect yield and shelf life, but some residues may remain when the fruit reaches consumers.

That does not erase the nutritional value of blackberries. They remain an excellent source of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, and naturally occurring plant compounds. The practical takeaway is not “banish berries.” It is “wash them properly, vary your fruit choices, and consider organic blackberries when the price works.”

Why Potatoes Made the List

Potatoes joined for a different reason. Unlike delicate berries, potatoes can survive dirt, storage, transportation, and a surprising amount of culinary abuse. Their residue profile was strongly influenced by chlorpropham, a chemical historically used after harvest to suppress sprouting while potatoes are stored.

EWG said nearly 90 percent of tested potatoes contained chlorpropham. Potatoes averaged fewer different pesticides per sample than most other Dirty Dozen foods, but the prevalence and toxicity weighting helped push them onto the list. The European Union ended approval of chlorpropham in 2019 after regulators raised concerns related to consumer and worker exposure.

Does Peeling a Potato Solve the Problem?

Peeling may reduce residues found on or near the skin, but it is not a perfect eraser. Some pesticides are systemic, meaning they can be absorbed into plant tissue. Peeling also removes some fiber and nutrients concentrated near the skin. A more balanced routine is to rinse potatoes under running water, scrub them with a clean produce brush, remove damaged areas, and peel only when the recipe or personal preference calls for it.

Sweet potatoes should not be casually swapped into the same category. They are a different crop with a different residue profile. The Dirty Dozen entry refers to conventional white, yellow, red, russet, and similar potatoesnot every tuber wearing a brown jacket.

How the Dirty Dozen Is Created

The Dirty Dozen is not produced by EWG laboratory testing. EWG analyzes pesticide-residue results collected mainly through the USDA Pesticide Data Program, which is one of the country’s most extensive food-residue monitoring systems. USDA samples foods from distribution points and tests them for hundreds of pesticides and metabolites. The program focuses heavily on foods commonly eaten by infants and children.

Before testing, USDA generally prepares produce in a way intended to resemble consumer handling. Samples may be washed, peeled, or scrubbed depending on the commodity. The 2024 USDA report states that samples were washed for 15 to 20 seconds under gently running cold water without soap or special produce washes.

A New Toxicity Factor

For 2025, EWG updated its ranking formula. Earlier versions were often criticized for emphasizing how frequently pesticides were detected and how many were present without giving enough weight to the relative toxicity of different chemicals. The revised system uses four broad factors: pesticide presence, number of pesticides, amount detected, and toxicity.

This is an important improvement, but the guide still serves primarily as a relative shopping ranking. It tells consumers which tested produce categories scored higher or lower compared with one another. It is not a clinical diagnosis, and it does not calculate an individual shopper’s exact health risk.

Pesticide Detection Is Not the Same as Pesticide Danger

Modern laboratories can detect extremely small quantities of chemicals. A residue being measurable does not automatically mean it exceeds a safety limit or poses a meaningful health threat. The Environmental Protection Agency sets legal tolerances for pesticide residues after considering toxicity, expected food consumption, exposure from other sources, and the dietary patterns of infants and children.

USDA reported that more than 99 percent of samples tested in 2024 had residues below EPA tolerances, while 42.3 percent had no detectable residue. EPA similarly emphasizes that a detectable residue does not necessarily indicate an unsafe level.

Why the Debate Continues

EWG argues that legal limits may not fully address repeated exposure, pesticide mixtures, sensitive populations, or emerging research on endocrine and developmental effects. Critics respond that rankings based on detection can frighten consumers even when measured amounts are far below established safety thresholds.

A peer-reviewed 2011 risk assessment concluded that exposures to commonly detected pesticides on that year’s Dirty Dozen commodities were negligible relative to toxicological reference doses. However, research reviews also consistently find that organic diets reduce pesticide exposure, while the long-term health significance of that reduction remains less certain.

Both ideas can be true at once: conventional produce generally complies with federal standards, and shoppers may still reasonably prefer to lower pesticide exposure when doing so is practical.

Should You Buy Organic Blackberries and Potatoes?

If your budget allows, blackberries and potatoes are reasonable foods to prioritize when buying organic because they ranked highly in EWG’s analysis. Organic certification generally prohibits most synthetic pesticides and requires that prohibited substances not be applied to the soil for three years before harvest. Organic farming may still use approved pesticides, and organic does not mean residue-free, but studies commonly find fewer detectable synthetic pesticide residues on organic produce.

A Budget-Friendly Priority System

• Buy organic berries when affordable: Frozen organic blackberries are often cheaper than fresh and work well in smoothies, oatmeal, sauces, and baking.
• Compare potato prices by unit: A larger organic bag may cost less per pound than loose organic potatoes.
• Use the Clean Fifteen for savings: Spend less on organic versions of lower-residue foods such as pineapple, sweet corn, avocado, onions, and cabbage.
• Choose variety: Rotating berries, citrus, bananas, melons, root vegetables, and leafy greens reduces reliance on one crop and one residue pattern.
• Do not sacrifice produce quantity: A conventional potato is still nutritionally preferable to a side of deep-fried indecision.

How to Wash Blackberries and Potatoes Correctly

The FDA recommends washing produce thoroughly under running water and warns against using soap, detergent, or household cleaners. Produce is porous, and soap residues can be absorbed or remain on the food. Commercial produce washes are not necessary for routine home use.

For Blackberries

1. Keep berries refrigerated and wash them shortly before eating, not days in advance.
2. Discard moldy, crushed, or leaking berries.
3. Place the berries in a colander.
4. Gently rotate the colander while rinsing under cool running water.
5. Drain well and pat dry with a clean paper towel.

For Potatoes

1. Rinse under cool running water.
2. Scrub the entire surface with a clean vegetable brush.
3. Cut away sprouts, green areas, bruises, and damaged sections.
4. Dry with a clean towel before storing or preparing.
5. Peel when desired, but wash before peeling so the knife does not carry dirt across the flesh.

No washing method removes every pesticide residue, especially compounds that have moved into plant tissue. Still, running water, rubbing, scrubbing, peeling, and cooking can reduce some residues. The National Pesticide Information Center recommends running water over soaking and specifically advises gentle rinsing for berries and scrubbing firm produce such as potatoes.

The Bigger Health Risk May Be Eating Too Little Produce

One danger of scary food lists is that shoppers may conclude that fruits and vegetables are not worth the trouble. That would be the nutritional equivalent of avoiding the gym because treadmills have emergency-stop buttons.

Only about one in 10 U.S. adults meets fruit and vegetable intake recommendations. Diets rich in produce are associated with better weight management and lower risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers. Adults are generally advised to consume roughly 1.5 to 2 cup-equivalents of fruit and 2 to 3 cup-equivalents of vegetables daily, depending on calorie needs.

So the most responsible interpretation of the Dirty Dozen is not “avoid these foods.” It is “use the list as one optional tool.” Buy organic selectively, wash produce properly, vary your diet, and keep eating plants in forms you can afford and enjoy.

Experience-Based Lessons: What This List Changes in a Real Kitchen

The following is a composite household experience based on common shopping and food-preparation patterns, not a controlled scientific trial. It shows how the Dirty Dozen can influence decisions without taking over the grocery cart like a tiny produce dictator.

At first, the easiest reaction is to decide that every blackberry and potato must be organic immediately. Then the grocery receipt arrives and performs its own health-risk assessment. Fresh organic blackberries can cost considerably more than conventional berries, especially outside peak season. Organic potatoes may be easier to find, but the bag size, variety, and price can vary wildly.

A more sustainable approach begins with frequency. A household that eats blackberries twice a month but potatoes four times a week may prioritize organic potatoes. Another family may blend berries into smoothies every morning and buy potatoes only for holiday mashed potatoes. The “best” organic purchase depends on actual eating habits, not on which food looks most alarming in a headline.

Frozen fruit often becomes the surprise hero. Frozen organic blackberries usually last for months, eliminate the heartbreak of finding mold two days after purchase, and work perfectly in oatmeal or smoothies. Texture matters less once the blender begins its noisy career. For fresh snacking, shoppers can buy conventional berries when organic prices are unreasonable, rinse them gently, and serve them without guilt.

Potatoes teach a different lesson: preparation habits matter. A clean produce brush beside the sink makes scrubbing automatic. Washing potatoes before cutting them reduces soil and surface contamination, while leaving the skin on preserves texture and fiber. For mashed potatoes, peeling may be preferred anyway. For roasted potatoes, the skin is half the fun and approximately 80 percent of the personality.

Shopping seasonally also helps. Berry prices usually improve during regional harvest periods, making organic options more realistic. Potatoes store well, so buying an economical organic bag can work if it is kept in a cool, dark, ventilated place. But buying more than the household can eat is not a pesticide-reduction strategy; it is an ambitious composting plan.

Another useful habit is to ask local growers how they manage pests. “Local” is not automatically organic, but some farms use integrated pest management, targeted spraying, resistant varieties, crop rotation, or reduced-risk products. A short conversation at a farmers’ market may provide more meaningful information than a label alone.

After several shopping trips, the list becomes less of a command and more of a budgeting map. Organic purchases are focused on frequently eaten, higher-residue foods. Conventional produce remains welcome when it is the affordable or available choice. The refrigerator contains more variety, less panic, and fewer berries purchased with noble intentions only to become refrigerated fossils.

The final experience-based lesson is simple: perfection is an expensive meal plan. Reducing exposure where practical is reasonable. Washing produce is sensible. Choosing organic selectively can lower pesticide intake. But eating enough fruits and vegetablesconventional, organic, frozen, or freshremains the foundation of a healthy diet.

Conclusion

Blackberries and potatoes joined the 2025 Dirty Dozen because federal testing data showed residue patterns that ranked highly under EWG’s updated methodology. Blackberries had frequent detections and multiple pesticides per sample, while potatoes were strongly associated with the sprout inhibitor chlorpropham. The findings deserve attention, but not grocery-store panic.

Residue detection does not automatically equal unsafe exposure, and USDA monitoring shows that the overwhelming majority of tested foods comply with EPA limits. Consumers who want to reduce exposure can prioritize organic versions of blackberries and potatoes, buy frozen organic berries, wash produce under running water, scrub potatoes, eat a varied diet, and avoid using soap on food.

The smartest plate is not perfectly pesticide-free. It is colorful, varied, affordable, and actually eaten.