Here are the American foods covered in the most pesticides

Strawberries, spinach, and kale topped the list of the ‘Dirty Dozen’

An environmental group announced the top 12 fruits and vegetables most covered with pesticides (Getty Images)

A new study lists the most pesticide-covered foods in the United States, and it’s bad news for strawberry lovers.

The Environmental Working Group, a consumers’ rights watchdog, released their “Dirty Dozen” list on Wednesday, ranking the twelve fruits and vegetables with the most residue from pesticides. Strawberries top the list, followed by spinach, and then kale and other greens.

In fact, 70% of non-organic fruits and vegetables in the US were found to contain traces of pesticides, which are sometimes carcinogenic. And some produce was found to contain much more than one – bell peppers and hot peppers, for example, were found to have residue of 115 different pesticides.

In spite of all this, the group does not recommend that people stop eating the foods on the list.

“The most important thing is that everyone should be eating lots of fruits and vegetables,” Thomas Galligan, a toxicologist at EWG, told USA Today. “We do recommend you try to reduce your pesticide exposure. Choose organic whenever possible.”

The full list is as follows:

1. Strawberries
2. Spinach
3. Kale, collard and mustard greens
4. Nectarines
5. Apples
6. Grapes
7. Cherries
8. Peaches
9. Pears
10. Bell and hot peppers
11. Tomatoes
12. Celery

Fortunately, there’s also some good news. In addition to the “Dirty Dozen,” EWG released their “Clean Fifteen,” a list of the fruits and vegetables least covered in pesticides. That list is as follows:

1. Avocados
2. Sweet corn
3. Pineapples
4. Onions
5. Papayas
6. Sweet peas (frozen)
7. Eggplants
8. Asparagus
9. Broccoli
10. Cabbages
11. Kiwis
12. Cauliflower
13. Mushrooms
14. Honeydew melons
15. Cantaloupes