What is the EWG Produce Guide and Why Should I Care?

What is EWG? 

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a non-profit organization that is committed to transparency and works to investigate harmful legislation and farming practices that threaten our health and the health of the environment. Their website provides resources on everything from non-toxic skincare and personal care products, produce guides, tap water and more. 

Tell me more about the EWG Produce Guide. 

The EWG Guide is conducted yearly to determine which produce is the most heavily sprayed for the current year. The guide examines 46 fruits and vegetables. 

*We made sure to provide you with results that are based on Local Ontario produce! So, within Ontario, 

The most heavily sprayed produce includes (known as the Dirty Dozen): 

You'll want to spend the extra bucks and make sure you buy these produce with the organic label!

The least heavily sprayed produce includes (known as the Clean 15): 

Although you must always properly wash your produce, you can get away with buying these fruits and veggies from the non-organic section.

The middle children of heavily sprayed produce includes (#13 - 31 on the list): 

You'll have to use your best judgement when buying these fruits and veggies. The produce from the top of the chart are going to be more heavily sprayed and the produce from the bottom of the chart are going to be less sprayed.

So why should I care? 

Pesticides are one of the biggest sources of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) which we know interfere with our hormones and impair detoxification. We want to protect our bodies and more specifically, our endocrine systems by avoiding EDCs as best we can. Unfortunately, we are inundated daily with chemicals in our internal and external environments, that is why we stay informed and share this with you as a quick reference guide. Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to our health! 

Tips: 

#1. When shopping for fruits and vegetables that are on the dirty dozen, try to source organic. Look for the code on the produce sticker that starts with 9, that’s how you’ll know it's organic. 

#2. It’s no secret that organic produce is typically more expensive. Our big tip is to shop in bulk when you can to not only save on organic produce, but also reduce the package to product ratio which is an added benefit for shopping sustainably. 

#3. Shopping in season is another way to avoid high costs when shopping for organic produce. Shopping farmers markets and your local farm stands for in season produce is another great way to save. Get to know your local produce vendors as some small farms may follow organic farming practices but are not certified, which is another great way to source pesticide free produce, save some cash, and support local.  

#4. Always wash your produce, but with the dirty dozen, we recommend using a product wash to wash away those harmful pesticides. We love Nature Clean Fruit & Veggie wash. Generally, produce with peels is okay because it has that extra barrier. If you’re buying something on the dirty dozen list with a peel, even if it's thin in the case of an apple/pear/peach etc, we recommend peeling it! 

#5. Don’t want to wash and chop? We’re with ya! Use a meal delivery service that incorporates this guide into their philosophy, like AIYANA.  

We incorporate more than just the produce on this list, using primarily organic produce and other ingredients. Vegetables are packed with essential nutrients, fibre and hydration. Some vegetables on our menu that aren’t represented in the 46 most common fruits and vegetables are: 

If you’re an AIYANA customer, you’ve probably had one or many of these fruits and vegetables. You’re a self proclaimed produce connoisseur who is following sustainable farming practices, shopping locally and taking care of our your body's detoxification systems. Congratulations! 

We recommend taking a screen shot of this guide for your next grocery shop so you can have the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists ready at your fingertips!