The 2026 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce reveals a troubling new finding: more than 60% of the "Dirty Dozen" most contaminated fruits and vegetables contain PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals" because their molecular bonds can take years, decades, or even centuries to break down in the environment. These substances are now among the three most frequently detected pesticides on produce, raising fresh concerns about what we're bringing home from the grocery store .

What Are Forever Chemicals and Why Should You Care?

PFAS stands for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These chemicals are intentionally used as active ingredients in pesticide products because they are extremely effective at killing weeds, molds, and insects. However, that same persistence that makes them useful in agriculture is precisely what makes them dangerous to human health and the environment .

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), several PFAS chemicals have been linked to cancer, obesity, thyroid disease, high cholesterol, decreased fertility, liver damage, hormone disruption, and immune system damage. What makes this particularly alarming is that some of these chemicals can cause harm at levels as small as a billionth of a gram .

"The PFAS pesticide is the active ingredient in these products because it's effective at killing things, which is the very reason why it's so concerning to public health and the environment at large. Unfortunately, there's no way to contain the harm. We can't just harm the mold spores or insects on a peach and not potentially harm the little kid that eats the peach. The fact that we're intentionally spraying forever chemicals on the produce we're buying at the grocery store is a real eye-opener," explained Bernadette Del Chiaro, senior vice president for California operations at the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

Bernadette Del Chiaro, Senior Vice President for California Operations, Environmental Working Group

Which Produce Has the Highest Pesticide Levels?

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) examined pesticide residue tests conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on 54,344 samples of 47 different fruits and vegetables to compile the 2026 report. Even after the produce was peeled, scrubbed, and thoroughly washed to mimic what consumers do at home, testing found traces of 264 different pesticides .

The 2026 "Dirty Dozen" list includes the following produce with the highest pesticide residue levels:

• Spinach: Holds the top spot with more pesticide residue by weight than any other produce type, containing an average of four or more different types of pesticides
• Strawberries: A longtime favorite among children, consistently ranks among the most contaminated fruits
• Grapes: Contain high levels of potentially harmful pesticide residues
• Nectarines and Peaches: Stone fruits showing significant pesticide contamination
• Cherries, Apples, Blackberries, and Pears: Additional fruits with elevated pesticide levels
• Potatoes and Blueberries: Round out the list, with potatoes averaging two pesticides per sample

Across all Dirty Dozen produce, samples averaged four or more different pesticides, except potatoes which averaged two. Consuming produce with multiple pesticides is concerning because exposure to mixtures of pesticides may accumulate in the body and raise health risks .

Why Does Pesticide Exposure Matter for Children?

Children are especially vulnerable to pesticide contamination, even before birth. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), pesticide exposure during pregnancy may lead to an increased risk of birth defects, low birth weight, and fetal death. Exposure during childhood has been linked to attention and learning problems, as well as cancer .

Past studies have also potentially linked pesticide exposure to premature births, congenital malformations such as neural tube defects, spontaneous abortions, and an increase in genetic damage in humans. In adults, exposure has been associated with lower sperm concentrations, heart disease, cancer, and other disorders .

How to Reduce Your Pesticide Exposure at Home

The good news is that you don't need to stop eating fresh produce. Fruits and vegetables are the backbone of a healthy diet. Instead, experts recommend strategic choices and proper preparation techniques to minimize your exposure to pesticides and forever chemicals:

• Choose the Clean Fifteen: Nearly 60% of the Clean Fifteen samples had no detectable pesticide residues. The least contaminated produce includes pineapple, sweet corn, avocados, papaya, onions, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, cabbage, cauliflower, watermelon, mangoes, bananas, carrots, mushrooms, and kiwi
• Buy organic versions of the Dirty Dozen: If you can't find organic options for the most contaminated produce, prioritize organic for spinach, strawberries, and grapes, which have the highest contamination levels
• Wash produce properly: Rinse all produce under running water before peeling. For firm produce like carrots, cucumbers, melons, and potatoes, use a clean vegetable brush. For leafy greens, remove the outermost leaves and rinse each leaf carefully with low-pressure water. Do not use bleach, soap, or commercial produce washes, as fruits and vegetables are porous and can absorb these chemicals
• Vary your produce choices: Eating a wide variety of different fruits and vegetables helps distribute your exposure across different pesticide types rather than concentrating exposure to the same chemicals
• Consider frozen organic options: Frozen organic versions of contaminated produce like blackberries are often available and can be a cost-effective alternative to fresh organic produce

Studies have shown that eating more organic than conventionally grown foods can reduce pesticide levels in the human body. Even simple washing is better than no washing at all .

What Do Safety Advocates and Industry Say?

The Alliance for Food and Farming, which represents both organic and conventional produce farmers, has criticized the annual EWG report. A spokesperson stated that when farmers use pesticides, they follow stringent laws and regulations to provide safe produce, and that "the mere presence of a residue does not automatically mean something is unsafe." The EPA sets limits on pesticide residues that include large safety margins to protect infants and children, according to the industry group .

CropLife America, which represents the pesticide industry, told CNN that EWG's "annual fearmongering campaign promotes distrust in our food system and the tools farmers use to protect their crops against weeds, pests, and diseases." The organization stated that "over 99% of tested produce falls well below the Environmental Protection Agency's gold-standard safety limits" .

However, the discovery that forever chemicals now appear on more than 60% of the most contaminated produce represents a significant shift in the pesticide landscape. These PFAS chemicals persist in the environment and in the human body far longer than traditional pesticides, raising questions about long-term cumulative exposure that current safety testing may not fully account for.