What You Need to Know About Organic versus Conventional Produce

You may have come across the “Dirty Dozen” or the “Clean Fifteen”, and wondered what they actually mean. These lists, created by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), rank produce based on detectable pesticide residues. The “Dirty Dozen” highlights the 12 fruits and vegetables with the highest number of detectable residues, while the “Clean Fifteen” identifies those with the lowest. At first glance, these lists may make it seem necessary to choose organic produce to stay safe. But, is that really the case? Let’s take a closer look and debunk some common myths.

What is the Difference Between Organic and Conventional Produce?

Produce labelled organiccomes from farms that use natural fertilizers, crop rotation, and specific pest‑management strategies.(1) In Canada, farmers who follow organic farming practices must meet the requirements outlined in the Canadian Organic Standards and any relevant Canadian legislation.(2) They must also undergo third‑party certification verification bodies to assess and maintain their certification. (2)

Conventional farming, on the other hand, can use synthetic fertilizers and pesticides alongside other agricultural tools.(3) Regardless of the farming method, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulates all fertilizers, supplements, and farm inputs under The Fertilizers Act to ensure they are safe for humans, animals, plants, and the environment.

Myth #1: Organic Produce Is More Nutritious
While some research suggests small differences in certain nutrients, the scientific consensus is that organic and conventional produce are nutritionally similar.(4,5) Factors such as soil quality, climate, harvesting time, storage, and produce variety may have a greater impact on nutrient content than the farming method. (4,5)

Myth #2: Organic Produce Doesn’t Use Pesticides

A common misconception is that organic produce is pesticide‑free. This is not true; organic farming allows the use of naturally derived pesticides, provided they meet the requirements outlined in the Canadian Organic Standards. (2)

Myth #3: Conventional Produce Is Unsafe Because of Pesticide Residue

EWG’s Dirty Dozen list highlights the presence of pesticide residues, but it does not assess actual health risk. Its rankings of their lists are based on: (6)

• “The percentage of samples with at least one pesticide detected,”
• “The average number of different pesticides on a single sample,”
• “The average total concentration of pesticides found on a single sample”, and
• “The overall toxicity of pesticide on a crop.”

What the Dirty Dozen Doesn’t Consider

While their methodology seems robust, EWG’s approach does not take into the account for the specific types of pesticides present, the amount of each type of pesticide residue, and what having the highest (and the lowest) pesticide residue level means in terms of health risk—specifically, how the amount of residue present in the crop is relative to the amount consumed and to the levels known to pose a health risk.

Additionally, it does not consider rinsing produce in running water, soaking produce in baking soda, and soaking in vinegar, could also be effective strategies to reduce pesticide residue levels. (7)

Putting Pesticide Residue Into Perspective

To put the “Dirty Dozen” claims into perspective, let’s walk through one example together.

The EWG’s 2026 Dirty Dozen highlights that spinach as the most “dirty” produce. Using the Pesticide Calculator from the Alliance for Food and Farming, a non-profit organization that represents organic and conventional produce farmers, a child could eat up to 309 servings of spinach in a single day without experiencing any negative health effects, even if that spinach contained the highest pesticide residue level ever recorded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In reality, it is unrealistic for anyone to eat this amount of spinach, or any type of produce in this amount in any one day, making it clear how low the actual risk is.

What Monitoring Programs Show

It is also important to keep in mind that a detectable residue does not necessarily mean it will pose a health risk. Health Canada’s Pesticide Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) sets strict Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs), the highest amount of pesticide residue allowed on a crop, whether it is grown within or outside Canada.(8) These limits are set far below levels known to cause harm, even if someone ate that produce every day.(8)

According to the 2019-2020 report for the National Chemical Residue Monitoring Program and Chemistry Food Safety Program, 99 percent of vegetables and fruits grown in Canada, and 94 percent of vegetables and fruits imported to Canada, had pesticide residue levels below the MRLs.(8) Similar findings appear in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), where over 99 percent of the 9,872 samples tested were below EPA tolerances, and 42.3 percent had no detectable residues.(9)

What Actually Matters

The Dirty Dozen may seem helpful, but it can unintentionally mislead consumers into exclusively choosing organic produce, which often costs more than their conventional counterparts. Higher prices may discourage people from buying produce altogether. This is concerning, given that only roughly 1 in 5 Canadians (22 percent) eat 5 or more servings of produce each day, according to Statistics Canada.(10)

Canada’s Food Guide recommends eating plenty of vegetables and fruits because research consistently shows that eating produce, whole grains, and plant-based foods regularly provides health benefits and may lower the risk of cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.(11)

5 Practical Tips to Eat More Vegetables and Fruits

Instead of labelling organic and conventional produce as “good” or “bad”, focus on ways to include more vegetables and fruits in your daily routine:

• Wash produceunder running water to remove surface pesticide residues and visible dirt.(12) Soaking produce in baking soda or vinegar may also help.(7)
• Include vegetables and fruits with your meals and snacks, aiming to fill half of your plate or bowl with produce.(13) 
• Choose frozen and canned produce options; they are nutritious, affordable and convenient. Choose varieties without added sugars, seasonings, breading, and sauces more often.(13)
• Enjoy a wide variety of produce to experience different textures, colours and flavours while benefiting from a broad range of nutrients.(13) Looking for delicious meal ideas? Browse our library of recipes and Easy as 1, 2 3 videos on choosing and prepare produce.
• Choose produce that you will eat. Check out this blog post on ways to save money and waste less food.

Takeaway

The debate between organic and conventional produce can distract from one key message: Eating plenty of vegetables and fruits supports good health. While lists like the “Dirty Dozen” may spark concern, they often pull attention away from the bigger picture and may even discourage people from choosing affordable, nutritious options.

Both organic and conventional produce are safe to eat in Canada and can support good health. Instead of focusing on whether produce is organic or conventional, aim to include more vegetables and fruits in ways fitting your budget, preferences, and lifestyle. This approach also aligns with Canada’s Food Guide recommendations, emphasizing that healthy eating is not only about what you eat, but also where, when, why, and how you eat. (14)

References:

1. Canadian General Standards Board. (2021). CAN/CGSB‑32.310‑2020: Organic production systems—General principles and management standards (Corrigendum No. 1, March 2021). Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-services-procurement/services/standards-oversight/canadian-general-standards-board/development-services/catalogue/32-310.html
2. Canadian Food Inspection Agency. (2024, October 11). Regulating organic products in Canada. inspection.canada.ca. https://inspection.canada.ca/en/food-labels/organic-products/regulating
3. Elsevier. (n.d.). Agricultural and Biological Sciences: Conventional farming. ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/conventional-farming
4. Dangour, A. D., Dodhia, S. K., Hayter, A., Allen, E., Lock, K., & Uauy, R. (2009). Nutritional quality of organic foods: a systematic review. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 90(3), 680–685. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2009.28041
5. Magkos, F., Arvaniti, F., & Zampelas, A. (2003). Organic food: nutritious food or food for thought? A review of the evidence. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 54(5), 357–371. https://doi.org/10.1080/09637480120092071
6. Environmental Working Group. (n.d.). Methodology: EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™. https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/methodology.php
7. De Montagnac, D., Subramaniam, V., Naidenko, O. V., & Temkin, A. M. (2026). Reducing pesticide residues on produce: a scoping review of household produce washing methods. Frontiers in Environmental Health, 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvh.2026.1768399
8. Health Canada. (2023). Maximum residue limits for pesticides. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/consumer-product-safety/pesticides-pest-management/public/protecting-your-health-environment/pesticides-food/maximum-residue-limits-pesticides.html
9. Agricultural Marketing Service & U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2025). Pesticide Data Program—Annual Summary, Calendar Year 2024. https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/PDPAnnualSummary.pdf
10. Statistics Canada. (2026, March 10). One in five Canadian adults eat fruit and vegetables five or more times a day. Government of Canada. https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/9089-one-five-canadian-adults-eat-fruit-and-vegetables-five-or-more-times-day
11. Health Canada. (2024). Eat a variety of healthy foods each day. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-guide/explore/healthy-eating-recommendations/eat-variety.html
12. Health Canada. (2023). Healthy home guide. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/healthy-home/guide.html
13. Health Canada. (2024). Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-guide/explore/healthy-eating-recommendations/eat-variety/eat-vegetables-fruits.html
14. Government of Canada. (n.d.). Healthy eating recommendations. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-guide/explore/healthy-eating-recommendations.html

About the author

Novella Lui is a registered dietitian who is passionate about supporting people in building healthy relationships with food by sharing simple and practical tips. As a food, nutrition and health writer, she combines her interest in evidence-based nutrition and health education through content creation.