Pesticides used in agriculture can often leave detectable traces of chemicals in, or on, our food known as ‘residues’. The residues detected on a food item will depend on a range of factors including which pesticides have been used, when in the growing season they were applied and how persistent they are, in other words, how long they take to decompose.

The UK Government monitors residue levels in food consumed in the UK. Each year, PAN UK analyses the results of the UK’s residue testing programme and publishes the Dirty Dozen list. This is the fruit and vegetables most likely to be contaminated with multiple pesticides, put into a handy list that you can stick on your fridge or in your back pocket to help you make shopping decisions.

We focus on produce with multiple pesticide residues (known as ‘pesticide cocktails’) because the government sets safety limits for just one pesticide at a time, ignoring the growing body of evidence that chemicals can become more harmful when combined.