The Food To Eat Organic In The UK Where Possible

Want to know the best food to eat organic, and the food you don’t need to eat if money is tight? Read on!

Organic food has been cited as being better for the environment and could be better for our health (although the jury is still out). Yet, it can be more expensive to shop for organic food.

With food prices still high, money is tight right now. Many of us – myself included – have seen our budgets squeezed, and priorities shift.

As such, I’ve been doing a little research into what organic food to eat and which organic food you don’t necessarily need to buy if money is tight.

If your budget is feeling the pinch, but you still want to shop organic where you can, this knowledge can help you prioritise what to buy at the supermarket or greengrocers.

Research Into Pesticides

That research led me to the Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK) – an organisation focused on tackling the problems caused by pesticides. Each year, PAN UK publishes the Dirty Dozen – outlining the worst food in the UK for pesticide residues.

The data is sourced from the UK Government. PAN UK explains that each year, the UK government tests roughly 3,000 kg of food for pesticide residues. Once the results are published, PAN UK analyses this data and makes it accessible to the general public.

PAN UK focuses on produce with multiple pesticide residues. This is because the government sets safety limits for just one pesticide at a time. PAN UK feels that this ignores the growing body of evidence that chemicals can become more harmful when combined.

The Government testing is limited and inconsistent. It doesn’t test the same produce year on year. This makes it hard to identify trends. To combat this, PAN UK keeps a record of each year’s data and publishes average figures covering multiple years to get the most comprehensive figures.

If you’re a US reader, then do check out the Environmental Working Group Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides for information for your area.

The Food You Might Want To Eat Organic

As such, I’ve listed the foods that PAN UK found to have the highest levels of pesticide residues in the latest reporting period – The Dirty Dozen. This makes them the foods you might want to consider eating organic if you can.

When I updated this post in October 2025, the most up-to-date data available was from 2023. I’ll update this post when newer data becomes available.

Before we get into the list, something that’s incredibly important to remember is that eating fresh fruit and vegetables is better for your health than not eating them at all.

If you can’t afford to swap to organic versions, then don’t let this data stop you from buying standard fruits and vegetables. PAN UK collates and shares this data to help overhaul our agricultural systems as a whole – not to put the sole weight of the problem on individual shoppers.

One thing you can do instead is to wash fruit and vegetables to remove pesticides. I’ve found the most effective method – backed up by science – which helps remove most surface-based pesticides. Click through to my post for the full details.

It’s also important to note that pesticide levels in all foods are tightly controlled. You don’t have to eat organic to eat well. This list is more for those who would prefer to avoid or limit their exposure to pesticides.

1. Soft Citrus Fruits

According to UK government testing, soft citrus fruits (which encompass satsumas, clementines, and mandarins) take the top spot on the list as the most pesticide-contaminated food. Here, 96% of these fruits were found to have multiple pesticide residues.

I had always thought that, as you have to peel citrus fruit before you eat it, you don’t need to buy organic citrus fruit. Unless you’re making organic marmalade or using the zest in cooking or baking.

However, this is wrong. PAN UK say that modern pesticides are what are known as ‘systemic’. This means that the pesticides are absorbed into the plant. From there, these pesticides are then distributed throughout the plant’s tissues, reaching the fruits and/or flowers.

As a result, pesticide residues are often contained within the body of the fruit itself. This means that washing the surface or peeling the fruit won’t remove these chemicals.

2. Oranges

With smaller citrus fruits having high pesticide residue scores, it comes as no surprise that oranges are the second-highest scorer. With 95% of samples having multiple pesticide residues, it’s certainly something to think about.

3. Lemons

Coming in slightly lower than other citrus fruits on this list, 89% of all lemons sampled had multiple pesticide residues.

4. Grapes

Grapes may taste sweet. However, with 87% of all grape samples tested having multiple pesticide residues – and landing in the top five most contaminated foods – it’s definitely one fruit to consider buying organic if possible.

5. Pears

Pears are next on the list, with 81% of all pears sampled testing for pesticide residues. Pears have thin skins and are prone to insect damage, which often leads to heavier spraying.

6. Pulses

Pulses, such as lentils, might not be something you associate with pesticides, but 63% of all tested had multiple pesticide residues.

7. Bread

Scoring 54%, bread comes in at 7th on the list. The wheat used to make bread is often treated before and after harvest to prevent fungal diseases and to speed up ripening, hence why your loaf isn’t free from pesticides.

8. Carrots & Spring Onions

Joint 8th on the list are carrots and spring onions, with 38% of each testing for multiple pesticide residues.

Those numbers might sound modest compared to the citrus fruits topping the list. However, they still show that even hardy root vegetables and alliums – which grow underground or have protective layers – aren’t immune to the pesticide treatment.

9. Dried Beans, Peas & Beans

Coming in at 35%, 34%, and 29%, respectively, dried beans, peas, and fresh beans complete the somewhat depressing list.

Other Produce Not Tested In 2023, But Scoring Highly In Previous Years

As I mentioned, the government doesn’t test the same produce year-on-year. This can make it feel like some fruits are safe because they’re not on the list. But here are the fruits and veg that scored highly in the last round of testing, that may not have been tested in 2023:

Grapefruit

Grapefruit took the top spot on the list as the most pesticide-contaminated food. In fact, PAN UK reported that 100% of all grapefruits tested in the last round of testing had multiple pesticide residues on them.

Strawberries

Of all the strawberries sampled by the Government, 86% had pesticide residues on them last time around. Fresh organic strawberries can be an expensive purchase. However, you can find frozen organic strawberries in some shops. This can be a more affordable option, plus they can last a whole lot longer than fresh strawberries, helping you to beat food waste.

Raisins, Sultanas & Currants

The pesticide content of dried fruit doesn’t always fall under people’s radar. However, as these types of dried fruit are derived from grapes, it’s little surprise that 82% of all samples tested had signs of multiple pesticides last time around.

As these types of dried fruit tend to be eaten or used in small quantities and stored for a long time, they might be a more practical and affordable way to choose organic.

Cherries

Cherries also featured in a previous Dirty Dozen, with 81% of samples tested having traces of multiple pesticides. Like strawberries, you can lower the cost by opting for frozen organic cherries if you choose to swap to organic.

Herbs

Fresh herbs also made the last Dirty Dozen, with 81% of herbs sampled testing positive for multiple pesticides. Whilst you can buy organic fresh herbs, I’ve found it is much more affordable to grow our own organic herbs in our garden.

Even if you don’t have a garden, many herbs can easily be grown on your windowsill, so that you have a constant supply of your own pesticide-free herbs.

Pre-Packaged Salad

Pre-packaged salad may be convenient, but 81% of samples tested by the Government last time were found to have traces of pesticides.

Peaches & Nectarines

With 76% of peaches and nectarines tested found to have pesticide residues in the last batch of tests, suddenly, these soft fruits don’t seem so peachy.

Spices

Finally, fresh spices also made it into the last Dirty Dozen, with 74% of all spices testing positive for pesticides. Whilst dry spices weren’t tested, I assume this figure would hold for them too.

Your Thoughts

What do you think? Were there any surprises on this list?