Each year the UK government tests food for pesticide residues and Pesticide Action Network (PAN UK) turns this data into the ‘Dirty Dozen’, a list of produce most likely to contain multiple pesticides.

These chemical “cocktails” matter because safety limits only assess single chemicals, not how they behave together.

Whilst the list is a really useful guide to what to prioritise buying organic, the problem is that the list of what gets tested changes each year. So just because it isn't on the list doesn't mean it's ok.

That's why there's now the list of the worst offenders over the last 5 years (2020-2024) to give you a clearer picture.

Why is this important?

Because this cocktail of pesticides and the multitude of other chemicals we're exposed to on a daily basis has an impact on our human bodies and biochemistry, and amongst many other things is disrupting our hormones. These toxins are an often overlooked cause of hormonal imbalance and inability to lose weight, and are incredibly difficult for the body to get rid of.

All of the produce tested in 2024 were found to contain the following:-

☠️ 123 different pesticide actives
☠️ 12 developmental or reproductive toxins
☠️ 12 PFAS (forever chemicals)
☠️ 62 highly hazardous pesticides
☠️ 21 endocrine disrupting chemicals
☠️ 36 actives not approved for use in the UK
☠️ 42 carcinogens
☠️ 2 neurotoxins

Isn't that just plain shocking? What are we putting into our bodies?

So what can you do about it?

Washing all fruit and vegetables well, peeling when possible, and choosing organic as often as you can, especially for high-risk items.

If you'd like to know more or have a chat about how chemicals and pesticides may be impacting your health and hormones do get in touch. I'd love to hear from you.