A stark public health warning has been issued after an analysis of government data found cancer-linked pesticides in 17 types of common fruit and vegetables sold in the United Kingdom. The findings, published in December 2025, have prompted urgent calls for action from campaign groups concerned about long-term consumer safety.
The Scale of the Problem: From Grapes to Limes
Campaigners from Pesticide Action Network UK (Pan UK) analysed the UK Government's own testing results from 2024. The official programme, run by the Expert Committee on Pesticide Residues in Food (PRiF), examined 3,482 food and drink samples last year.
Pan UK's scrutiny revealed that 123 different pesticide chemicals were detected across the produce. Alarmingly, this list included 42 pesticides with links to cancer and 21 known to disrupt hormone systems.
Grapes emerged as the most concerning item. Of 108 grape samples tested, a staggering 90% contained multiple pesticides. One sample of sultana grapes from Turkey was found to harbour residues of 16 different chemicals.
Other high-risk items identified include:
- Grapefruit: 99% of 121 samples had multiple residues.
- Limes: 79% of 24 samples contained multiple pesticides.
- Bananas: 67% of 73 samples tested positive for multiple chemicals.
- Sweet Peppers & Melons: Around half of samples showed multiple residues.
Further spot checks found one sample of chilli peppers with 11 different pesticides and a broccoli sample containing eight.
The "Cocktail Effect" and "Forever Chemicals"
Nick Mole, who conducted the analysis for Pan UK, highlighted a critical flaw in current safety assessments. "Safety limits are set for one pesticide at a time, completely ignoring the fact that it’s all too common for food to contain multiple chemicals," he stated.
He warned of the "cocktail effect," where pesticides can become more toxic when combined, and stressed that the long-term health impacts of exposure to hundreds of different chemicals are poorly understood.
The analysis also identified the presence of PFAS substances, dubbed "forever chemicals" due to their persistence in the environment. Chemicals like fluxapyroxad and fluopyram can accumulate in living organisms and have been linked to severe health conditions.
Government Response and Industry Stance
The government's PRiF report states that 51.26% of samples in 2024 contained no detectable residues, while 46.67% contained residues below the legal Maximum Residue Level (MRL). Only 2.07% exceeded the MRL. The UK's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) conducts risk assessments on all findings.
A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: "We have placed strict limits on pesticide residues, which are set after rigorous risk assessments to ensure levels are safe for the public. These limits apply to both food produced domestically and imported from other countries."
However, Pan UK argues that MRLs are inadequate as they don't account for chemical mixtures or other exposure routes like packaging and water. The group also found that 29% of the pesticides detected are not approved for use by British farmers, often entering the UK via imported food.
Cancer Research UK offers a more reassuring public stance, noting that pesticide levels on food are regulated and tracked, and that residues are typically at "low levels that are not harmful to people." They recommend washing fruit and vegetables before eating.
Pan UK is now urging the government to take decisive measures, including significantly cutting overall pesticide use, banning imports treated with domestically prohibited chemicals, and supporting farmers to transition to non-chemical alternatives.
