Consumer Reports has published findings from its most comprehensive review of pesticides in US fruits and vegetables, analysing seven years of data from the US Department of Agriculture. The study examined 59 common produce items, including fresh, canned, dried and frozen varieties, and found that pesticides posed significant risks in 20% of them.
High-risk foods included bell peppers, blueberries, green beans, potatoes and strawberries. Notably, green beans contained residues of a pesticide not permitted for use on that vegetable in the US for over a decade. Imported produce, particularly from Mexico, was more likely to carry risky pesticide levels.
However, nearly two-thirds of the foods examined presented little cause for concern, including almost all organic items. The largest risks were attributed to a small number of pesticides concentrated in a handful of foods grown on a limited fraction of farmland. James E Rogers, who oversees food safety at Consumer Reports, said this makes it easier to identify problems and develop targeted solutions, though he acknowledged that changes from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will take time.
Consumer Reports rated each fruit and vegetable based on the number of pesticides detected, frequency of detection, amounts found and toxicity. The organisation uses stricter limits than the EPA for pesticides that harm the neurological system or are suspected endocrine disruptors. The Alliance for Food and Farming noted that over 99% of tested foods had residues below EPA legal limits, but Consumer Reports argues many EPA tolerances are set too high.
The study provided guidance for consumers: 16 fruits and 21 vegetables had low risk, safe for more than three servings daily even for children and pregnant people. Ten foods were moderate risk, acceptable up to three servings a day. Twelve foods were high or very high risk, with recommendations that children and pregnant people limit consumption to less than one serving or half a serving daily, respectively.
