Report Lists Strawberries and Grapes Among Fruits With Highest Pesticide Residues

A new report examined recent U.S. Department of Agriculture pesticide residue tests covering 54,344 samples of 47 fruits and vegetables. The analysis identified twelve items with the highest average number of pesticide detections.

Strawberries ranked first on the list. Up to 23 different pesticides appeared on individual samples, and 99 percent of strawberries tested positive for at least one residue. Bifenthrin was detected on 29 percent of samples, and carbendazim appeared on 16 percent.

Grapes placed second. At least 80 percent of grape samples contained residue from at least one PFAS pesticide, according to the same analysis. Nectarines ranked third and peaches fourth. A single peach sample contained up to 19 different pesticides, while 59 different pesticides were found across all peach samples.

Fludioxonil appeared on 90 percent of peach samples, and propiconazole was detected on more than 40 percent. Cherries finished fifth. An average of five pesticide residues were found on cherry samples, including the fungicide iprodione.

The remaining items on the list were spinach, kale, collard and mustard greens, apples, blackberries, pears, potatoes, and blueberries. The report stated that every fruit on the list except potatoes had an average of four or more pesticides detected on individual samples. The analysis noted that health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables outweigh the exposure risk from these residues.

It added that more work is needed to reduce potential risks from PFAS pesticides in the food supply.