Pesticides—including insecticides and herbicides—are chemical products used to control, reduce, or eliminate organisms that are harmful to cultivated plants. However, the use of pesticides on plants that provide foods for human consumption is often controversial because the benefits stemming from the unmatched ability of certain pesticides to control pests can be counterbalanced by adverse effects on the environment. In particular, numerous fruits and vegetables that are commonplace food items are prone to be contaminated by pesticide residues. Therefore, governmental protection agencies routinely monitor and test fruits and vegetables to ensure that these foods are safe for human consumption. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are responsible for verifying that pesticide-residue levels in foods are low and that quality production standards are met. See also: Agricultural chemistry; Agricultural science (plant); Chemical ecology; Environmental toxicology; Food; Fruit; Fruit, tree; Herbicide; Horticultural crops; Insecticide; Pesticide
In 2017 and 2018, the FDA and USDA analyzed more than 40,000 samples of 47 types of fruits and vegetables in order to determine the extent of pesticide contamination. In 99% of the samples, the pesticide-residue levels were low and were confirmed to be well within the benchmark levels considered safe for human consumption. However, the analysis indicated that some types of fruits and vegetables were more prone to contain higher concentrations of pesticide residues than others. Moreover, in many cases, some fruits and vegetables tested positive for the presence of more than one individual type of pesticide. In particular, the dozen fruits and vegetables containing the highest concentrations of pesticide residues (although still well below the levels needed to raise any regulatory intervention) were strawberries, spinach, kale, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, and potatoes. In contrast, the dozen fruits and vegetables containing the least amounts of pesticide residues included avocados, sweet corn, pineapple, sweet peas (frozen), onions, papaya, eggplant, asparagus, kiwi fruits, cabbage, cauliflower, and cantaloupe. See also: Apple; Avocado; Corn; Grape; Kale; Nectarine; Onion; Papaya; Pea; Pineapple; Spinach; Strawberry
The aforementioned listings of most-contaminated and least-contaminated fruits and vegetables are meant as statistical guides for consumers and health advocates. Overall, U.S. governmental protection agencies consider the U.S. food supply (including both conventionally grown and organic produce) to be among the safest in the world. In all instances, though, governmental agency researchers and health practitioners recommend careful washing and peeling (where appropriate) of all produce prior to consumption. These actions also can help protect against a variety of foodborne illnesses emanating from unwashed fruits and vegetables contaminated by pathogenic organisms. See also: Foodborne disease; Pathogen; Public health
