Your Store-Bought Produce Might Contain Harmful Levels Of Pesticides
But a new report determined that it's not all bad news.
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You don’t have to be a nutritionist to know that fruits and vegetables are good for you. But what if that nutrient-packed produce is hiding a potentially harmful secret?
That’s a question Consumer Reports tackled in a recent investigation, and its findings are worth paying close attention to.
Not enough progress
In recent decades, regulators have taken a tougher approach to the amount and types of pesticides that can be used on crops meant for human consumption. And while there’s evidence that these measures have had some positive effects, researchers found that some potentially serious health risks remain.
Here are some highlights from the report released this week:
- Researchers analyzed about 30,000 domestic and imported samples
- The study focused on 59 fruits and vegetables common in grocery stores
- About one-fifth of them had a high risk of dangerous pesticide exposure
- Blueberries, watermelons, and bell peppers had the highest risk level
- Peaches, oranges, mushrooms, and canned tomatoes were on the low end
So what should you do? Some health advocates recommend going organic … but it’s also important to look a little deeper into the study before completely giving up traditional produce.
It’s not all negative
As we mentioned, there has been some significant progress in limiting pesticide exposure. And Consumer Reports did use a particularly low threshold for registering the risk associated with the fruits and vegetables it tested.
Hundreds of types of pesticides have either been strictly regulated or completely banned since the ‘90s, and the Environmental Protection Agency says America’s food supply has never been cleaner.
Most of the concerns raised in the report come from just a handful of pesticides, and almost two-thirds of the fruits and vegetables tested by researchers were determined to pose a low risk of pesticide exposure.
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