I am always on the hunt for positive information about the use and need for pesticides in agriculture. In November of this year, the USDA/AMS released its Pesticide Data Program's 33rd Annual Summary (2023). This report provides high-quality data on pesticide residues in food, particularly foods most likely consumed by infants and children. A few highlights of this report are as follows:
1) 9,832 food samples were collected.
2) Fresh and processed fruit and vegetables tested during 2023 were: almonds, apples, avocados, baby food applesauce, baby food carrots, baby food green beans, baby food peaches, baby food pears, baby food peas, baby food sweet potatoes, blackberries (fresh and frozen), celery, grapes, mushrooms, onions, plums, potatoes, sweet corn (fresh and frozen), tomatillos, tomatoes, and watermelon.
3) More than 99% of the samples tested had residues below the tolerances established by the EPA with 38.8% having no detectable residue.
4) Residues exceeding the tolerance were only detected in 0.49% of the total samples tested.
5) A residue is any amount of pesticide that remains after an application. A tolerance is the maximum amount of residue that may remain in or on food marketed in the US. The US EPA determines the maximum residue levels (MRL’s) or tolerance of pesticides in food products based upon a standard 100-fold margin of safety to protect all people and the environment. In addition to this base margin of safety, the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996 imposed an additional 10-fold safety factor to protect infants and children, unless sufficient evidence is presented to reduce.
6) A copy of the complete report can be obtained from the following web-site:
https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/2023PDPAnnualSummary.pdf
