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« FDA is faulted for drug-safety process | Main | Protests in Shanghai over toxic US-Japanese cosmetics »

Unsafe levels of pesticide residues in food

By Matthew

From The Guradian (UK):

Consumers are being routinely exposed to unsafe levels of pesticide residues in their food which are nevertheless still within legal limits, campaigners warn today.

More than 5% of fruit, vegetables and other foods carried harmful pesticide residues which posed "appreciable" health risks to consumers. One pesticide, Imazalil, exceeded the safe limit on 79% of oranges sampled, according to the Pesticide Action Network.

[snip]

The government report generally focuses on the legal limits of pesticides in food, which are set by the EU. Yet this limit, known as the maximum residue level, does not actually relate to how safe the pesticide is.

Here's a handy wallet guide listing produce items that are most and least likely to retain unsafe levels of pesticide residue after washing and preparation.

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