Worried about pesticides on your food? Don't be. In its yearly survey of pesticides, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) found pesticide residue levels on tested foods to once again be below the tolerance levels set by the Environmental Protecton Agency (EPA).
The survey is called the Pesticide Data Program, and 2022 marks the 31st year collecting residue data.
According to USDA, "The PDP provides high-quality, nationally representative pesticide residue data that contribute to the information available to help ensure consumer confidence in the foods they provide to their families."
The key takeaway is that there is no reason to be afraid of pesticide residues on your food. In 2021, more than 99 percent of the products sampled through PDP had residues below the established EPA tolerances. To put that in perspective, of the 10,127 samples tested, 54 had residues over the limit.
Before a pesticide can even used on a food, EPA reviews studies on it to make sure there are no unreasonable risks to human health. Once a pesticide is registered and licensed, EPA sets limits on how much of the pesticide can be used on food and sets limits on how much can remain on the food that reaches the consumer.
If you'd like to take a look at the entire report, it is 219 pages long and can be found here.