Meet the fruit and veg villains with the highest pesticide levels

A recent study found 95 per cent of strawberries analysed contained traces of pesticides – here’s what you need to know to protect yourself (and yes, we should be buying organic).

This summer’s strawberries and cream could come with a sprinkling of chemical residue, according to a recent study by Pesticide Action Network (PAN). Analysis of the latest government data concluded that some of our staple foods including fresh fruit and vegetables contained traces of pesticides, among them PFAS or “forever chemicals”(see box below), so called for their ability to linger and accumulate. A staggering 95 per cent of the strawberry samples tested were affected.

With concern growing about the effect of these chemicals on health and the environment, it’s enough to put you off your five-a-day. But Josie Cohen, Head of Policy for PAN, says “we’re not advocating that people stop eating fruit and vegetables. What we’re advocating is that the people that produce our fruit and vegetables get the support they need from the government to move away from chemical dependence.”

As a long-term political aim, few would argue. But how worried should we be here and now?

What produce is affected the most?

This year’s “dirty dozen” – the 12 fruit and vegetables showing the highest levels of pesticides based on the latest government research – are apples, apricots, peaches and nectarines, grapes, strawberries, cherries, spinach, sprouts, cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce and beans.

However, this is based on very limited data. The roster of fruit and vegetables tested changes each year, and last year’s results, from which PAN’s latest list is taken, included just 15 fruits and vegetables, meaning only three escaped the list: avocados, cabbage and potatoes. Citrus fruit, which has previously been shown to be very high in pesticides, was not included in tests last year, so none appears on the list.

Another problem, according to Cohen, is that the figures make no allowance for the impact of “what we call pesticide cocktails, which is incidences of mass use of more than one active substance in the same piece of fruit or vegetable.” This, PAN argues, increases the risk, and “trends on that are going up.”

Fruit and veg aren’t the only issue here. While they contribute to the accumulation of “forever chemicals” in our bodies, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, eggs, fish, seafood and meat are “main contributors to exposure” in food internationally.

However, the latest Expert Committee on Pesticide Residues in Food (PRiF) data included pork, sea fish and game available in the UK, and found no residue above safe or Maximum Residue Level (MRL), although several of the sea fish tested had lingering traces of DDT.

The PAN study showed that strawberries were the most likely to be contaminated by pesticides, with 95 per cent showing traces of PFAS. Not great, but I’ve trawled through the PRiF data, and at least none of the strawberries contained pesticides above the MRL. Most residues were below 10 per cent of the MRL.

I’m more concerned about other fruit and veg. According to PAN, a total of 1,506 different samples of 15 fruit and vegetables were tested and 43 showed levels of individual pesticides above MRL, nearly 3 per cent. That sounds

low, but if you eat five portions of fruit and veg a day – and you do, right? – that suggests that every week you’re eating one containing more than the safe level of pesticides.

Is it worth buying organic?

If you can afford it, yes. While most organic land is contaminated with PFAS (and possibly DDT – see background box) either spreading from other areas or historically present, levels tend to be much lower. Only three of the strawberry samples in the latest government tests were organically grown, but all these were free of any pesticide residues.

Of course if you don’t spring for organic you may get lucky: there were six conventionally grown strawberries that were also residue-free, including the “Imperfectly Tasty” budget strawberries from Sainsbury’s (although that doesn’t mean that other batches of these strawberries weren’t contaminated).

Looking at the bigger picture, by choosing organic produce, you’re boosting the market, supporting those farming methods that don’t use PFAS and therefore incentivising more farms to make the switch. If it’s too expensive for you to move over completely, then you might consider buying organic soft fruit like strawberries, plus cherries and grapes, which are the worst offenders.

Will washing fruit and veg make a difference?

Much of the PFA and other pesticide contamination is “systemic”, intrinsic to the fruit or veg, which may have been grown from a seed encapsulated with PFAS containing pesticide, so it won’t be affected by washing. The Food Standards Agency says, “In the UK, washing and/or peeling is not required as a protection against pesticide residues.” That said, PFAS pesticides are water-soluble so any lingering on the surface will be removed by rinsing them under the tap (better than soaking in a bowl of water) and giving them a good rub – and it will see off any soil and pathogens like E.coli.