By Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, FAND
I am a registered dietitian who believes that any form of fruits and vegetables are healthy – organic or conventional. However, there are so many myths surrounding pesticides and fruits and vegetables that it’s mind boggling for consumers to wade through the confusion. So much so that research has found that some consumers are even scared to buy fresh produce! Here’s a look at the research and what you should know about pesticide residues and fruits and vegetables.

A Recent Survey Among Registered Dietitians (RDs)
A recent survey found that 95% of RDs agree that it’s important for consumers to know that conventionally grown produce is safe because not all consumers can afford organic produce. However, peer reviewed research has previously shown that fear-based messaging regarding residues resulted in low income consumers stating they were less like to purchase any produce—organic or conventional.

Researchers at the Illinois Institute of Technology’s (IIT) Center for Nutrition Research surveyed low income consumers to learn more about what terms and information about fruits and vegetables may influence their shopping intentions. Among the key findings, misleading messaging which inaccurately describes certain fruits and vegetables as having “higher” pesticide residues results in low income shoppers reporting that they would be less likely to purchase any fruits and vegetables – organic or conventional. There is a plethora of research which shows eating any form of fruit and vegetables provides more health benefits than skipping them altogether.

In the aforementioned RD survey, 94% of RDs agree that these sorts of inaccurate, fear-based messaging regarding pesticide residues has a negative impact on consumers because it causes concern about whether conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables are safe to eat. In addition, 93% of the RDs surveyed agreed that consumers should eat more fruits and vegetables every day, whether it’s organic or conventionally grown. Both are safe and can be eaten with confidence.

Facts About Pesticide Residue
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released its latest (2018) Pesticide Data Program (PDP) results. The findings were consistent with past results, and complementary to other state and federal testing programs. The summary showed more than 99% of the samples tested had pesticide residues well below benchmark levels established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In addition, 47.8% of the foods tested had no detectable pesticide residue at all. These EPA benchmarks were set to ensure that pesticide residues remain at safe levels.

The Alliance for Food and Farming has created a fabulous tool called the “Pesticide Residue Calculator” to help consumers calculate the amount of fresh produce they would need to consume in order to exceed the EPAs pesticide residue benchmarks. For example, a woman could consume 453 servings of strawberries in one day without any effect even if the strawberries have the highest pesticide residue recorded for strawberries. With 8 strawberries per serving, that would mean eating a total of 3,624 strawberries in one day!

What About Dried Fruit?
One of the most popular dried fruits (and one I use regularly in my cookbooks) is raisins. Raisins are a natural and healthy dried product, an easy and quick snack for kids and a non-perishable pantry staple. According to the USDA PDP Report, which included raisins in its 2018 sampling program, the vast majority of residues found on raisins were well below safety levels established by the EPA. The raisin industry is also subject to an annual comprehensive survey, which shows that raisins are grown in compliance with pesticide safety standards established by the EPA.

The Benefits of Eating More Fruits and Vegetables
According to the 2015-2020 dietary guidelines for Americans, approximately 90% of Americans do not meet the daily recommendations for vegetables and close to 80% don’t meet the daily recommendations for fruit. A peer reviewed study found that if half of all Americans increased their consumption of fruit and vegetables by a single serving each day, 20,000 cancer cases could be prevented annually. This overwhelming difference between the benefit and risk estimates provides confidence that consumers should not be concerned about cancer risks from choosing conventionally grown produce.

As a registered dietitian, I am “pro-choice” when it comes to produce—but the choice is the consumer’s alone. Whether someone wants to eat organic or conventional, it is important to eat fruits and vegetables of any type (fresh, dried, canned, or frozen). No matter which fruits and vegetables you choose to eat, be proud of choosing foods that help contribute tremendous health benefits.