1 in 5 Foods Have ‘Significant’ Pesticide Risk: Consumer Reports

One in five tested foods sold in the United States has a high risk of pesticide contamination, and some foods, like green peas, contain dangerous pesticides banned by authorities, according to Consumer Reports (CR). CR analyzed seven years’ worth of Department of Agriculture data, studying 59 common fruits and vegetables to assess pesticide contamination. “Our new results continue to raise red flags. Pesticides posed significant risks in 20 percent of the foods we examined, including popular choices such as bell peppers, blueberries, green beans, potatoes, and strawberries,” CR said in an April 18 report. “One food, green beans, had residues of a pesticide that hasn’t been allowed to be used on the vegetable in the U.S. for over a decade.”...