Paris, France, 2.20.2018: Just a few days before the “salon de l’agriculture”, the big French agriculture fair, our partner, Générations Futures releases a new report on the presence of pesticide residues measured in non-organic fruit and vegetables that are consumed in France.
This report has been compiled on the basis of official data produced by the Directorate General for Fraud Control (DGCCRF). These official analyses have made it possible to rank fruit and vegetables according to the frequency of pesticide residues and to the frequency of exceedance of maximum residue limits (MRLs) over a period from 2012 to 2016.
A total of 19 fruits and 33 vegetables could be studied on the basis of data provided by DGCCRF.
This analysis of official data shows that grapes are the fruit most contaminated by pesticides, followed in this sad classification by clementines, cherries, grapefruit and strawberries. As for vegetables, the five most contaminated products were celeriac branches, fresh herbs, endives, celeriac raves and lettuce.
Some fruits or vegetables contain more than one quantified pesticide residue, with the possibility of synergistic effects between pesticides, further increasing the potential toxicity of each pesticide. In five years, the share of fruit and vegetables containing several residues has risen from 26.5% in 2012 to 37.7% in 2016.
It is therefore increasingly important to consume organic fruits and vegetables, especially if one wants to follow the recommendations of nutritionists to consume at least 5 fruits per day.
The report can be downloaded from the Generations Futures website.