Fruits and vegetables are the foods with the most pesticides.
insecticide products are chemicals Which control and destroy pests, protect plants from mold, weeds, fungus, rodents and insects. These substances ensure that crops thrive, but when they do their protective work on plants, they can serious harm to human health, It’s so serious that even the American Academy of Pediatrics notes that “pesticide exposure during pregnancy may increase the risk of birth defects, low birth weight, and stillbirth” and that “the risk of exposure in childhood is concerned attention and learning problemsAs well as cancer,
Some pesticides are especially toxic to hormonal health: These are endocrine disruptors. they have a similar structure hormones And can lead to problems like infertility or hormonal health problems like endometriosis.
Pesticides vary by country
Fruits and vegetables are the foods that contain the most pesticides but, Which one takes the most? Depending on the agency and country conducting the analysis, results vary.
Analysis A study by the US Department of Agriculture shows that the vegetables with the most pesticides in that country in 2022 were the following, in this order: Strawberries, spinach, kale, cabbage, mustard, peaches, pears, nectarines, apples, grapes, bell peppers, hot peppers, cherries, cranberries, and green beans,
Fruits and vegetables with the most pesticides in Europe, more and less
But fruits and vegetables are more for local consumption. What happens in Europe? A Macro study of the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) study on the presence of pesticides in food products of animal origin, fruits, vegetables and vegetables sold in the European Union, Iceland and Norway in 2021 shows that these are the 12 foods with the most pesticides .
- Grape.
- Sweet pepper
- Bananas.
- mushroom.
- Table grapes.
- Eggplant.
- Broccoli.
- wheat.
- Melons.
- Virgin olive oil.
Fruits and vegetables with fewer pesticides
The Environmental Working Group (EWP) listed the 15 cleanest foods free of pesticides,
- Avocados.
- sweet corn.
- pineapple.
- onion.
- Papaya.
- Pea.
- asparagus.
- sweet melon
- Kiwi.
- Cabbage
- mushroom.
- Common.
- Sweet potato.
- watermelon.
- Carrot.
hormonal pollutant
From Ecologistus en exion they recall that since the beginning of the 20th century the ability of some chemical substances Hormonal or endocrine system interference of many animal species including humans and adversely affect their health.
“Endocrine disruptors interfere with the natural action of hormones, throw off balance, and can alter a person’s physiology throughout a person’s life from fetal development to adulthood (age 18)”They point.
Report “Straight to Your Hormones. Guide to Disruptive Foods”, describes the known health effects that endocrine disruptors may have. these are some:
- damage to the male reproductive systemDecreased semen quality and infertility, among others.
- damage to the female reproductive system: Precocious puberty, polycystic ovary syndrome…
- alterations in neural development: Cognitive or behavioral deficit (hyperactivity, difficulty concentrating…).
- metabolic diseaseMetabolic syndrome, diabetes and obesity.
- heart disease: Endocrine disruptions act as precursors to obesity and diabetes, which lead to increased cardiovascular risk.
The authors of the report recall that, like hormones, endocrine disruptors can cause effects on dosage. low risk.
The time of exposure is also crucial. If it occurs during the earlier stages of life (during pregnancy) the damage can be significant.
pest control
To ensure that pesticide residues reaching the table do not exceed limits safe for health, the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) Conducts annual testing of food samples.
The latest analysis from this agency shows that 98.3% of the food complies with the regulations. However, Ecologist in Action in its report condemned that a 62% pesticides are out of AESAN analysis And 31% of the pesticides analyzed are substances that are not authorized in Europe.
As the NGO recalls, Spain is one of the European leader in sales of pesticides,
