USDA reports 99% of food is within EPA's pesticide allowances

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently published the 2022 Pesticide Data Program (PDP) Annual Summary, which shows that over 99 percent of the samples tested had pesticide residues below benchmark levels established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The tests were conducted on 10,665 samples from 23 commodities including fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, dairy, nuts, and grains.

The PDP is a national pesticide residue monitoring program that tests a wide variety of domestic and imported foods, with a strong focus on foods that are consumed by infants and children. It is an important part of the government's efforts to ensure that the food supply is safe and that consumers can have confidence in the foods they eat. USDA and EPA work together each year to identify foods to be tested on a rotating basis and USDA partners with cooperating state agencies to collect and analyze pesticide residue levels on the selected food commodities.

EPA relies on PDP data to conduct dietary risk assessments and to ensure that any pesticide residues in foods remain at or below levels that EPA has set. The data also provide regulators, farmers, processors, manufacturers, consumers and scientists with important insights into the actual levels of pesticide residues found on widely consumed foods.

The annual pesticide residue results are reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and EPA in monthly reports as testing takes place throughout the year. FDA and EPA are immediately notified if a PDP test discovers residue levels that could pose a public safety concern.

The 2022 data and summary can be found on the Pesticide Data Program page of the AMS website.