The new generations are increasingly concerned about their health and the origin of their food. Thus, it became even more common to request additional information about the diets we follow and how pesticides act in our bodies. Therefore, in this article we will clarify Which foods have the most pesticides? and what this kind of chemical does to our body. Check out!
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Why use pesticides in food?
In order to protect and harvest the fruits of these crops, pesticides play an important role in eliminating pests such as weeds, insects and fungal diseases.
However, despite pesticides helping to protect food, it turns out that we also consume some of the residues that remain in fruits and vegetables. That's because after a pesticide is applied, traces of residue can remain in or on them. As a result, pesticides intended for this purpose must be tested in advance in order to determine the safety of those who consume these residues.
What foods have the most pesticides?
To maintain a healthier diet, it is necessary to add a wide variety of foods, fruits and vegetables to our routine. However, in order to have greater control over the amount of residues that reach us, the EFSA (European Food Safety Agency) establishes a series of strict assumptions about these pesticides. In addition, the agency published the annual report on the presence of pesticide residues in foods, in which 88,000 samples of foods most likely to contain waste. Among them:
- Carrots;
- Cauliflower;
- Kiwi;
- Onions;
- oranges;
- Pears;
- Potatoes;
- Peas;
- Rice;
- Beef liver;
- Chicken fat.
It is important to remember that 68.5% of the samples were free of significant amounts of pesticides, while 29.7% had one or more residues, but in concentrations equal to or less than the maximum allowed. Only 1.7% had residues that exceeded the legal limit.
Are they a health risk?
The EFSA concluded after this report that the food we consume does not pose a health risk. However, fruits and vegetables should always be cleaned and washed properly before consumption if they are eaten raw. This is due both to the residues they may contain and to the microorganisms that are deposited during handling.
Finally, so far there is no scientific evidence to show that there is a great risk for health in consuming products of this type, nor that organic foods are safer to eat.