Did you enjoy a glass of orange juice this morning? Unfortunately, 100% of domestic oranges were found to have herbicide and/or pesticide residue by the FDA’s annual Pesticide Residue Monitoring Report. This study analyzed 2,078 human food samples for 716 kinds of pesticides, 27 herbicides, glufosinate, glyphosate, and the byproducts created when they break down. The findings concluded that 76.7% of domestic fruits, 59.9% of vegetables, and 52.6% of grain products had pesticide and/or herbicide residue, yet 96.8% of domestic and 88.4% of imported foods were found to comply with federal standards set by the EPA. Some studies have found that herbicides, in particular glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup), may increase the risk of cancer, especially non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The EPA’s official position is that it does not cause cancer, although many experts question their testing methods. The state of California disagrees with the EPA’s assessment so much that they added glyphosate to its list of carcinogens in 2017. This infographic examines the findings to show which foods have the most and least exposure to herbicides and pesticides to help people make more informed choices.
