Do Pesticide Residues In Food Harm People's Health?

We share our world with thousands of varieties of insects, but we don't necessarily want to share our food with them. Thus farmers use pesticides to both keep crops from being devoured and bugs from showing up in the fruits and vegetables we pick up at the market. Consumer worry about pesticide residues on food is becoming more common, but the agencies responsible for keeping our food supply safe reassure us that for most people, the benefits of pesticides far outweigh the risks.

Why We Need Pesticides

Despite growing public concern about pesticides in our food supply, experts hold that pesticides are a necessity. According to the University of Kentucky, without the use of pesticides our food would be more expensive, of lower overall quality, have a shorter storage life and be less abundant. It explains that, while there is risk involved in the use of pesticides, the benefits currently outweigh the risks.

The university indicates that currently, insect pests destroy 30 percent of U.S. crops every year, making a monetary loss of about $20 billion. If pesticides were not used, it says that crop losses, and by extension, food costs, could possibly go up by 50 percent. Because pesticides help prevent crop loss, they keep food prices lower.

How Pesticides are Evaluated

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, there currently are 1,055 substances listed as pesticides. Those substances are further formulated or combined to produce the pest-control products available on the market. In order to keep our farm workers and food supply safe, the EPA evaluates and re-evaluates all of these substances using a four-step process. First, it conducts what is called hazard identification, during which the pesticides are tested on animals and any/all adverse effects are noted. Next, the dose-response assessment shows how much of a pesticide produces what effect. Exposure assessment, in which different means of exposure are explored, is the next step, and then comes risk characterization, a full report of the potential toxicity of a pesticide and how people could be exposed to it.

Pesticide Residues in Food

There is no question about it: Our food supply contains pesticide residues. According to an EPA report, in 1994 a full 62 percent of all the food samples that were tested for pesticides by U.S. Department of Agriculture's Pesticide Data Program contained at least one pesticide, and 36 percent tested positive for multiple pesticides. While this data sounds frightening, the EPA also states that less than .2 percent contained pesticide residues of an amount more than is legally permitted to be on food.

Potential Harm From Pesticides

Pesticides are toxic, but there is a lack of information as to exactly how much pesticide residue can be harmful and what populations are more likely to be harmed. Studies have not shown definitive results. A study published in the August 2008 issue of "Toxicology Letters" suggested that while there might be inherent risk in consuming any pesticide residues, the largest risk might be in consuming a combination of residues that have similar effects on the body. Because short-term effects from pesticide residues are rare, the study suggests that future research should focus on the long-term cumulative effects of pesticide residues, instead. U.S. government agencies do not currently warn against pesticide residues in foods, other than to suggest ways of reducing them as much as possible.

While pesticide residues in food still are being investigated, pesticides themselves have been shown to demonstrate a substantial poisoning risk for farm workers and others who routinely handle pesticides. EPA estimates indicate that between 10,000 and 20,000 agricultural workers suffer from pesticide poisoning in the U.S. each year.

Reducing Pesticide Residues in Food

While it might be difficult to eliminate pesticide residues entirely, the Food and Drug Administration has some suggestions to help you reduce pesticide levels in any foods you eat. Wash produce thoroughly with tap water and scrub with a brush when necessary, and remove the outer leaves of vegetables like cabbage and lettuce. Washing might seem simple, but it has been demonstrated to be effective: The FDA states that an EPA study showed that 99 percent of pesticides were removed from the surface of tomatoes simply by washing them.

To reduce possible pesticides in meat, remove excess fat and skin, both of which are places pesticide residues can accumulate in animals.