Organic fruits can still be treated with pesticides. I would like to limit my intake (or eliminate entirely) of these pesticides. Has there been any investigation into how much pesticides remain on a harvested organic fruit so that I can make a determination on whether or not to eat the rinds?
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2Both the benefits (vitamins, etc in peel) and the risks (propensity of peel to absorb pesticides - assuming there is some danger there) would depend on the type of fruit. Given the number of available fruits, this seems too broad to me.– SusanCommented Apr 18, 2015 at 15:26
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@JohnP I would just hope that we can decide from the information, because 'tell me if I should' was deemed too broad and effected this closure? Please feel free to edit my OP directly.– user14Commented Apr 18, 2015 at 17:56
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I would rather see the question deal with whether fruit rinds are a health hazard, regardless of the question of organic or not. (Since the issue of pesticide or other residue on the rind affects both conventional and organic produce.)– Nate BarbettiniCommented Apr 24, 2015 at 13:18
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This question needs to specify what type of fruits, pesticides, benefits, and risks we're talking about. Also, plants can naturally produce pesticides, which might not always be dangerous to us.– Dave LiuCommented Apr 24, 2015 at 21:59
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2 Answers
Washing and peeling conventional fruits and vegetables only helps to reduce the levels of pesticides that may be on the surface as reflected by USDA test data1999. As we know the pesticides needs to be toxic to kill pests, therefore potential long-term health effects of exposure to pesticides can include: cancer, neurotoxic effects and many morewiki.
Under the FQPA, EPA has the authority to ensure that all pesticides meet the safety standards. They estimates the exposure to a pesticide from different sources such as food, determine the health risks and set the limits of tolerance which is maximum amount of pesticides that is permitted in/on the food. This is systemically tested as part of the Carcinogenic Potency Project.
The recent meta-analysis of 343 studies from 2014 shown that organic food has 4 times less pesticide residues, toxic/heavy metals (e.g. Cd and Pb) and other chemicals than in conventional crops which can bioaccumulate in the body over time 2014.
According to EWG, buying certain organic food can significantly lower residue exposurewiki, because organic crop production standards prohibit the use of synthetic chemical products and certain mineral fertilisers.
How much pesticide residue remains on organic food?
The toxicology of natural and synthetic chemicals is similar, so it's probable that almost every fruit and vegetable contains natural pesticides1992.
One scientific literature notes:
What does not follow from this, however, is that chronic exposure to the trace amounts of pesticides found in food results in demonstrable toxicity. This possibility is practically impossible to study and quantifywiki.
Therefore it's not possible to determine health benefits of eating organic food by measuring how much pesticides remain on food as it really depends on agronomic practices/protocols and soil pollution which can affect crop composition.
Therefore eating organic fruits in general is safe and you shouldn't worry about pesticides too much.
See also: Are organic foods more healthy than conventional foods?
Organic farming practices generally aim to reduce the use of synthetic pesticides, relying instead on natural pest control methods and approved organic pesticides when necessary. The specific amount of pesticide residue on a harvested organic fruit can vary depending on several factors, including the type of pesticide used, its application method, timing, and adherence to organic regulations.Use plant care app for organic farming because it has various remindes like watering, fertilizing, lux meter etc.
