Increased pesticide usage on non-organic citrus

In the 'Farm to Fork' strategy presented by the European Commission (EC) in May 2020, the EC places the production of healthier and more sustainable food at the forefront. Among other goals, it aims to reduce pesticide usage by 50% by 2030. However, non-organic citrus fruit seems to be experiencing an increase in pesticide usage, providing an additional reason to opt for organic citrus fruit. 

Research conducted by Foodwatch in 2022 [1] on the presence of pesticides in the top 10 most consumed fruits by children reveals a rising trend in the use of pesticides on oranges and mandarins. Pesticides were detected in all samples, with 23% of orange and 16% of mandarin samples even exceeding the legal maximum. 

Similarly, a 2023 study examining the health risks of pesticide residues on imported citrus fruit in Serbia for both adults and children found widespread use of various pesticides on non-organic citrus fruit [2]. Pesticides such as imazalil, prochloraz, chlorpyrifos, thiabendazole, and azinphos-methyl were commonly detected, with multiple residues found in 83% of the 76 analyses. Furthermore, 28% of the samples contained pesticides at or above the maximum residue limits (MRLs). 

The short-term exposure risk was deemed unacceptable for 5.3% of citrus fruit for adults and 26% for children, mainly due to the presence of imazalil and thiabendazole. While the long-term health risks appear to be minimal according to this study, it does not account for cumulative effects. The study indicates that consuming citrus fruits more frequently poses a higher long-term health risk. Moreover, pesticides used on citrus are also employed on other commonly consumed food items, increasing the overall health risk for consumers. 

When pesticides are approved, neither the legal nor health standards consider potential cumulative or cocktail effects. Most fruits and vegetables contain multiple pesticides, and consumers typically consume various types of produce each day, exposing them to different toxins simultaneously. Additionally, people ingest harmful chemicals from other products and the environment. Therefore, even if the health standard for individual pesticides is not exceeded in these products, there may still be a potential health risk. 

The Foodwatch study found that residues of pesticides were sporadically detected on organic fruit. Among all 197 samples taken from the top 10 children's fruit varieties, pesticides were found in only 10%, with an average contamination rate of 0.1 per measurement. No instances of legal violations or health risks were found.