Washington - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today published the 2021 Pesticide Data Program (PDP) Annual Summary.
The summary shows that more than 99 percent of the samples tested had pesticide residues below benchmark levels established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Each year, USDA and EPA work together to identify foods to be tested on a rotating basis by the PDP. In 2021, tests were conducted on 10,127 samples from 19 commodities of fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, dairy, and grains. AMS partners with cooperating state agencies to collect and analyze pesticide residue levels on the selected food commodities.
USDA tests a wide variety of domestic and imported foods, with a strong focus on foods that are consumed by infants and children. EPA relies on PDP data to conduct dietary risk assessments and to ensure that any pesticide residues in foods remain at or below levels that EPA has set.
The data also provide regulators, farmers, processors, manufacturers, consumers and scientists with important insights into the levels of pesticide residues found on widely consumed foods.
The annual pesticide residue results are reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and EPA in monthly reports as testing takes place throughout the year. FDA and EPA are immediately notified if a PDP test discovers residue levels that could pose a public safety concern.
The 2021 data and summary can be found on the Pesticide Data Program page of the AMS website.
Printed copies may be obtained by contacting the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, Science and Technology Program, Monitoring Programs Division by e-mail at amsmpo.data@usda.gov.
For more information about pesticides and food, please visit the EPA website and the FDA website.