Pesticides on fruits and vegetables

Alternative Names

Fruits and vegetables - pesticide risks

Information

To help protect yourself and your family from pesticides on fruits and vegetables:

  • Wash your hands with soap and water before you start preparing food.
  • Discard the outer leaves of leafy vegetables such as lettuce. Rinse and eat the inner part.
  • Rinse produce with cool water for at least 30 seconds.
  • You can buy a produce wash product. Do not wash foods with dish soaps or detergents. These products can leave behind inedible residues.
  • You do not need to wash produce marked "ready to eat" or "pre-washed".
  • Wash produce even if you do not eat the peels (such as citrus). Otherwise, chemicals or bacteria from the outside of the produce can get to the inside when you cut/peel it.
  • After washing, pat produce dry with a clean towel.
  • Wash produce when you are ready to use it. Washing before storing can degrade the quality of most fruits and vegetables.
  • As an option, you may want to buy and serve organic produce. Organic growers use approved organic pesticides. You may want to consider it for thin-skinned items such as peaches, grapes, strawberries, and nectarines.

To remove harmful bacteria, you must wash both organic and nonorganic fruits and vegetables.

References

Forman JA, Zajac LM. Chemical pollutants. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, et al, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 759.

US Food & Drug Administration. Food facts: raw produce: selecting and serving it safely www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/UCM174142.pdf. Updated July 2023. Accessed May 7, 2024.

Review Date: 5/4/2024
Reviewed By: Stefania Manetti, RDN, CDCES, RYT200, My Vita Sana LLC - Nourish and heal through food, San Jose, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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