Yesterday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released its annual pesticide residue sampling report to little attention.  We’ve said repeatedly that consumers deserve to know more about this and other government food safety reports which consistently show how very low residues are, if present at all.  And, yet no consumer media outlets covered the FDA release despite the fact that food is always a focus of stories this time of year.

So what are media and consumers missing?  Here are a few key takeaways:

• The FDA analyzed 3,577 human food samples in its regulatory monitoring program.
• Consistent with the findings of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Pesticide Data Program, the FDA found there is a high level of compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) pesticide residue safety standards. FDA’s sampling results showed over 97% of domestic food samples were compliant with federal standards with no pesticide residues detected in 39% of the domestic samples.
• FDA announced the launch of a new Pesticide Report Data Dashboard, which is a new data visualization tool that enables users to interact with the tables and figures presented in the report and more directly view the data underlying the summaries. (So, reporters, this will make it easier for you to view FDA program highlights.)

In today’s environment, misinformation about food safety and nutrition is prevalent making it sometimes challenging to find credible content.  This is why the AFF partners with farmers, registered dietitians and scientists from academia to provide consumers with fact-based information to help them choose what produce is affordable and accessible to them. And, when the government releases a comprehensive and important report about produce safety, we do our best to raise consumer awareness about it.

Read, learn, choose but eat more organic and conventional fruits and vegetables for better health and a longer life and be reassured about the safety all produce. Remember to buy what you enjoy and is affordable to you and don’t let anyone or any group discourage your choices in the produce aisle.