Pesticides on Potatoes

Do I need to be concerned about pesticides on U.S. potatoes?

No. Even a small child could eat thousands of servings of U.S. potatoes without any adverse health effects resulting from the very small amount of pesticide residue that may be present.^1,2

FACTS

• Potatoes are one of the most widely consumed vegetables in the world. The responsible use of pesticides allows U.S. potato farmers to cultivate crops that meet global demand for volume and that meet consumer expectations of quality.
• The use of pesticides is fully regulated at both the federal and state level — including the EPA, USDA and FDA — and both conventional and organic potato farmers meet or exceed the standards for responsible use of pesticides set by those agencies.
• According to the Safe Fruits and Veggies calculation tool for consumers, even a small child could eat thousands of servings of U.S. potatoes without any adverse health effects resulting from the very small amount of pesticide residue that may be present.^1,2

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REFERENCES

1. Servings determined using Safe Fruits and Veggies Pesticide Residue Calculator using the example of a child eating potatoes and still not have any adverse effects from pesticide residues. https://www.safefruitsandveggies.com/pesticide-residue-calculator/
2. This calculator uses actual residue levels published by USDA’s Pesticide Data Program national pesticide monitoring comprehensive data. https://www.ams.usda.gov/datasets/pdp

Rev. 06/26