Legambiente's Stop Pesticidi dossier reports that Italian fresh produce is safe. 98.7% of samples analyzed are suitable and 61% presents no residue detectable by the equipment. 34% presents residues within the limits of he law. Nonetheless, the overall judgement given does not seem all that positive (click here for the full report).
The dossier praises Italian producers, as non-compliant samples are just 1.7% while abroad the percentage is more than double.
Legambiente focuses on the samples with more residues. "Only 36% of samples is residue-free, 1.7% is unsuitable and 60%, despite being considered suitable, still presents one or more chemical residues. 64% of pears, 61% of table grapes and 57% of peaches are suitable samples with multi-residues."
"Strawberries had 54% suitable samples with multi-residues but also 3% of unsuitable samples. Some strawberry samples, even of Italian origin, presented up to 9 types of residues at the same time. The situation of table grapes is similar, as up to 6 residues were detected. Papaya samples proved all unsuitable for exceeding the maximum limit of the carbendazim fungicide."
We must stress that the limits set out by the law are much lower than what would harm our health. Thresholds are lowered year after year. Walking along any trafficked road introduces into our organisms more harmful substances than tons of fruit under these thresholds.
"Foreign samples generally presented more residues, especially when it comes to fruit - as at least 61% of samples presented at least one residue. As for vegetables, 51% of foreign tomatoes and 70% of foreign peppers contained at least one residue. They even presented the larger percentage of unsuitability with 7 and 4% respectively."
When it comes to vegetables, 64% of samples is residue-free, but there is also a lot of unsuitable produce: 8% of peppers, 5% of stalk vegetables and over 2% of pulses (compared to an average of 1.8%). Often, the unsuitability is due to the high level of fungicides, the most common of which is boscalid.
"In addition, a few tomato samples from Sicily and Lazio presented up to 6 residues at the same time and a lettuce sample from Lazio presented as many as 8 residues."