30 samples, standard-grown
2016 · United States · USDA Pesticide Data Program · Calendar year
Pesticide residues found on cherries
96.7% of standard-grown samples had at least one detected residue. Standard-grown means samples not identified as organic (called conventional in the source data). Detection does not, by itself, mean the food was unsafe.
All reported results below quantification
Two or more residues detected
Highest observed count: 8
Compared with the recorded EPA tolerance
Withheld: only 0 samples
Annual context
How monitored results changed
Each row is a separate targeted survey. Samples can differ by retailer, origin and season, so this is context rather than a trend claim.
| Year | Standard-grown samples | Any residue | Multiple residues | Organic samples | Organic any residue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 ↗Calendar year | 30 | 96.7% | 96.7% | 0 | Withheld |
| 2015 ↗Calendar year | 228 | 98.7% | 96.1% | 4 | Withheld |
| 2014 ↗Calendar year | 225 | 98.7% | 95.1% | 3 | Withheld |
| 2007 ↗Calendar year | 414 | 90.1% | 68.8% | 5 | 80% |
| 2001 ↗Calendar year | 285 | 89.1% | 74.4% | 1 | Withheld |
| 2000 ↗Calendar year | 275 | 94.2% | 80% | 0 | Withheld |
Residue detail
What was found on cherries?
The most frequently detected residues across all 30 samples. This is the complete available table for this monitoring entry.
30samples checked
Detection does not establish harm. Health risk depends on both toxicity and the amount a person is exposed to.
What do these types mean?
- FungicideControls fungal diseases such as moulds and mildews.
- InsecticideControls insects that damage crops or stored food.
- HerbicideControls weeds competing with a crop.
- Growth regulatorChanges plant growth, development or ripening.
- Other / mixedCovers multiple substances or a role that cannot be reliably assigned from the published name.
These labels describe agricultural function, not a toxicity ranking.
| Residue | Type | Samples | Median | Higher result | Typical published limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iprodione | Other / mixed | 28 (93.3%) | 0.92 mg/kg | 2.1 mg/kg | 20 mg/kg |
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗ | |||||
| Tebuconazole | Fungicide | 28 (93.3%) | 0.605 mg/kg | 1.6 mg/kg | 5 mg/kg |
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗ | |||||
| Fludioxonil | Fungicide | 18 (60%) | 0.3 mg/kg | 0.97 mg/kg | 5 mg/kg |
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗ | |||||
| Acetamiprid | Insecticide | 18 (60%) | 0.035 mg/kg | 0.11 mg/kg | 1.2 mg/kg |
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗ | |||||
| Fenhexamid | Other / mixed | 9 (30%) | 0.048 mg/kg | 0.1 mg/kg | 10 mg/kg |
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗ | |||||
| Fenbuconazole | Other / mixed | 5 (16.7%) | 0.012 mg/kg | 0.13 mg/kg | 1 mg/kg |
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗ | |||||
| Buprofezin | Other / mixed | 4 (13.3%) | 0.017 mg/kg | 0.042 mg/kg | 1.9 mg/kg |
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗ | |||||
| Cyhalothrin, Total (Cyhalothrin-L + R157836 epimer) | Other / mixed | 4 (13.3%) | 0.016 mg/kg | 0.02 mg/kg | 0.5 mg/kg |
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗ | |||||
| Pyrimethanil | Fungicide | 3 (10%) | 0.011 mg/kg | 0.62 mg/kg | 10 mg/kg |
Reviewed evidence What regulators assessed: The long-term reference value was based on liver and thyroid changes observed in animal studies at higher doses. Reference values
Reviewed from WHO/FAO JMPR, 2007 ↗ | |||||
| Spinosad A | Other / mixed | 2 (6.7%) | 0.017 mg/kg | 0.029 mg/kg | 0.2 mg/kg |
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗ | |||||
| Pyraclostrobin | Fungicide | 2 (6.7%) | 0.005 mg/kg | 0.005 mg/kg | 2.5 mg/kg |
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗ | |||||
| Thiacloprid | Other / mixed | 2 (6.7%) | 0.015 mg/kg | 0.016 mg/kg | 0.5 mg/kg |
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗ | |||||
| Deltamethrin (includes parent Tralomethrin) | Other / mixed | 1 (3.3%) | 0.15 mg/kg | 0.15 mg/kg | 0.05 mg/kg |
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗ | |||||
| Carbendazim (MBC) | Other / mixed | 1 (3.3%) | 0.022 mg/kg | 0.022 mg/kg | 20 mg/kg |
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗ | |||||
| Spinosad D | Other / mixed | 1 (3.3%) | 0.004 mg/kg | 0.004 mg/kg | 0.2 mg/kg |
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗ | |||||
| Boscalid | Fungicide | 1 (3.3%) | 0.025 mg/kg | 0.025 mg/kg | 3.5 mg/kg |
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗ | |||||
“Higher result” is an approximate 95th-percentile observed concentration, not a safety threshold. Amounts of different pesticides should not be added together or compared directly. Functional types describe their usual agricultural role; they are not hazard or toxicity rankings.
ADI and ARfD are intake reference values, not limits for one food sample. A personal assessment would also require consumption, body-weight and wider exposure data. Source programmes report legal Maximum Residue Level results separately.
What this tells you
A monitoring result, not a verdict.
USDA PDP selects rotating commodities, with emphasis on foods important to consumer diets, including foods eaten by infants and children. It is not a test of every cherries product sold in United States. This entry’s latest included calendar year release is from 2016.
Comparable annual records are available for 2016, 2015, 2014, 2007, 2001, 2000.
Published MRLs or tolerances are regulatory limits associated with pesticide use. Consumer-risk assessment is a separate process.
Moderate sample coverage. 20–49 samples: a useful monitoring snapshot, though not a population estimate.
Compare organic and standard-grown results →Common questions
How to read these cherries results
Were pesticide residues detected on cherries?
96.7% of 30 standard-grown samples in the 2016 USDA Pesticide Data Program dataset had at least one quantified residue.
Does that mean cherries were unsafe?
No. A laboratory detection is not, by itself, a consumer-risk finding. Regulators assess dietary risk separately.
Should I buy organic cherries?
There were only 0 organic samples, so Residue Lens withholds the comparison.