2017 · United States · USDA Pesticide Data Program · Calendar year

Pesticide residues found on grapefruit

97% 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.

Compare with other foods →

Any residue97%Higher organic-buying priority

507 samples, standard-grown

No quantified residue3%Higher organic-buying priority

All reported results below quantification

Multiple residues71.2%Higher organic-buying priority

Two or more residues detected

Median residue count2Higher organic-buying priority

Highest observed count: 5

Above published limit0%Moderate organic-buying priority

Compared with the recorded EPA tolerance

Organic: any residue21.1%Higher organic-buying priority

19 samples, interpret cautiously

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
2017 ↗Calendar year	507	97%	71.2%	19	21.1%
2016 ↗Calendar year	679	96.5%	67.9%	25	8%
2015 ↗Calendar year	174	96%	64.4%	3	Withheld
2006 ↗Calendar year	730	47%	20.4%	13	15.4%
2005 ↗Calendar year	738	63.4%	17.8%	4	Withheld

Residue detail

What was found on grapefruit?

The most frequently detected residues across all 526 samples. This is the complete available table for this monitoring entry.

526samples 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
Imazalil	Fungicide	450 (85.6%)	0.024 mg/kg	0.086 mg/kg	10 mg/kg
Reviewed evidence What regulators assessed: Regulatory limits were derived from animal studies that observed changes including body-weight gain, blood chemistry and liver weight at higher doses. Reference values Role Fungicide, including post-harvest treatment Long-term reference (ADI) 0–0.03 mg/kg body weight per day Single-day reference (ARfD) 0.05 mg/kg body weight Reviewed from WHO/FAO JMPR, 2018 ↗
Thiabendazole	Fungicide	377 (71.7%)	0.033 mg/kg	0.12 mg/kg	10 mg/kg
Reviewed evidence What regulators assessed: The long-term guidance value was based on body-weight suppression and nephrosis observed in an animal study at higher doses. Reference values Role Fungicide and veterinary anthelmintic Long-term reference (ADI) 0–0.1 mg/kg body weight per day Single-day reference (ARfD) 1 mg/kg body weight (general population); 0.3 mg/kg for women of child-bearing age Reviewed from WHO/FAO JMPR, 2019 ↗
Imidacloprid	Insecticide	87 (16.5%)	0.005 mg/kg	0.014 mg/kg	0.7 mg/kg
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗
Azoxystrobin	Fungicide	21 (4%)	0.027 mg/kg	0.052 mg/kg	15 mg/kg
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗
Fludioxonil	Fungicide	15 (2.9%)	0.024 mg/kg	0.062 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 ↗
Acetamiprid	Insecticide	11 (2.1%)	0.003 mg/kg	0.009 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 ↗
Thiamethoxam	Other / mixed	8 (1.5%)	0.007 mg/kg	0.03 mg/kg	0.4 mg/kg
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗
Clothianidin	Other / mixed	5 (1%)	0.008 mg/kg	0.012 mg/kg	0.07 mg/kg
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗
Pyraclostrobin	Fungicide	5 (1%)	0.001 mg/kg	0.002 mg/kg	2 mg/kg
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗
5-Hydroxythiabendazole	Other / mixed	2 (0.4%)	0.003 mg/kg	0.005 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 ↗
Pyrimethanil	Fungicide	2 (0.4%)	0.006 mg/kg	0.006 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 Role Fungicide Long-term reference (ADI) 0–0.2 mg/kg body weight per day Single-day reference (ARfD) Not considered necessary by JMPR Reviewed from WHO/FAO JMPR, 2007 ↗
O-Phenylphenol	Other / mixed	2 (0.4%)	0.006 mg/kg	0.006 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 ↗
Fenamidone	Other / mixed	1 (0.2%)	0.001 mg/kg	0.001 mg/kg	0.000 mg/kg
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗
Flupyradifurone	Insecticide	1 (0.2%)	0.003 mg/kg	0.003 mg/kg	3 mg/kg
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗
Propiconazole	Other / mixed	1 (0.2%)	0.007 mg/kg	0.007 mg/kg	8 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 grapefruit product sold in United States. This entry’s latest included calendar year release is from 2017.

Comparable annual records are available for 2017, 2016, 2015, 2006, 2005.

Published MRLs or tolerances are regulatory limits associated with pesticide use. Consumer-risk assessment is a separate process.

Broader sample coverage. At least 50 samples: broader monitoring coverage, but still targeted rather than random.

Compare organic and standard-grown results →

Common questions

How to read these grapefruit results

Were pesticide residues detected on grapefruit?

97% of 507 standard-grown samples in the 2017 USDA Pesticide Data Program dataset had at least one quantified residue.

Does that mean grapefruit were unsafe?

No. A laboratory detection is not, by itself, a consumer-risk finding. Regulators assess dietary risk separately.

Should I buy organic grapefruit?

The monitored organic samples had a 21.1% detection rate, compared with 97% for standard-grown samples. This is a shopping-priority comparison, not a health-risk score.