2021 · United States · USDA Pesticide Data Program · Calendar year

Pesticide residues found on tangerines

99% 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.

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Any residue99%Higher organic-buying priority

522 samples, standard-grown

No quantified residue1%Higher organic-buying priority

All reported results below quantification

Multiple residues93.1%Higher organic-buying priority

Two or more residues detected

Median residue count3Higher organic-buying priority

Highest observed count: 7

Above published limit0%Moderate organic-buying priority

Compared with the recorded EPA tolerance

Organic: any residue0%Higher organic-buying priority

9 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
2021 ↗Calendar year	522	99%	93.1%	9	0%
2020 ↗Calendar year	673	99.4%	91.1%	14	7.1%
2019 ↗Calendar year	178	99.4%	88.2%	2	Withheld
2012 ↗Calendar year	704	97.4%	75%	5	20%
2011 ↗Calendar year	710	97.9%	67.7%	7	14.3%

Residue detail

What was found on tangerines?

The most frequently detected residues across all 531 samples. This is the complete available table for this monitoring entry.

531samples 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	504 (94.9%)	0.145 mg/kg	0.51 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	401 (75.5%)	0.17 mg/kg	0.53 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 ↗
Fludioxonil	Fungicide	196 (36.9%)	0.018 mg/kg	0.065 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 ↗
Azoxystrobin	Fungicide	161 (30.3%)	0.018 mg/kg	0.073 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 ↗
Pyrimethanil	Fungicide	102 (19.2%)	0.037 mg/kg	0.26 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 ↗
Propiconazole	Other / mixed	84 (15.8%)	0.014 mg/kg	0.064 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 ↗
Acetamiprid	Insecticide	54 (10.2%)	0.007 mg/kg	0.021 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 ↗
Imidacloprid	Insecticide	9 (1.7%)	0.013 mg/kg	0.041 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 ↗
Pyraclostrobin	Fungicide	5 (0.9%)	0.003 mg/kg	0.012 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 ↗
Flupyradifurone	Insecticide	3 (0.6%)	0.007 mg/kg	0.009 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 ↗
Formetanate hydrochloride	Other / mixed	3 (0.6%)	0.008 mg/kg	0.012 mg/kg	0.03 mg/kg
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗
Pyriproxyfen	Other / mixed	2 (0.4%)	0.001 mg/kg	0.001 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 ↗
Clothianidin	Other / mixed	1 (0.2%)	0.034 mg/kg	0.034 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 ↗
Flutriafol	Other / mixed	1 (0.2%)	0.002 mg/kg	0.002 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 ↗
Etoxazole	Other / mixed	1 (0.2%)	0.001 mg/kg	0.001 mg/kg	0.1 mg/kg
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗
Fenpropathrin	Other / mixed	1 (0.2%)	0.005 mg/kg	0.005 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 ↗
DDE p,p'	Other / mixed	1 (0.2%)	0.005 mg/kg	0.005 mg/kg	0.1 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 tangerines product sold in United States. This entry’s latest included calendar year release is from 2021.

Comparable annual records are available for 2021, 2020, 2019, 2012, 2011.

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 tangerines results

Were pesticide residues detected on tangerines?

99% of 522 standard-grown samples in the 2021 USDA Pesticide Data Program dataset had at least one quantified residue.

Does that mean tangerines were unsafe?

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

Should I buy organic tangerines?

The monitored organic samples had a 0% detection rate, compared with 99% for standard-grown samples. This is a shopping-priority comparison, not a health-risk score.