Nearly Two-Thirds Of Non-organic Bread Products In U.K. Contain Pesticide Residue

A study based on British government data has found that the number of bread products containing pesticide residues has more than doubled since 2001, from 28 percent to 63 percent. Issued by the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) UK and the Organic Naturally Different campaign, the study analyzed test data collected between 2000 and 2013 on 2,951 bread samples. About 62 percent of the non-organic samples contained pesticide traces; 17 percent contained more than one trace. Seven percent of the organic samples – three of 42 products tested –  contained a single residue, and none contained multiple residues. Cross-contamination from non-organic crops, either during production or storage, is probably the reason for the tainted organic samples.