Pesticide Residues in Food and Child Health Implications
Pesticide Residue Regulation and Tracking
Pesticide residues in food commodities and foodstuffs are exempt from FDA labeling requirements. They are considered indirect food additives and not regulated by the FDA.
There are many pesticides used on crops grown all over the world. One of the most harmful to children and developing fetuses are those classified as organophosphate (OP) pesticides. Exposure to OP prior to and after birth is associated with the development of autism and ADHD (1-6). The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) routinely collects hundreds of samples of crops for pesticide residue analyses through the Pesticide Data Program (PDP). The results of their annual analyses can be found at their website (7).
Dietary Sources of OP Pesticide Exposure
Data Analyses
The percentage of samples with detected OP pesticide residue varies depending on the pesticide(s) used on the crop. For example, in the case of sweet bell peppers, highly toxic chlorpyrifos was detected in only 5.8% of the samples. Chlorpyrifos has been banned in many countries and farmers are now discouraged from using it in the U.S. We are less likely to be exposed to chlorpyrifos. In the case of blueberries, residues from two separate OP pesticides were found in 28.6 % of the samples. This means there is a significant risk of OP pesticide exposure when eating conventionally grown blueberries. In the case of wheat flour, residues from two separate OP pesticides were also found in a significant number of samples. This means there is a risk of OP pesticide exposure when eating products made with wheat flour. We need to look at the per capita or per person consumption data to truly evaluate our risk of exposure to OP pesticides in the U.S. How much wheat flour does one person consume on average per year in the U.S.(12)?
Per Capita (Per Person) Intake of Foods Each Year
Toxicity risk, or risk of harm, caused by exposure depends on how much you eat.
In 1970 the average per capita intake of wheat flour was 78.1 pounds per year. By 2021, the average per capita intake had reached 91 pounds per year (12). With nearly 25% of wheat samples showing OP pesticide residues of at least one and possibly two different pesticides, there is a significant exposure risk for OP pesticides in wheat. In the case of corn products, in 1970, the per capita intake each year was only 7.8 pounds (12). By 2021, the average American was eating 25 pounds per year of corn products and 23.2 pounds per year of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS is derived from corn starch). The OP pesticide residues found in both of these corn commodities is glyphosate. Eating conventionally grown corn products, including corn sweeteners such as HFCS results in a significant toxicity risk. Although in the previous chart 28.6 % of blueberry samples contained residues of one to two OP pesticide compounds, the average American eats less than one pound of blueberries each year. Blueberries are a low toxicity risk compared to wheat and corn products.
Organic vs Conventional Flour
Should you switch to organic flour?
The evidence suggests that switching to organic wheat might help prevent autism and ADHD. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) scientists have confirmed that feeding children organic foods significantly lowers their dietary exposure to OP pesticides (13). If you have an autistic child, it is important to understand that he likely cannot metabolize the OP pesticide residue in conventional wheat products (14). Children with autism and ADHD have shown significant improvement in many areas by switching to an organic diet (15, 16).
References
1. Bjorling-Poulsen M, Andersen HR, Grandjean P. (2008). Potential developmental neurotoxicity of pesticides used in Europe. Environmental Health. 7:50. http://www.ehjournal.net/content/7/1/50
2. Bouchard MF, Bellinger DC, Wright RO. (2010). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and urinary metabolites of organophosphate pesticides. Pediatrics. 125:e1270-e1277. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/125/6/e1270.full
3. Harari, R. et al. (2010). Neurobehavioral deficits and increased blood pressure in school-age children prenatally exposed to pesticides. Environmental Health
Perspectives 118, 890-6. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2898869/
4. Jurewicz, J. & Hanke, W. (2008). Prenatal and childhood exposure to pesticides and neurobehavioral development: review of epidemiological studies. International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health 21, 121-32. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18614459/
5. Bouchard, M.F. et al. (2011). Prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides
and IQ in 7-year-old children.Environmental health perspectives 119, 1189-95. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21507776/
6. Perera, F.P. et al. (2005). A summary of recent findings on birth outcomes and developmental effects of prenatal ETS, PAH, and pesticide exposures.
Neurotoxicology 26, 573-87. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16112323/
7. United States Department of Agriculture (2025). Pesticide Data Program. https://www.ams.usda.gov/reports/pdp-annual-summary-reports
8. Mayo Clinic (2025). Organic foods: Are they safer? More nutritious? https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/organic-food/art-20043880
9. Bilgin et al. (2009). Determination of pesticide residues of organic wheat flours and some quality criteria of breads. Asian Journal of Chemistry. 21 (7): 5328-5336. Available at https://asianpubs.org/index.php/ajchem/article/view/18310
10. Wong et al. (2020). Effect of wheat species, farming system (organic vs conventional) and flour type (wholegrain vs white) on composition of wheat flour – Results of a retail survey in the UK and Germany – 3. Pesticide residue content. Food Chemistry. Available at
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590157520300134
11. Skerritt J.H. et al. (1996). Analysis of organophosphate, pyrethroid, and
methoprene residues in wheat end products and milling fractions by immunoassay. Cereal Chem. 73(5):605-612. Available at https://www.cerealsgrains.org/publications/cc/backissues/1996/Documents/73_605.pdf
12. United States Department of Agriculture. (2025). Food Availability Spreadsheets. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-availability-per-capita-data-system#.Ud3WT3-kBTY
13. Lu C. et al. (2005). Organic diets significantly lower children's dietary
exposure to organophosphorus pesticides. Environmental Health Perspectives. 114(2): 260-263.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1367841/?tool=pubmed
14. Pasca, S. P. et al. (2006). High levels of homocysteine and low serum
paraoxonase 1 arlesterase activity in children with autism. Life Sci, 78, 2244-2248. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16297937/
15. Patel, K., Luke, C. T. (2007). A comprehensive approach to treating autism and attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder: a prepilot study. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 13(10):1091-1097. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18166120/
16. Pellow, J., Solomon, E.M., Barnard, C.N. Complementary and alternative medical therapies for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Alternative Medicine Review, 16(4):323-337. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22214252/