A survey released on the 13th by a US consumer protection group indicated that, according to a test report from the US Department of Agriculture, a staggering 98% of 700 apple samples contained pesticide residues. Among vegetables, celery had the highest pesticide residue levels, making it no exaggeration to call apples and celery the "dirtiest fruits and vegetables." Taiwan's Council of Agriculture statistics show that last year, Taiwan imported approximately 40,000 metric tons of apples from the US, ranking second in import volume. However, from January to May this year, Taiwan imported nearly 29,000 metric tons from the US, jumping to first place. Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration stated that in 2009, US apples were repeatedly found to contain the pesticide "amphetamine" at customs. Taiwan revised its pesticide residue safety limits to 0.5 ppm, and in the past two years, cases of US apples failing pesticide residue standards have become rare. Conversely, South Korean apples have repeatedly violated Taiwan's pesticide residue regulations in the past two years, leading to a 100% customs border inspection rate. The Environmental Task Force (ETF), a U.S. nonprofit consumer protection organization, published its "2011 Pesticide Residue Guidelines" based on inspections by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The guidelines listed the "12 Dirtiest Fruits and Vegetables," with strawberries, peaches, spinach, imported nectarines, imported grapes, bell peppers, potatoes, local blueberries, lettuce, and cabbage following in that order after apples and celery. Vegetables with the fewest pesticide residues included onions, corn, pineapples, avocados, and asparagus. The ETF stated that consuming five servings from the "12 Dirtiest Fruits and Vegetables" daily would result in an average daily intake of 14 different pesticides; conversely, consuming five servings from a list of 15 clean fruits and vegetables would likely result in an average daily intake of less than two different pesticides.
