Kale, watermelon and even some organic foods pose high pesticide risk, analysis finds

The analysis found that pesticide residue posed a significant risk in roughly 20% of the 59 common foods examined. Photograph: Michelle Garrett/Getty Images

Watermelon, green beans and bell peppers are among the many common fruits and vegetables found in US supermarkets that contain potentially unsafe levels of pesticides, according to an analysis published today by Consumer Reports.

The new report – which analyzed seven years of US Department of Agriculture data on commonly eaten fruits and vegetables – offers one of the most comprehensive evaluations to date of pesticides found in US produce. The data was based on nearly 30,000 fruit and vegetable samples, including fresh, frozen, canned and organic, collected from supermarkets by the USDA as part of routine pesticide testing.