NEW BIOMONITORING DATA
Nearly 1 in 3 imported produce samples exceeded pesticide limits in the UAE
More than 10,000 fruit and vegetable samples were tested at Dubai ports β with 160 different pesticides identified across the two studies.
5 min read
Glyphosate, the world's most widely used weedkiller, has been classified by the WHO's cancer research agency as a probable human carcinogen. Here's the part of your kitchen routine that actually removes it.
Pesticide toxicity has been connected to various human illnesses by means of pesticide exposure in direct or indirect ways. A total of 4513 samples of imported fresh fruits were collected from Dubai ports between 2018 to 2020. Eighty-one different pesticide residues were detected in the tested fruit samples. In 73.2% of the samples, the pesticide levels were β₯ MRL, while 26.8% were > MRL standards. Chlorpyrifos, carbendazim, cypermethrin, and azoxystrobin were the most frequently detected pesticides in more than 150 samples. Longan (81.4%) and rambutan (66.7%) showed the highest number of imported samples with multiple pesticide residues > MRL. Fruit samples with residues > MRL are considered unfit for consumption and prevented from entering commerce in the UAE.
Use of pesticides has drastically increased in many countries. Unfortunately, excessive administration of pesticides may cause adverse health and environment effects. The present study assessed pesticide residues in 5560 vegetable samples that entered the United Arab Emirates (UAE) via ports of the Dubai Emirate during 2018 and 2019. A total of 79 different pesticides were identified in the tested samples. Pesticide residues at levels above the MRLs were detected in 30.5% of the samples. Overall, 15 pesticides were detected above their MRLs in more than 50 samples. The results underline the need for continuous monitoring of pesticides in vegetables imported into the UAE.
Sources: Osaili et al., Heliyon (2022); Osaili et al., Food Control (2022)
Use of pesticides has drastically increased in many countries. Unfortunately, excessive administration of pesticides may cause adverse health and environment effects. The present study assessed pesticide residues in 5560 vegetable samples that entered the United Arab Emirates (UAE) via ports of the Dubai Emirate during 2018 and 2019. A total of 79 different pesticides were identified in the tested samples. Pesticide residues at levels above the MRLs were detected in 30.5% of the samples. Overall, 15 pesticides were detected above their MRLs in more than 50 samples. The results underline the need for continuous monitoring of pesticides in vegetables imported into the UAE.
Sources: Osaili et al., Heliyon (2022); Osaili et al., Food Control (2022)
A 2017 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry tested how well a baking soda solution removes pesticide residue from apples, compared to tap water and commercial bleach washes.
The result: a 1% baking soda solution, soaked for 12-15 minutes, fully removed surface residue of two tested pesticides. But one of them β a fungicide that penetrates into the fruit itself β remained detectable in the peel, even after the full soak.
Surface-level washing helps. It just doesn't reach what's already inside.
Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2017
The result: a 1% baking soda solution, soaked for 12-15 minutes, fully removed surface residue of two tested pesticides. But one of them β a fungicide that penetrates into the fruit itself β remained detectable in the peel, even after the full soak.
Surface-level washing helps. It just doesn't reach what's already inside.
Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2017
Published in Mutation Research, this analysis combined data from the Agricultural Health Study cohort with five additional case-control studies to examine high-exposure populations. Researchers found glyphosate-based herbicide exposure was associated with a 41% higher relative risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma among the highest-exposure group.
The review also pointed to supporting evidence from animal studies, where glyphosate exposure was linked to lymphoma development, and to potential mechanisms β including immune system suppression and hormone disruption β that could help explain the association.
Source: Zhang et al., Mutation Research/Reviews in Mutation Research, 2019
The review also pointed to supporting evidence from animal studies, where glyphosate exposure was linked to lymphoma development, and to potential mechanisms β including immune system suppression and hormone disruption β that could help explain the association.
Source: Zhang et al., Mutation Research/Reviews in Mutation Research, 2019
The concern isnβt one piece of fruit. Itβs repeated exposure through the food we eat every day.
Peer-reviewed analyses β of produce entering the UAE through Dubai ports found pesticide residues above applicable limits in 26.8% of tested fruits and 30.5% of tested vegetables.
Itβs already part of everyday exposure
Rinsing helps.
But it has its limits
In a University of Massachusetts study β, a 15-minute baking soda soak removed most surface pesticide residue β yet around 20% of an absorbed pesticide remained inside the peel, beyond the reach of washing.
A plain water rinse removes only 30% of pesticide residue, and that's the best-case scenario for a fast-acting, surface-level chemical. And even more intensive household methods canβt necessarily reach what has moved beyond the surface.
So the limitation isnβt effort. Itβs the method.
It's a systemic herbicide, the plant absorbs it through its roots and leaves, and it travels through the plant's internal tissue. It isn't on the skin, it's inside it.
Why this matters
A meta-analysis of 18 human studies β reported a 41% higher relative risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma among people with the highest lifetime glyphosate exposure compared with those with little or no exposure. Research has also examined glyphosateβs potential effects on the human gut microbiome. Regulators continue to disagree about the overall level of risk.
41
%
relative risk increase, highest vs. lowest lifetime exposure, meta-analysis of 18 studies
So how can we deal with it?
Reach beyond the smooth outer surface
Work without detergents or aggressive chemicals
Address more than one type of contaminant
Preserve the food itself while treating what you donβt want on it
Be simple enough to use every day
We canβt control every step between the farm and the supermarket. But we can control one of the final steps before food reaches us. Simply washing food more often isnβt necessarily the answer. The method matters.
A more effective everyday approach should:
A simple place to start
Add Detoxer to your routine. Itβs designed to make food rinsing more effective without making it more complicated. You place your food in water, add the device, start the cycle, and let it work alongside your usual food-preparation routine.
Active oxygen (ozone) oxidizes contaminants on the surface, then simply reverts back into ordinary oxygen, leaving nothing behind.
Ultrasonic waves create microscopic bubbles in water that collapse and release energy, forcing water into the pores of the produce and dislodging what a rinse alone can't reach.
The idea isnβt to replace fresh food or turn every meal into a complicated βdetoxβ ritual. Itβs simply to improve one step you already take every day: the way you wash your food.
Purification performance tested in an independent Swiss laboratory.
1-year warranty on premium-grade components.
- β UFAG Laboratorien AG, Switzerland
- β Independent lab testing
- β EKO-LAB Consulting, Poland
- β UFAG Laboratorien AG, Switzerland
Customer stories
Produce is still the healthiest thing you can put on your plate. Nothing here is an argument for eating less of it. The more useful question is what happens between the grocery store and the table, and that's the gap Milerd Detoxer was built to close.
American households have already made Milerd part of their routine
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