In America, when you bite into a fresh piece of a fruit or vegetable, you might be getting more than you bargained for.

Consumer Reports Found 'Alarming' Levels of Pesticides in U.S. Produce

Consumer Reports recently released its latest study on pesticides in fruits and vegetables stocked in American grocery stores. Ladies and gentlemen, it's not pretty.

Let's start off with the fact that a pesticide that has been banned in America for ten years was found on four percent of green beans harvested in America.

While that might seem like a low percentage, and not something to worry about when selecting some green beans at the grocery store, the ones that did have pesticides on them had extremely high levels.

Another banned pesticide was also present.

"This is especially troubling because neither chemical should be on green beans at all: Growers in the U.S. have been prohibited from applying acephate to green beans since 2011, and methamidophos to all food since 2009," Consumer Reports noted.

The report found five other fruits and vegetables in America with an alarming amount of pesticides. In addition to green beans, watermelon, potatoes, bell peppers, kale and blueberries are also laden with pesticides.

So much so, Consumer Reports actually recommends that you limit your consumption of those foods to one serving per day, if you are a child or are pregnant.

The only solution for us, the consumers, is going to impact our wallets. That solution is to buy the organic version of the above listed produce; although not pesticide free, the pesticides used are less harmful than non-organic.

We all know that buying the organic versions of produce can cost significantly more than the regular versions, so for now, the only option for some will be to wing it on a hope and a prayer when grabbing a handful of green beans in the produce department at the grocery store.

Evan Paul is the host of Taste of Country Nights, a syndicated radio show heard on more than 130 country radio stations nationwide, every night from 7PM to midnight. He plays the best new country music and interviews today's top stars, like Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Dan + Shay, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Lady A, + more! 

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