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USDA Testing Confirms Apples Are Well Within Federal Safety Standards for Pesticide Residues & Environmental Contaminants Background In December 2025, USDA released its Pesticide Data Program (PDP) report for calendar year 2024. The report includes pesticide residue and environmental contaminant data for many commodities including 704 samples of fresh apples. The CY2025 report is underway and will again include apples. Each year, the … Continued
Health Benefits of Apples A medium apple provides meaningful nutrition in every bite. This versatile fruit offers a balanced mix of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and natural carbohydrates that supports multiple body systems… all in a delicious, easy-to-eat package! Vitamin C: Immune and Antioxidant Support Vitamin C in apples helps strengthen the immune system and may … Continued
Behind the Farm Workforce Modernization Act: What’s at Stake for Growers Update In March of 2021, the House passed the bipartisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act (FWMA), for the second time. Once again, USApple advocated for the bill and most “apple” congressional members voted for the measure. Attention then turned to the Senate, where Mike Bennet … Continued
From Harvest Bins to Refrigerated Shelves: How Freshness and Speed Define the Apple Supply Chain What are the stages of an apple after it’s picked? Apples picked in the orchard are carefully (to avoid bruising) placed in harvest bins with a capacity of roughly 20 bushels (each bushel weighs about 42 pounds) that have been … Continued
Refrigeration and Controlled Atmosphere: Keeping Apples Fresh Beyond Harvest How old is an apple by the time someone buys it at the grocery store? The question should not be about the “age” of the apple, or the time since it was picked, but rather it should be about how fresh the apple is. Growers and … Continued
From Orchard to Aisle: How Natural and Food-Grade Waxes Protect Your Apples If you walked out into an orchard, picked an apple from the tree and rubbed that apple on your shirt, you would notice that it shined − you´ve just polished the natural wax that an apple produces to protect its high-water content. Without … Continued
Protecting Public Health: The Importance of Monitoring and Managing Listeria in Apples Listeria monocytogenes Listeria monocytogenes is an environmental pathogenic bacteria that can commonly be found in soil, water and vegetative matter. Because of the inherent association between Listeria and agricultural environments, the potential exists for Listeria to be introduced onto a variety of fresh … Continued
Apples Are Safe: Setting the Record Straight on Apple Safety and the Flawed Claims Behind EWG’s List Why is the “Dirty Dozen” list flawed? What is USApple’s official response to this year’s “Dirty Dozen” list? The Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen” list misleads consumers and is based on inaccurate reporting. How do we explain safe … Continued
Protecting Apples After Harvest: Why Diphenylamine (DPA) Matters for Freshness, Safety, and Supply Activist groups have expressed concern about the fungicide diphenylamine (DPA), an important and widely used tool by the apple industry for post-harvest storage.
What the Data Really Shows About Chlorpyrifos and Apple Safety Regulatory Timeline and Legal Challenges Several years ago, environmental groups petitioned EPA to revoke all tolerances for chlorpyrifos due to alleged impacts on drinking water and human health. The claims were largely based on a series of epidemiological studies that could not be substantiated or … Continued
