The organisation hit the news this week, as predicted by freshinfo on March 6, after it softened its official line that all fruit and vegetables should be peeled or thoroughly washed before eating.

It now says that there is no need – though people may wish to do so for common sense and hygiene reasons.

But Friends of the Earth (FoE) attacked the change in policy.

Sandra Bell, FoE spokeswoman on the issue, said that although the government first offered the advice to wash produce in 1997, 'the situation with pesticides hasn't changed'.

She cited behavioural disorders in children, long-term effects and increased risk of cancer as possible consequences of consuming unwashed fresh produce.

However the comments have angered FSA chiefs – who are concerned that the comments from FoE may discourage consumers from eating fruit and vegetables, as they may consider them a risk rather than a benefit to their health.

FSA spokeswoman Emma Dixon said: 'We encourage people to eat fruit and vegetables and this can harm this message. The most harmful thing for us was that it was scare-mongering – it was over the top. It wasn't as if we were saying don't wash fruit and veg. We were saying that if you had to wash fruit and vegetables because of the pesticides, it would be a worry.

'The last thing we want is to scare people off eating healthily,' she added.

But FoE refused to accept that voicing its concerns was likely to reduce consumption of fresh produce – branding both the FSA and this magazine 'irresponsible'.

Bell said: 'There is absolutely no evidence at all for this – the FSA certainly hasn't come up with any. We don't think that this is the case and we certainly think it is important that people, particularly children, eat fruit and vegetables as part of a healthy diet.

'But we think people have the right to know what's in their food. To try to hide that from people and parents is irresponsible when it is coming from the FSA and from your journal as well.' Bell added that her organisation would not give up in its fight to change the government's mind.

Bell said: 'We are lobbying ministers to keep the [original] advice [on washing produce], and we want them to do more to help growers and farmers to find alternative methods of pest control. We are alarmed to see that horticulture research budgets are threatened with certain cuts.' The FSA responded that it took its advice from the Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP).

Defra bosses confirmed the process which had led to the FSA making its decision, but said it would remain neutral on the dispute.

A spokesman said: 'It's not really for us to backup [the FSA] or otherwise. The FSA asked the advisory body to look into this matter and they produced an opinion, which they have published on their website.

'The point of creating a food standards agency is that they deal with these matters – that is what they are there for.

'If they want to revise their view, it's up to them.' The squabble over washing produce was made all the more pertinent this week by an FSA consumer attitude survey (see article right) that revealed that 50 per cent of consumers were worried about residues on food.

It was the third biggest concern for the public after food poisoning, which was mentioned by 56 per cent of consumers, and BSE – brought up by 55 per cent of those questioned.