Should we prefer organic lemon and orange peels?

Question

In many recipes, when it comes to add some lemon (or orange) zests, the authors advise to choose an organic fruit, because of the pesticides.

I know there is no proof that non-organic fruits and vegetables are more dangerous than organic ones, but I saw that UK Food Safe Agency seems to make a distinction between fruits that are going to be peeled off and the others, when it comes to testing the pesticide residues:

You don't need to wash or peel fruit and vegetables that would not ordinarily be peeled before consumption (for example apples) because of pesticide residues, as no assumption is made that such foods are peeled when deciding whether a pesticide can be approved for use or setting a legal limit (maximum residue level, MRL).

Then, should we prefer organic lemons or oranges, when we want to use their skin in food?

Note: I know there have been many questions here about organic vs non-organic food and safety, but my question is about this peculiar case.

Edit: Changed "no evidence" to "no proof". It seems a better choice of word.

Answer 1

The intended meaning of the quote you supplied is surely that if the outside of layer of a fruit or vegetable is commonly consumed then this would be taken in to account when setting a maximum residue level (MRL).

Zest of lemon and orange is commonly consumed and therefore those fruits must reasonably be included in the Food Standards Agency's claims about setting an appropriate MRL.

And indeed, Annex 1 on page 4 of this PDF, which is an annex to COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 752/2014 of 24 June 2014, says that the MRL for citrus fruit applies to "Whole product after removal of stems".

This case isn't peculiar and citrus zest is safe (if you accept the Food Standards Agency's claims).