Friends of the Earth accused the Government of giving "rotten" advice to the public about children eating food with toxic pesticide residues.
Government says that we should peel fruit and vegetables before giving them to children. FOE has said that the advice is "hopelessly misleading" and wants action by Government and retailers to ensure that our food is not contaminated in the first place.
The Government advice, issued by the Chief Medical Officer, states that "washing fruit and vegetables is always a sensible precaution to ensure it is clean. Peeling is a matter of consumer choice, but is always a sensible precaution when preparing fruit and vegetables for small children". Health Minister, Gisela Stuart, has confirmed that the advice is used by Government Departments in responding to inquiries about pesticide residues in food.
Friends of the Earth Real Food Campaigner, Sandra Bell criticises the advice: "It's just not good enough for the Government to tell us to peel our fruit and vegetables to be sure they are safe for children. The advice is ineffective - many residues survive peeling. It's shocking - the Government doesn't go out of its way to make sure consumers even know about it. Frankly, it's rotten to the core.
We want effective action to ban the most dangerous pesticides, and to reduce to a minimum all use of pesticides in farming. It's time to follow the lead of some of our European neighbours, and put the health of consumers before the interests of the agro-chemical companies."
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