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- Hormone disrupting chemicals found in baby food
- 2000
- Advanta admits separation distances in UK far closer than Canada
- Advanta to pay up
- Britain's babies back baby food ban
- Buy it from farmers' markets
- Buy your festive feast from local farmers
- Cadbury's admits its chocolate contains lindane
- Call for new biotech commission to halt spread of GM seeds
- Children get raw deal from Government
- Euro MPs fail GM Test
- Farm scale trials must be called off
- First UK organic beer festival held in Birmingham
- FOE responds to Prince Philip's confidence about GM foods
- Food Standards Agency could do better
- GM farm scale trial is useless
- GM farm scale trials threaten UK honey
- GM farmers pull out of trials
- GM scientist deserves sack says Friends of the Earth
- GM trials are a farce
- Government gambling with countryside
- Government in chaos over GM seeds
- Government in shambles over GM mistake
- Government prepares to decide commercial approval for GM crops before trial ends
- Government proposes to trash GM trials
- Hormone disrupting chemicals found in baby food
- Iceland to stock organic food at non-organic prices
- Illegal GM ingredients found in supermarkets
- Lindane is banned - nearly
- More GM crops set for Wales
- MPs debate new law on GM liability
- New fears over impact of GM crops on birdlife
- Public wants pesticides banned from supermarket food
- Scientists slam GM research
- Supermarket Real Food sham
- Top insurer says no to GM pollution cover
- Wales can ban GM
- Welsh agriculture secretary bottles out of Assembly decision on GM
- Aventis criticised by Government barrister
- Baby Blair greeted with hamper of Real Food
- Biosafety Protocol Agreed
- Biotech giant clams up at GM Seed List Hearing
- Call for pesticide tax
- Church advisers say no to GM crop trials
- Diners still worry about GM food
- FOE slams Krebs over organic food
- GM contamination inevitable admits Meacher
- GM food scare hits US taco lovers
- GM seed fiasco means farmers start to dig up crops
- GM-free diet for Iceland livestock
- Government GM policy in tatters
- Government set to give go-ahead to commercial licensing
- Hold on the milk says top scientist
- Kiss of death for GM seed
- Pesticides level rise in fruit AND veg
- Promising green speech from Blair?
- Shock admission that GM crops are already growing in the UK
- Supermarkets back organic farming bill
Hormone disrupting chemicals found in baby food1 December 2000
Pesticide residues that may disrupt the hormone system have been found in baby food by the Government's pesticide watchdog. Pesticides were also discovered in broccoli, lettuces and strawberries.
Friends of the Earth's analysis of the Pesticide Residues Committee's study, reveals that several of the pesticides found are being investigated by the European Commission following concerns about their effects on human health and the environment. The Royal Society has also voiced reservations about hormone disrupting chemicals urging that, "it is prudent to minimise exposure of humans, especially pregnant women" to these substances.
There is strong evidence that hormone disrupting chemicals, including pesticides, have had dramatic effects on wildlife - such as the feminisation of male fish. Now there is growing concern that several human health problems may be linked to these chemicals including declining sperm counts and increases in rates of testicular and breast cancer. Friends of the Earth wants a Government ban on pesticides already identified as hormone disrupters and wants retailers and food companies to remove these chemicals from their food.
Friends of the Earth Pesticides Campaigner, Sandra Bell said: "Pregnant women, babies and children should not be exposed to hormone disrupting pesticides even at low levels. But shoppers can't tell if these pesticides are lurking in the lettuce they choose or the baby food they put in their basket. Supermarkets and food companies must stop this toxic lottery by being more vigilant and ensuring that these dangerous pesticides are not present in any of the food they sell."
The study found a number of pesticides thought to be hormone disrupters including carbendazim in baby food made by Heinz and Milupa; iprodine in lettuces sold at most major supermarkets, vinclozolin in strawberries sold in Asda and chlorpyrifos at levels over the legal limit in Spanish broccoli sold in Asda.
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