Toxic cocktail in fruit and vegetables 19 June 2002
Friends of the Earth's analysis of the latest Government survey of pesticide residue results reveal that a cocktail of pesticides above legal and safety limits has been found in a range of fruit and vegetables. The results were published today by the Pesticides Residues Committee (PRC) http://www.pesticides.gov.uk/. Read the key findings of the report below.
- UK grown non-organic strawberries contained dicofol at illegal levels. Dicofol is not approved for use on strawberries in the UK. Dicofol is similar to DDT and is a suspected hormone disrupter. The three organic strawberry samples were free of residues.
- Organophosphate (OP) pesticides were found above legal limits in, grapes, star fruit, nectarines and peaches. In peaches and nectarines the OP methamidophos exceeded safety levels for adults and toddlers, the PRC admitted that "safety levels have been significantly eroded".
- All soft citrus fruit contained residues including imazalil at levels which the described as "an unacceptable risk for all consumer groups" but went on to say that most of the residue was assumed to be in the peel.
- Potatoes were found to contain aldicarb above safety levels. Aldicarb is a carbamate insecticide which works on the nervous system, it is highly toxic and is classified by the World Health Organisation as 'extremely hazardous'.
- Iprodione, a suspected hormone disrupter, was found above legal limits in UK celery although it is not approved for use on celery here.
- Most grapefruits (83 per cent) and lemons (93 per cent) tested contained pesticide residues.
- Lindane was found in mushrooms. This pesticide is now banned in the EU and there are fear that exposure to this pesticide may be linked to breast cancer.
- One sample of tomatoes from Spain contained residues of six different pesticides, none of the five organic samples of tomatoes contained residues.
- In all 97 per cent of the fresh salmon samples contained residues. DDT was found in fresh and canned salmon (due to contamination of food or the environment).
- Pesticides were also found in bread, but milk was found to be free of residues.
The Pesticides Residues Committee states that none of the samples present safety concerns for consumers but only looks at exposure levels in individual foods, the overall cocktail of pesticides that people are being exposed to.
Recently Dr Brown, the chair of the Committee admitted that there was "cause for concern" about the threat to young children being exposed to pesticide residues in food. He said was he "particularly worried" about the potential risks where food was contaminated by several similar chemicals, such as different forms of heavily restricted organophosphate pesticide, which could combine to create a "cocktail effect" (Independent on Sunday 9/6/02).
In recognition of the additional vulnerability of babies and young children to pesticide residues new regulations will be introduced on 1 July which effectively prohibits residues in baby food by setting the allowable level at the limit of detection. But no such protection is extended to toddlers eating fresh fruit and vegetables.
Although more of the pesticides exceeding legal limits were found in imported produce, nine UK samples contained illegal levels of residues (above the Maximum Residue Level) and nine other UK samples were found to contain pesticides which are not approved for use in the UK. The Government has a policy to minimise pesticide use. These results suggest it is not doing enough to implement it.
Friends of the Earth wants the Government to ban the most risky pesticides, including those organophosphates and hormone disrupters with most evidence of harm to human health. Extend the new regulations prohibiting residues in baby food to fresh produce. Introduce a levy on pesticide products to fund research into non-chemical of control and provide independent advice to farmers about reducing pesticide use.
"We're appalled by this cocktail of risky pesticides in the very foods which should be a healthy choice such as strawberries, lettuce and celery. It's particularly shocking that some of these pesticides are above recognised safety levels for toddlers. New regulations in July will make any of these residues illegal in processed baby food. Today's results show that this approach needs to be extended to fresh fruit and vegetables too," said Friends of the Earth's Pesticides Campaigner Sandra Bell. "It's very disappointing to see that high levels of pesticides were found in UK foods as well as imports and that illegal use of pesticides continues to be a problem. We want the Government to take more action to crack down on dodgy chemicals in imported food but it must also do more to help farmers in the UK to get off the chemical treadmill".
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