Pesticides banned in baby food - but still in fruit and vegetables 1 July 2002
New rules set the permitted level of any pesticide in processed baby foods at the minimum detectable level. Manufacturers now face legal action if pesticides are discovered. But these rules don't apply to the fresh fruit and vegetables which the Government encourages young children to eat as part of a healthy diet.
The first solid food for one baby in every five is pureed fresh fruit and vegetables, yet the fruit most commonly eaten by toddlers (eg, apples, pears and bananas) have been found in recent Government tests to contain a cocktail of risky pesticides. Some scientists advise that pregnant women should reduce their exposure to pesticides as chemicals in the womb may damage the child later in life.
Friends of the Earth is calling on retailers to phase-out the use of pesticides that are causing most concern and aim for residue-free food - starting with foods most popular with infants and young children. The Government must also do more to help UK farmers produce pesticide-free food. Last month the Food Standards Agency's Board agreed "that the Agency should pursue a strategy to encourage ways of improving the use of pesticides so that residues are minimised. The ultimate aim should be to ensure that they are not to be detected at the point of sale."
- Until fresh fruit and vegetables are residue-free Friends of the Earth recommends that parents
- Buy organic when it is possible and affordable
- Peel fruit and vegetables for babies and young children. This reduces residues but does not remove them all.
"This new law recognises that young children need special protection from pesticide residues. But babies and infants will still be exposed to pesticides when they eat fresh fruit and vegetables, which are regularly found to contain traces of these chemicals," said Friends of the Earth Pesticide Campaigner Sandra Bell. "The Government must acknowledge the problem, extend this protection to fresh food, and help farmers find safer ways of protecting their crops. Supermarkets also have a vital role to play by eliminating pesticide residues from the food they sell."
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