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Pesticides in Supermarket food

Briefing





 Pesticides in Supermarket food

Introduction

Friends of the Earth believe that the food we buy in supermarkets should be safe to eat and produced in a way which safeguards the environment. For example, consumers should be able to buy food without having to worry about whether it contains pesticide residues. Yet recent Government figures show that about half of the fruit and vegetables sold in supermarkets contain pesticide residues.
What can supermarkets do about pesticides?
Supermarkets sell most of the food we eat in the UK. The top six supermarkets (Asda, Morrison, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Safeway and Somerfield) control over 80 per cent of the grocery market1. Supermarkets therefore have a high level of influence and control over the food chain. Farmers who supply the major supermarkets will normally be required to follow protocols which set out guidance on pesticide use and which may suggest some non-chemical ways of controlling pests and diseases. The most common of these are the 'Assured Produce' schemes. However there is so far little indication that these protocols have resulted in any notable decrease inpesticide use or the incidence of pesticide residues in supermarket food. The following list shows the incidence of residues in supermarket fruit and vegetables according to the last annual report published by MAFF2.
     Pesticide residues in supermarket food
Supermarket % fruit and veg with residues number of samples
Somerfield 70 30
Marks & Spencer 68 25
Morrisons 61 23
Sainsbury's 54 123
Tesco 54 151
Safeway 53 78
Asda 48 61
Co-op 46 13

Note: Retailers with fewer than 10 samples not included Friends of the Earth consider that supermarkets should do more to reduce pesticide use. The codes of practice they set up with farmers should aim for a significant reduction in pesticide use and zero residues of pesticides in food. In practice this means that there should be no detectable residues even as technology develops and allows lower and lower levels to be found. Supermarkets should also prohibit the use of those pesticides which have the highest evidence of risk to the environment or health. This includes pesticides which have been shown to disrupt the hormone system like carbendazim, lindane and vinclozolin, and those that effect the nervous system like aldicarb and chlorpyrifos.
Farmers will need support and advice in order to reduce pesticide use significantly and to find alternatives to the most dangerous pesticides. Supermarkets should help farmers by providing advice and information to them about alternatives and by paying farmers a fair price for the food they supply. Supermarkets will also need to check carefully that farmers are following good practice. However the Government must also play its part in finding alternatives to harmful pesticides, promoting and rewarding good practice and taking action where farmers flaunt the rules.
Friends of the Earth have found that supermarkets vary in the commitment they have made to reducing pesticide use and residues in food - the table below gives our verdict.
Friends of the Earth's position

Friends of the Earth want supermarkets to take the following action:
*    Prohibit the use of the most dangerous pesticides by farmers who supply them, including those that are proven to disrupt the hormone system;
*    Aim for residue-free food and make this clear in their codes of practice on pesticides;
*    Provide free advice and information to the farmers who supply them about alternative methods of controlling pests and diseases;
*    Lobby Government for more research into alternatives to pesticides;
*    Set up independent monitoring and verification schemes to check on pesticide usage by farmers; and
*    Publish the results of their own pesticide residue testing in a way which is accessible to their customers. Ask your supermarket for real food!
Have a look at the table below to see what the supermarkets are doing to get pesticides out of food. If you're not satisfied with your supermarket's response, let the manager know. Fill in and cut out this slip and drop it into your supermarket's suggestion box in the store or hand it to the manager. Or visit our website (address below) and email your supermarket from our Real Food pages.

Dear                                 Name of Supermarket:
I am a regular customer of yours and I'm concerned that about half of the fruit and vegetables sold in supermarkets contain pesticide residues. I'd like to know what you are doing to stop the use of the most dangerous pesticides, like the ones that disrupt people's hormone systems, and whether you will work with your suppliers to aim for zero residues in all food. I would also like you to tell me what residues you find in the food you sell.
Your name:
Your address:

How Friends of the Earth rate the supermarkets on pesticides

Our Verdict Supermarket Steps in the right direction Next steps
1. Leaders
 Co-op Co-op has drawn up a list of pesticides which are prohibited or restricted and will help farmers find alternatives.
It is aiming for zero residues in all its food. Co-op has also committed to publishing its residue testing results - the first supermarket to do so. 		Co-op has not included some of the most risky pesticides like carbendazim and vinclozolin on its prohibited list yet. It should work with farmers to find alternatives to these pesticides.
2. Runners- up Waitrose Waitrose is working with its suppliers to eliminate the use of some pesticides including lindane and aldicarb. Waitrose should make its testing results public and aim for zero residues.
3. Getting there Marks & Spencer M&S is working with its suppliers to produce a list of prohibited and restricted pesticides and to reduce pesticide residues in food. M&S should make its residue testing results available to customers.
Iceland Iceland has made a commitment to get lindane out of its food and to aim for residue-free food Iceland should make its testing results public and extend its list of banned pesticides beyond lindane.
5. Creeping up


Sainsbury's Sainsbury's has made a commitment to pesticide reduction and to phasing out aldicarb, carbendazim and vinclozolin. But Sainsbury's has made misleading claims in adverts about pesticides in food. Sainsbury's should be honest with consumers and make its testing results public. It should aim for zero residues in all its food.
6. Falling behind Asda Asda says that it has prohibited the use of some pesticides including carbendazim, although this has turned up recently in Asda fruit and vegetables. It does not appear to have a general policy of pesticide reduction. If Asda has managed to eliminate the use of carbendazim it should share the information with other retailers. It should also publish its testing results, so consumers can make sure these pesticides are not still in Asda food, and aim for zero residues.
7. Stuck in a rut
 Tesco Tesco has developed a scheme called Nature's Choice which encourages 'rational' pesticide use. Tesco says it works with suppliers to keep pesticide use to the minimum required, but details about the scheme are not available to the public. Tesco should publish details of its Nature's Choice scheme. It should ban the most risky pesticides and make the results of its residue testing public.
Aldi Aldi, Safeway and Somerfield all indicate that they aim to reduce pesticide usage or residues but won't prohibit pesticides which are approved in the UK. Aldi, Safeway and Somerfield should ban the most dangerous pesticides like hormone disrupters and publish their testing results.
Safeway
Somerfield
11. Slackers
 Morrisons Morrisons and Netto do not have any stated policy to reduce pesticide residues. Morrisons and Netto should wake up to the fact that consumers do not want pesticides in their food.
Netto



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