Archived press release

New residue data shows need for pesticide action

7 August 2002

Banned pesticide residues have been found in food sold in the UK, the Pesticide Residues Committee revealed today. The committee also reported that half of lettuces tested contained illegal pesticide traces, but there was a significant fall in the number of apples testing positive for pesticides.

The Pesticide Residue Committee report (www.pesticides.gov.uk/index-ns.htm) revealed that:

• Illegal pesticide traces were found in yams (the fungicide carbendazim), and a UK grown lettuce (vinclozolin – a fungicide not approved for use on lettuce in the UK ) purchased from Somerfield. Traces of lindane (now banned in the UK) were also found in beef;
• 61% of sweet potatoes contained the fungicide dicloran
• half of all lettuce samples contained pesticide residues
• 27 per cent of apples contained residues, a significant improvement on previous years. Although this data was published today, the tests were conducted in the previous quarter.
• British courgettes were residue free.

Sandra Bell, Pesticides Campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:
“These results contain good news and bad. We are delighted that the number of apples containing residues have fallen, but disappointed that half the lettuces on sale had detectable levels of chemicals. It is also alarming to see banned chemicals finding their way into food sold in the UK.

"It is now illegal for pesticides at any level to be found in processed baby food because infants are more sensitive to their vulnerable to there effects The same law should apply to all fresh fruit and vegetables. The Government's food safety advisors have said we should aim for residue-free food, but today's results confirm there is still a long way to go. Retailers and the Government must be more vigilant about illegal pesticides in imported produce, and do more to help UK farmers find alternatives to risky pesticides.

A FOE survey of supermarkets and food containing pesticides, published earlier today, is available at:
www.foe.co.uk/pubsinfo/infoteam/pressrel/2002/20020807092516.html

For more background information see our Real Food and Safer Chemicals sections.

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust