Archived press release

Chemical claims give greens the pip

21 October 2000

Friends of the Earth has challenged Sainsbury's to justify “Pinnochio promises” in newspaper adverts on pesticides in the supermarket chain's fruit and veg.

The move comes on Apple Day, Saturday 21st October, when FOE local groups around the country will be lobbying MPs to support an Organic Targets Bill, which would require Government to set a target for increasing the amount of organic food grown in the UK [1]

The advertisement, which appeared in national newspapers including the Sunday Times on 8th October, implies that apples on sale in Sainsbury's will be free of pesticide residues. The ad claims that Sainsbury's prefers the use of natural pest controllers such as ladybirds to chemical sprays.

But Friends of the Earth has analysed data in the latest annual report of the Government's Working Party on Pesticide Residues [2] which shows that:

• 29% of apples sampled at Sainsbury's contained pesticide residues, including chlorpyrifos, recently the subject of severe restrictions in the United States because of possible effects on child health [3]
• Sainsbury's were also found to be selling pears with levels of chlormequat above legal limits
• overall, 54% of Sainsbury's fruit and veg contained pesticide residues.

Friends of the Earth is warning all supermarket chains that their public statements and adverts will be closely monitored for misleading claims about pesticide use.

Commenting, FOE Real Food Campaigner Sandra Bell said:

“Supermarkets like Sainsbury's obviously think a gullible public will buy any amount of greenwash if the photos of their apples look nice and a plastic ladybird is perched on top. Sainsbury's have spent a fortune pretending that their fruit and veg is free

of pesticides. Why don't they spend the money making sure that children in Britain don't have to eat chemicals already restricted in the United States? FOE won't hesitate to name and shame companies that produce Pinnochio pesticide promises.“

Notes:

[1] Apple day, on 21st October, is an annual celebration of traditional orchards and locally distinct apples -the sort of apples rarely found on the supermarket shelves. Traditional orchards produce real apples - using techniques and varieties which are less dependent on pesticide sprays. By contrast, intensively grown modern varieties of apple such as Cox's are particularly vulnerable to pests.

There are apple day events happening all over the country this weekend where people can try out varieties of apple they would never get in a supermarket - for more information see www.commonground.org.uk.

FOE local groups will be holding events on apple day to gain support from MPs for the Organic Food and Farming Targets Bill which would require Government to support a significant increase in UK grown organic fruit and vegetables.

[2] Annual Report of the Working Party on Pesticide Residues, 1999, Brand Name Annex (MAFF, September 2000).

[3] In June 2000, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced that the use of chlorpyrifos would be banned in domestic products, and that its use on apples, tomatoes and grapes would be severely restricted.The restrictions are designed to eliminate residues of this dangerous chemical on foods often consumed by children.

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