Archived press release
Go to our press releases area for our current press releases.
Supermarket food laced with hormone disrupters
13 December 2001
UNWANTED CHRISTMAS PRESENCE
Supermarket Food Laced with Hormone Disrupters
Government data, released today, reveals that grapes, kiwi fruit, lemons, and milk from major supermarkets contained residues of pesticides which are known to affect the hormone system.
Friends of the Earth (FOE) is calling on retailers to prohibit the use of these pesticides on food grown in the UK and abroad. But despite claims by the supermarkets that they are acting to reduce pesticide use, our food is still laced with toxic chemicals.
The tests, carried out between April and June 2001, showed residues of pesticides in:
- 61% of grapes
- 63% of kiwi fruit
- all lemons
- 8% of milk
- 25% of canned salmon
- 29% of breakfast cereals
- 64% of cereal bars
- 19% of noodles
None of the goats milk, honey or organic produce samples tested contained pesticide residues.
The milk tested was found to contain lindane, a pesticide which is to be banned across the EU in 2002 because of health concerns. Lindane is known to affect the hormone system and has been linked with increased rates of breast cancer. Nearly half the samples of kiwi fruit contained vinclozolin - the most common pesticide found in the report - which has anti-androgenic (anti-maleness) effects. In studies, reduced sperm counts have been associated with exposure to this chemical. One of the most commonly found pesticides in grapes was iprodione and the majority (81%) of lemons contained dicofol. Both these pesticides have been listed by the European Commission as having strong evidence of hormone disrupting effects.
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
Last modified: Jun 2008
