Home > Press releases > 2002
07 Aug 2002
A new survey by Friends of the Earth shows that 60% of fruit and vegetables
sold in Somerfield over the past four years contain pesticide
residues. The results make the retail chain the worst performer out
of the nine supermarkets surveyed.
The Friends of the Earth survey is based on data published by the Pesticides
Safety Directorate between 1998 and 2001 [1]. The latest pesticide
residue results ( for the first quarter of 2002)
are due to be published later today (Wednesday)
.
Pesticides commonly found in supermarket foods include substances suspected
of interfering with the hormone and nervous systems. Friends of the
Earth is calling on retailers to phase out the use of the most risky
pesticides. So far only Marks and Spencer and Co-op have introduced
policies to phase-out particular pesticides and aim for residue free
food. Both retailers have recently signed up to Friends of the Earth’s
toxic pledge which also requires them to phase out other risky chemicals,
such as Bisphenol A (found in food can linings).
Other retailers are lagging behind, despite claims they make to their
customers. Sainsbury’s prints a message on its plastic bags claiming
“we’re committed to using natural alternatives to pesticides
where possible”. But nearly half (48%) of its fruit
and veg contains residues.
The Government must do more too. In June the Food Standards Agency agreed
that action was needed to minimise pesticide residues in food and that
“the ultimate aim should be to ensure that they are not to be
detected at the point of sale”. In order to meet this aim Friends
of the Earth wants the Government to introduce strict limits for pesticides
in fruit and vegetables and put more resources into helping UK growers
produce residue-free food. On 1 July this year new regulations prohibited
pesticides in processed baby food because infants need special protection.
But the same rules do not apply to fresh food.
Sandra Bell, pesticide campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said
“There is too much hype from supermarkets
about their plans to cut pesticide use, and not
enough action. Only the Co-op and M&S have made a
real commitment to getting pesticides out of their food. Government
action is needed too. Stricter limits
for pesticide residues in fruit and vegetables
must be introduced and more is needed to
help UK farmers produce pesticide-free food.”
1. The Government regularly monitors food sold in the UK for pesticide
residues. The results are revealed in a quarterly report. Information
includes the type of food bought, where it was bought from, the number
of samples taken, and what level of pesticide residue (if any) was found.
FOE has taken this data from the past 4 years to compile its survey.
The data used by FOE excludes special surveys which only look for a
limited range of pesticides
Percentage of fruit and vegetables containing pesticide residues
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For more background information see our Real
Food and Safer
Chemicals sections.
Contact details:
Friends of the Earth
26-28 Underwood St.
LONDON
N1 7JQ
Tel: 020 7490 1555
Fax: 020 7490 0881
Web: www.foe.co.uk/feedback.html
Media team
