Archived press release

Lettuces found to exceed pesticide safety limits

15 September 2004

The latest Government pesticide results [1] have revealed continuing problems with pesticide residues in lettuces. Farmed fish were also found to contain almost uniform contamination with persistent pesticides such as DDT.

A UK lettuce sample was found to contain inorganic bromide at 5.4 times the safety limit for 4-6 year olds. Inorganic bromide is formed by using methyl bromide - a chemical that destroys the ozone layer, and is due to be phased out for most uses in the developed world by 2005. However, the UK has requested exemptions for some crops where it is claimed there are no suitable alternatives. The European Commission recently sent a warning to nine countries, including the UK, which have failed to inform the Commission about action to limit the use of methyl bromide [2].

Another lettuce sample from Spain was found to contain two pesticides above legal limits. One of these was methamidophos, which was found to be 13.7 times higher than the safety limit for 4-6 year olds. Adverse effects include sweating, excess saliva production or stomach upsets. The Food Standards Agency was informed about this exceedence due to the high level found.

Pre-packed salads also contained a range of pesticides - one sample from Asda contained six different pesticides, including acephate, cypermethrin, iprodione and procymidone, possible carcinogens, and methamidophos, a highly toxic insecticide. Other pre-packed salad samples were found to contain vinclozolin - a hormone-disrupting chemical.

Farmed fish, including trout and salmon, were found to contain a range of persistent chemicals - all samples except one were found to contain DDT - a persistent pollutant that can accumulate in fatty tissues. DDT has not been used in the UK since the early 1980s [3], but it is such a persistent chemical that it is still found in meat and fish with high fat/oil content.

A sample of Heinz baby food was also found to contain a pesticide residue above legal levels.

Friends of the Earth Pesticide Campaigner Liz Wright said:

"Consumers will be alarmed by these latest findings. The Government must take action to ensure healthy foods such as salads do not contain cocktails of pesticides and ensure that safety limits are not breached. There should be no delay in helping growers find alternatives to risky chemicals such as methyl bromide as soon as possible."

Notes

[1] See www.pesticides.gov.uk

[2] Europa Press Release: Protecting the ozone layer: Commission takes legal action against nine Member States. 9 July 2004.

[3] Pesticide Action Network UK: DDT. Pesticide News 40, June 1998, p18-20

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