Greenpeace finds pollutants in peppers

Greenpeace finds pollutants in pepper samples: First recall of contaminated peppers at the discount store Lidl

17.01.2011

Research by Greenpeace has shown that samples of yellow and red peppers, Lidl, Tengelmann and Netto were contaminated with high levels of the growth regulator ethephon. Even before the announcement of the Greenpeace results Lidl had already on Saturday the 15th January a recall for „Spanish pepper mix“ (Lot number L-01-05 TUTW) started.

According to the Discounters Lidl peppers from stores in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony are affected and must be recalled. The vegetables contained inadmissibly high residues of the growth regulator Ethephon. Greenpeace purchased paprika samples on 8 January in Hamburg, Cologne / Bonn, Leipzig, Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt, and then had them checked by an accredited specialist laboratory for the analysis of pesticide residues in food. The preliminary measurement results were additionally confirmed in a second investigation.

Ethephone load of paprika mixtures at the discount store
The result: the highest Ethephon loads were found in the samples of Tengelmann in Munich, Lidl in Cologne and Netto (Edeka) in Bonn, where in three of the 29 samples exceedances of the legal maximum level for Ethephon were detected. Greenpeace therefore called on all supermarket chains to immediately inspect the sold peppers and if necessary recall recalled goods. Lidl had a recall on January 15, before the Greenpeace investigation „Spanish pepper mix“ only the products sold between January 10 and 13, 2011 were affected, as the company officially announced. Any paprika mixes and paprika varieties that are currently still on the shelves, his not affected by the recall, so the message from the discounter.

Health risks caused by ethephon should not be underestimated
According to the experts of Greenpeace, one of the tested pepper samples from Netto (Edeka) in Bonn even exceeded the acute reference dose (ArfD), from which even a single intake could damage the health - especially in children. The plant growth regulator Ethephon, which is used to control biological processes such as the growth and ripening of fruits and vegetables, according to the Greenpeace expert Manfred Santen for humans by no means harmless. Thus, it could come to an overdose of the maximum toxic level to health damage such as skin irritation and irritation of the mucous membranes and when consuming larger amounts, unfolds Ethephon an effect as a neurotoxin. The fact that ethephon is still used in food production, according to the Greenpeace expert primarily due to the fact that „the peppers (...) did not turn yellow and red fast enough in Spanish winter“ are. So the producers would have helped with the help of Ethephon, „to sell the pepper mix in all three colors“, stressed Santen. „Consumers recognize the contaminated peppers in green shades“, the expert continues.

Consumer Protection Ministry warns of further risks
Lidl points out in the sense of the „preventive consumer protection“ to have reacted promptly. Both Greenpeace and the Ministry of Consumer Protection in Baden-Württemberg see this as rather critical: „The pesticides self-control of supermarket chains protects consumers only if the test results are published immediately and consistently and the necessary measures are taken, "said the Greenpeace expert The contaminated vegetables also came from outside North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony in the trade and there was the risk that the Spanish pepper mix could be traded through other discounters in the trade, so the position of consumer advocates official inquiry, the first results of which are expected to be in a week, explained a spokesman for the ministry. (fp)

Also read:
Lidl calls back peppers: skin irritations threaten

Image: Benjamin Klack