Greenpeace Numerous pesticides in fruits & vegetables

Greenpeace: Fruits and vegetables still heavily contaminated with pesticides

27.03.2012

According to a recent study by the environmental organization Greenpeace, fruit and vegetables are still heavily contaminated with pesticides. Fresh produce, which is produced outside the European Union (EU), is therefore particularly affected. Within the EU, limit values ​​would rarely be exceeded.

EU fruits and vegetables often contain fewer pesticides
According to analyzes by Greenpeace, fruits and vegetables produced in conventional farming are still frequently contaminated with pesticides. Crop protection products were detected in around 80 percent of the fruit examined and in more than 55 percent of the vegetable samples. This was announced by the environmental protection organization on Monday. For her adviser „Food without pesticides“ experts examined 22,000 samples of German food monitoring from the years 2009 and 2010, which were re-evaluated and supplemented with data from the pesticide tests.

According to the analyzes, food from Germany often gave good results. They are usually less burdened. This also applies to fruit and vegetables from other EU countries. Greenpeace said that significantly fewer pesticide residues were found compared to the product tested in 2007. In the case of fruit, the maximum level of pesticides permitted in the EU was exceeded in 3.1% of samples and in vegetables in 4.8% of cases.

Fruits and vegetables from Turkey particularly heavily contaminated with pesticides
Significant exceedances of the maximum permissible value for pesticides in the EU were provided by fruit and vegetable samples from the producer country Turkey. Especially pears, table grapes, grapefruit, peppers and zucchini are particularly affected. Greenpeace said that exotic goods such as okra and chili peppers from India and Thailand are also heavily contaminated. High levels of pesticides were also found in lettuce from Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy. The environmental organization rated one third of all products as not recommended.

Pesticides, which are among the plant protection products and biocides in pest control, not only harm unwanted pests but also the human organism. They can affect both the immune system and the hormone balance. In addition, they can be a trigger for cancer and damage the nervous system.

According to Greenpeace, many of the food samples contained a cocktail of different chemicals. Turkey table grapes took the sad lead. They detected 24 pesticides. Producers often choose a combination of different pesticides so as not to exceed the permitted levels of individual chemicals. So far, pesticides are only considered individually in the EU, explained Greenpeace. There is an urgent need to consider the entire pesticide cocktail of a product to protect consumers from the toxic chemicals.

Organic products are mostly unloaded
Greenpeace advises consumers in the first instance on organically produced goods. This is usually unloaded. In organic farming only a few pesticides would be used and their active ingredients are natural substances that are significantly less harmful to health. Organic farmers also used beneficial insects, combated weeds mechanically instead of the chemical leg and considered optimal crop rotation, according to the guidebook „Food without pesticides“. Consumers should also pay attention to the type of fruit and the country of origin. The fruits and vegetables sold in Germany stem to about 70 percent from imports. Different chemicals would be used in different producer countries. Greenpeace therefore advises on the most seasonal products possible from the region. The timing of the harvest also plays a role. Conventionally grown fruits and vegetables, such as peppers and tomatoes, contained more pesticides at the beginning of the harvest period than a few weeks later to accelerate ripening depending on the weather. Greenpeace points out that fruits and vegetables should always be thoroughly washed. So at least some of the pesticides can be removed. For cabbage and salad, consumers should remove the outer leaves, it says in the guide. (Ag)

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Pesticides endanger children worldwide
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Picture: Birgit H.