PAN Europe (Pesticide Action Europe) explains that food safety and pesticide residues are not a good mix. This NGO is fighting for sustainable pesticides, given the most recent data published on 11 April on the official inspections carried out in 2015 by the member states, Norway and Iceland on pesticide residues contained in foodstuffs (see EUROPE 11767).
Although the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) concluded that the “health risk to consumers remains low” in the residues identified compared to maximum limits authorised in EU legislation for 97.2% of the 84,341 samples tested in the research into 774 pesticides, PAN Europe is concerned that pesticide residues had been found in 43.9% of samples. The NGO highlights the fact that this figure has been constantly increasing over recent years.
Multiple pesticides in 28% of samples. In a question to European citizens, PAN Europe asks, “How many pesticides did you eat today”? The answer according to EFSA is “plenty!” The NGO considers that the EFSA’s conclusion is, “based on theoretical models a deception for the European people especially since 28% of the food was, in fact, tested positive for multiple pesticide residues” and that the safety of these famous pesticide cocktails has never been evaluated.
Moreover, individual fruit and vegetables may contain much higher amounts, as was the case with grapes, where pesticides were detected in 77.3% of samples, whereas 58.3% contained multiple residues.
“It’s insane that pesticide-contaminated food has become the norm” adds Angeliki Lysimachou, the environmental toxicologist of PAN Europe. She believes that, "With all the diseases manifesting following chronic exposure to chemicals, regulators must act responsibly and put an end to these daily pesticide exposures”. Hans Muilerman, an expert on chemical products adds, “When we look at the way EFSA communicates these figures year after year, it gives the impression that their role is to ensure a feeling of protection for European consumers rather than to effectively protect EU citizen’s health". He also points out that, “10 years ago, the EFSA was requested to assess the risk of exposure to multiple residues of pesticides. Nothing has been implemented up to now, despite the evidence that the current method is not safe”.
The NGO emphasises that it has consistently argued for the regulatory authorities to take into account during their food safety assessments, the fact that pesticides are often contained in foodstuffs in combination with one another and not individually. It adds that their combined effects can be added to or indeed be strengthened in comparison to the effects observed during exposure to each individual pesticide. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)