In 9 years, the number of fruits sold containing residues of the most toxic pesticides, which are supposed to be banned in the EU because of their dangers to human health, has increased dramatically, according to a study published on 24 May by PAN Europe (Pesticide Action Network Europe).
Researchers’ analysis of 97,170 samples of popular fresh fruit varieties grown in Europe shows a 53% increase in the frequency of contaminated samples.
This shows that Member States are not meeting their obligations and contradicts the European Commission’s claims that farmers are using less of these pesticides suspected of being linked to cancer and other serious diseases, the NGO said.
Nearly one in three (29%) fruit samples were contaminated in 2019 - the last year for which the researchers had data at the start of the study. Half of the cherry samples were contaminated, an increase of 152% compared to 2011, when governments were supposed to start banning these substances.
Top of the list: blackberries (51% of contaminated samples), peaches (45%), strawberries (38%), cherries (35%) and apricots (35%).
Over the same period, the countries producing the most frequently contaminated fruit and vegetables were Belgium (34% of contaminated samples), Ireland (26%), France (22%), Italy (21%) and Germany (20%).
See the study: https://aeur.eu/f/1sh (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)