Laboratory tests conducted by the consumer advocacy organisation foodwatch have revealed the presence of pesticide residues banned in the EU in everyday food products (rice, tea and spices) sold in several EU countries, the NGO announced on Tuesday 19 May.
According to foodwatch, 49 of the 64 samples analysed in the Netherlands, France, Austria and Germany contained pesticide residues, 45 of which contained at least one substance not authorised in the EU. Fourteen samples exceeded the maximum legally permitted residue limits. The products in question should therefore not have been placed on the market.
The products tested included rice, paprika powder, chilli, cumin, curry and various types of tea. Spices were found to be particularly problematic: paprika, chilli and cumin.
Among the substances frequently detected were chlorfenapyr, bifenthrin and spirotetramat, as well as the neonicotinoids clothianidin, thiamethoxam and imidacloprid, known for their toxicity to bees. The fungicide isoprothiolane was also identified.
The organisation is calling on the European Commission to ban the export of chemical substances that are not authorised in the EU, and is criticising the ‘food safety Omnibus’ on pesticides.
Link to the study: https://aeur.eu/f/lyk (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)