More than one in two conventionally grown strawberries produced in the EU contains residues of PFAS pesticides, while the pesticides most frequently detected are two endocrine disruptors that should have been withdrawn from the market, according to an investigation published on Tuesday 7 July by the NGO PAN Europe.
The study covers 41 strawberry samples taken in eleven Member States, including 36 conventional, four organic and one labelled as pesticide-free.
According to the results, PFAS pesticides were detected in 58% of the samples. The substances most frequently found are fludioxonil and cyprodinil, two pesticides identified by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) as endocrine disruptors.
The NGO stresses that these substances should have been banned under European legislation. 56% of the pesticides identified belong to the category of ‘most hazardous’ pesticides, that should have been phased out under European legislation since 2011.
The analyses highlight the presence of several residues in the same fruit. Up to nine different pesticides were detected in a Belgian sample, eight in a Hungarian sample and seven in an Irish sample.
More details: https://aeur.eu/f/mqw (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)