A New Zealand food safety expert is alarmed by the results of recent tests conducted on the country's fruit and vegetables, with 94 per cent of samples containing residual traces of pesticides.
According to Pesticide Action Network Aotearoa spokeswoman Meriel Watts, the results of the study are unacceptable, in spite of the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA), who carried out the tests, claiming the levels pose no risk to human health.
"They are the worst results I have ever seen," Dr Watts told the New Zealand Press Association.
Tests showed 11 out of 23 cucumber samples showed traces of endosulfan, a chemical banned in 62 countries, including New Zealand. Nine out of 24 samples of bok choy contained traces chlorothanil, a fungicide known to be harmful to humans.
"If we are going to be importing endosulfan-containing food from countries such as Australia, then the food should be labelled with country of origin so that buyers can avoid it," she said.
"But if the residues result from New Zealand growers, then the book should be thrown at them.
"The NZFSA is being extremely negligent about New Zealanders' health when it plays down the safety risks of illegal levels of the fungicide chlorothalonil."
The NZFSA said it would investigate the breaches it uncovered, but maintained that, according to World Health Organisation guidelines, the traces posed no danger to humans.
No comments yet