Testing on produce from 14 high-end supermarkets in Thailand has shown dangerous levels of pesticides, according to the Foundation for Consumers.
The public health ministry’s science department tested samples of Chinese cabbage, Chinese broccoli, yard-long beans, morning glory, parsley and bird’s eye chillis, stated a report by Thai newspaper the Nation.
Parsley and yard-long beans were found to contain pesticides at levels exceeding European safety standards.
Parsley from one outlet contained chlorpyrifos at a level of 0.84mg per kg, while a sample of yard-long beans contained carbofuran at 0.007mg per kg.
Foundation for Consumers manager Saree Ongsomwang told the newspaper her organisation would notify the Food and Drug Administration of the findings and urge it to call on food producers to address the problem.
Meanwhile, the Biothai Foundation has demanded the government ban the use of carbofuran, methomyl, dicrotophos and EPN on agricultural crops, claiming they pose serious health risks to people.
According to the Nation, the pesticides are banned in the European Union, US, United Kingdom, Finland, Singapore, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Burma.
