X5 Retail Group has said that an increasing proportion of the melons and watermelons it is sent by overseas suppliers arrive with unacceptable nitrate levels, according to Interfax Russia.
In the second week of August, X5's distribution centres had to return 488,900kg out of the 1.26m kg of the fruit it received because of excessively high levels of nitrates.
The retailer, which operates the Pyaterochka soft discount chain, Perekrestok supermarkets and Karusel hypermarkets, reported nitrate contents of up to 800mg per kg in consignments of torpedo melons.
The upper limit of acceptable nitrate content is 90mg per kg.
