The Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) has reacted angrily to claims in the national press that baby food pureed from fresh produce may not be safe for children.
In response to an article in The Times entitled ‘Is healthy, home-made baby food just pulp fiction? New research shows that pesticides are present in the fruit and veg often fed to babies. But are supermarket purees really the best alternative?’, the FPC released clarification on the issues discussed.
In a statement it said: “The independent monitoring of fresh fruit and vegetables by the Pesticide Residue Committee confirms that the health benefits of eating fresh fruit and vegetables are far greater than any potential risk from minute levels of pesticide residues that may remain.
The presence of a residue does not mean that food is not safe to eat. Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) are not safety limits but are based on good agricultural practice and are usually well below the levels that would be a concern for people’s health.
According to the latest reports by the Pesticide Residues Committee the vast majority of samples were found to have no residues at or above the MRL. Infant foods are covered by particularly strict rules on pesticides residues. In the latest report from the Pesticide Residues Committee, none of the samples of prepared infant foods found to have pesticide residues (including one organic sample) were above the MRL.
The horticulture industry has led the adoption of integrated crop management systems which have been responsible for significant reductions of crop protection products in the production of fresh produce. There are stringent standards in place to ensure that the UK consumer can enjoy healthy good quality fresh produce including a rigorous testing and regulatory process for the use of pesticides.
The market for processed organic baby food products is tough at the moment, with reported falling sales and retailers often reviewing their offer to include own brand and leading brand only. Let’s not see some in the processed organic sector resorting to such cynical marketing tactics by implying that conventionally grown fresh produce is not safe to be given to our children or the nation as a whole.
