The Fresh Produce Consortium has sent a letter to the trade media, responding to the Soil Association's claims surrounding pesticide residues in fruit and vegetables provide to children, as part of the National School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme.
Here it is in full:
Letter to the Editor
FPC Response to Soil Association Pesticide Statement of September 20 2005
In response to recent allegations in the press from the Soil Association regarding pesticide levels in produce provided to school children in the School Fruit & Veg Scheme the FPC wishes to make the following comments:
In our opinion the Soil Association is irresponsibly, selectively quoting information, which distorts the true position promoting ill informed consumer decisions and concern.
Parents, teachers and children need not be concerned by the presence of the minimal pesticide residue levels found.
For many years suppliers have adopted rigorous standards of crop husbandry including integrated crop management techniques, which promote the minimum use of pesticides. Adherence to these standards is independently audited on a regular basis and these principals are used extensively for all the industry’s customers including major retailers and the School Fruit & Veg Scheme.
The results quoted are likely to be from sampling taken from different sources and at different times of the year, due to the seasonal nature of the products. The information cannot be used in direct comparison other than to monitor that products are being produced in a responsible manner which these results clearly emphasise. It is not, therefore, correct and is wholly inaccurate to state that School Fruit & Veg produce is inferior.
The industry is committed to provide high quality products safely. The independent Pesticide Residues Committee states “the positive effects of eating fresh fruit and vegetables as part of a balanced healthy diet are well proven and far outweigh any concern about pesticide residue levels.”.
The Soil Association has a responsibility to consumers to provide factual information to facilitate informed choices. The benefits of consuming fresh produce are clear irrespective of whether they are grown organically or conventionally.
Nigel R Jenney
Chief Executive
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