HOW DO I KNOW WHAT PESTICIDES MY FOOD CONTAINS?
PAN UK undertakes this work for a number of reasons:
• To provide a clearer and more user-friendly summary of the test results for the public • To assess trends in the presence of residues on particular food items • To identify which food items would result in the greatest consumption of pesticide residues • To identify which pesticides most frequently occur as residues and to provide information on the potential health impacts of these substances
Not all fruit and vegetables are equally likely to contain pesticide residues. PAN UK’s assessment has identified those foodstuffs with the highest amounts or that most frequently contain residues. This should not be taken as the last word in residue levels but merely as an indicator of the foods that might be best avoided and preferably sourced organically (see section 11 below). Table 1 details the top five most frequently contaminated fruits, vegetables and other foods, as of August 2007. This information is liable to change as new government testing results become available. For the most up to date information please regularly visit the PAN UK website. PRC surveys often include a few organic samples, and in the vast majority of these no residues are found.
UK Government data shows that from 2000 – 2006, of the apples tested for pesticide residues, 60% were found to contain residues. In total residues of 43 different pesticides were found on the samples.
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