Increase in EU residue levels 

Latest pesticide residues results from the European Commission (EC) suggest that residue safety breaches are getting worse. The EC has analysed the testing carried out by 17 national monitoring programmes in the European Union countries, as well as Norway and Iceland, of melons, peppers, cauliflowers and wheat. While 64% of the samples contained no detectable residues, nearly one-third of the food consumed is contaminated. Of this, 4.3% exceeds the approved maximum residue level (MRL). Of particular concern were the levels of residues of endosulfan and methamidophos in peppers and melons. 
    The EU report highlights the low level of residue testing for fruit and vegetables in the UK. Compared with 17 other European countries, the UK ranks 11th for number of samples taken and the lowest per capita: only 0.231, compared with 3.44 samples per capita in Sweden. However, UK samples in the monitoring programme showed 2.9% of the residues analysed as above the MRL, whereas 30% of samples in the Netherlands were above the MRL, 24% in Finland and 10% in Spain.
    The report analysed data from each member state in order to identify which residues occurred most frequently. The organophosphate (OP) chlorpyrifos figured in 12 countries including the UK. Another frequently detected pesticide in the UK was DDT, despite having been banned for use there since 1984.
    There is increasing concern about multiple residues in food (see PN 51 p17). The results show 14% of the samples contained residues of more than one pesticide, and in 2.2% residues of four or more pesticides were detected. In Finland 29% of samples contain multiple residues, and in France, one sample contained eight or more pesticide residues.
    Because most residue limits are set on the adult bodyweight, children can consume a disproportionate level of pesticide residues. At the residue levels found across Europe, a toddler would consume 181% of the health-based acceptable daily level of endosulfan in peppers, over six times (681%) of the acceptable level of methamidophos. As a precautionary measure, the EC has greatly lowered the MRL for methamidophos on peppers.
    Both these pesticides are known to cause problems, particularly in developing countries. Many people died in Benin recently as a result of exposure to the pesticide endosulfan (see PN 51 p12), and methamidophos is an OP nerve poison that can adversely affect those applying the insecticide.

Monitoring of pesticide residues in products of plant origin in the European Union, Norway and Iceland, European Commission, SANCO/397/01, June 2001.

[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 53, September 2001, page 17]