If a substance is classified as a known carcinogen for example, it does not automatically mean that exposure to it will definitely result in the development of cancer. The classification simply means that in tests for toxicity the substance can cause a particular effect. There are many factors that influence [...]
While pesticide cocktails tend to be more commonly found in fruit and vegetables, they do feature in other types of food. In both 2017 and 2018, roughly a quarter of all food items tested by the government (which include animal products and grains) contained pesticides cocktails. In 2017, a quarter [...]
Washing or peeling fruit and vegetables can potentially reduce exposure to pesticides as some residues that appear on the surface will be eliminated, particularly traces of soil which may contain harmful bacteria. However, although washing or peeling will reduce the level of pesticides found on the outside of an item, [...]
Our current regulatory system focusses solely on assessing the risk posed to human health by individual pesticides, failing to account for interactions between multiple chemicals. Pesticides are tested in isolation for harmful effects and are not looked at in combination. This system not only fails to protect us from the [...]
Over time plants, pests and diseases can develop resistance to the pesticides used to control them – meaning that these pesticides are no longer effective at dealing with the particular problem. One of the main strategies currently employed to deal with resistance is to use a wider range of active [...]
Pesticides appear in millions of different combinations in varying concentrations in our food and landscape. While various efforts are underway by researchers to create a system capable of monitoring the cocktail effect, it is unlikely that any will be sophisticated enough to accurately assess the full spectrum of health and [...]
Despite the prevalence of pesticide cocktails, and the evidence that they can be more harmful than individual pesticides, the UK continues to assess the safety of one chemical at a time. Safety assessments of pesticide residues in our food continue to be based on analysis of individual chemicals, ignoring the [...]
There is a growing body of evidence showing that pesticide cocktails can have significantly more harmful effects than individual chemicals, even when each appears at levels at or below its “no-observed-effect-concentration”. Health effects revealed include obesity and impaired liver function, the creation of cancer cells and disruption of the endocrine [...]
The cocktail effect is a significant problem in the UK which demands urgent attention. Over a third of all the fruit and vegetables tested by the UK government in 2017 and 2018 contained residues of more than one pesticide. Pesticide cocktails are not only found in fruit and vegetables. In [...]
Given the wide variety of different active ingredients used in food production, pesticides almost always appear in mixtures, commonly referred to as ‘pesticide cocktails’. These mixtures appear in our food, water and soil and can contain residues of as many as fourteen different pesticides. There is a growing body of [...]
PAN UK is in no way trying to be alarmist by publishing this research. Rather, we are aiming to provide the public, in particular parents, with information that can help them make informed decisions. We also hope that parents and other concerned members of the public will use this information [...]
Adults and children alike are continually exposed to a vast range of chemicals. As an example, even within this relatively limited research study, some samples have tested positive for residues of up to 13 different pesticides. There has been little research into the combinatory or ‘cocktail’ effects of exposure to [...]
Not at all. PAN UK recommends eating fresh fruit and vegetables as part of a healthy diet and as a way of encouraging long-term healthy eating habits. A good comparison is air pollution. We know, for example, that London’s air is polluted but would still recommend that children play and [...]
Washing fruit and vegetables is important to remove certain contaminants, particularly traces of soil which may contain harmful bacteria. However, washing is unlikely to remove all pesticide residues, although in some cases it might reduce the level found on the outside of an item. However, due to the systemic nature [...]
Where possible yes. However price and availability may sometimes make it difficult to maintain a completely organic diet. In fact, not all fruit and vegetables are equally susceptible to contamination by pesticide residues. Therefore, if cost or availability are an issue then switching to organic for those items that are [...]
Most people assume that no pesticides are used in organic farming, but, in fact, a limited range of pesticides are permitted. However, it is important to note that organic farming takes a completely different approach to the use of pesticides compared to conventional farming. Most of the pesticides approved for [...]
It is not only fruit and vegetables that contain pesticide residues. Foods such as meat, bread, oats, beans and crisps can all contain residues. However, the main sources for residues are indeed fruit and vegetables. Click here to see lists of which UK food items contain the most pesticide residues [...]
If a substance is classified as a known carcinogen for example, it does not automatically mean that exposure to it will definitely result in the development of cancer. The classification simply means that in tests for toxicity the substance can cause a particular effect. There are many factors that influence [...]
We compared the costs of organic and non-organic produce available from UK wholesalers price lists. The comparison is, of necessity, a snap-shot in time given that commodity prices fluctuate. We looked simply at the price difference between a kilogram of non-organic and a kilogram of organic for the same produce. [...]
At present approximately 30% of the produce for the SFVS is sourced from the UK. PAN UK is advocating that, where possible, more of the produce is supplied by UK organic growers. For example, at present, some of the apples and pears supplied to the SFVS are sourced from Portugal [...]