Japanese Tea Exceeds Pesticide Limits? Japan Crop Protection Association Rebuts Weekly Magazine Report

 

 

The Crop Protection Association rebutted eight points in the weekly magazine article and explained its views.
 

 

The first point is the article's description of residual pesticide levels, “one should not be alarmed simply because they are below domestic residue standard values. The residue pesticide standard values for Japanese tea are currently the highest in the world.” Main text ” “If you check the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' published 'Information on Pesticide Residue Standards of Other Countries,' you can see that Japan's regulations on pesticide residues are much looser than those abroad.” Pesticide residue standards are set as “the daily intake (ADI: Acceptable Daily Intake) and the temporary (within 24 hours) intake, estimated so that even if taken daily for the rest of one's life it would not cause adverse health effects. The Food Safety Commission has established an intake level (ARfD: Acute Reference Dose) at which no adverse effects occur even if a large amount is ingested, and the estimated intake when used as a pesticide determines these ADI and ARfD. Residue standards are set for each food so that they do not exceed them.” In addition, “when comparing pesticide residue standards alone, Japan differs from other countries in climate (heat and humidity, etc.) and pest species, and the places where pesticides are used and inspected also differ (brown rice and paddy rice, etc.). Therefore, standard values may vary by country or region.” Furthermore, looking only at residue pesticide standard values, there are cases where Japanese standards are higher, and cases where foreign or international standards are higher, because usage differs and standard values vary by crop. ”

 

In addition, as the second point, in the article, the standard value of dinotefuran, one of the neonicotinoid insecticides, is 2500 times that of Japan and 2500 times that of Europe. The association says, “even if the compound is the same, in countries where it is not registered as a pesticide, the risk assessment can be omitted and a uniform residue standard can be set.

 

Furthermore, regarding effects on nerves, “neonicotinoids are insecticides that attack the nervous systems of insects. The structure of the nervous systems of insects and humans does not change. Therefore, after being ingested through tea, it is effective on humans. However, it is thought to cause brain and mental disorders. Its symptoms include depression, short-term memory impairment and hyperactivity. In addition, there are concerns that intake by pregnant women may cause fetal brain developmental disorders. Contrary to the content, “developmental neuro” was developed as a test method with higher accuracy and detectability than the three conventional test methods for the effects of pesticides on the developing nervous systems of fetuses or young children. It explains that when the guidelines were revised on April 1, 2019, the toxicity testing methods clearly stated that if a developmental neurotoxicity test is deemed necessary based on the results of other toxicity tests (such as neurotoxicity and reproductive toxicity), then the test is necessary. ... For the main neonicotinoid pesticides used in Japan, developmental neurotoxicity test results have already been submitted to the Food Safety Commission for evaluation, extensive toxicity tests were conducted, and safety evaluations considering the effects on children and pregnant women were carried out, and safety has been confirmed.”

 

In addition, regarding residue pesticide standards, “although it is not widely known, tea leaves are not washed at all after picking, and are directly steamed and enter the tea-making process. The tea made in this way is placed in hot water, and the tea is drunk. In other words, drinking tea brewed from pesticide-sprayed tea leaves is like drinking pesticide.” Using “brewed tea” made from pesticide-sprayed tea leaves as an analytical sample, it asserts that “foods eaten and drunk within the range of residue standard values will not cause any health problems.”