Over 50% of Produce Samples Test Positive for Pesticide Residues; Experts Advise Cooking Before Eating

Greenpeace today released the results of a recent spot check of fresh produce from 6 well-known supermarket chains and hypermarkets. Of 36 fresh produce samples, 20 tested positive for pesticide residues. Among them, a grapefruit sold at RT-Mart was found to contain procymidone, a World Health Organization (WHO) Class II toxic pesticide, at levels exceeding the limit; star fruit from Ai-Mai, jujubes from Song Ching, and oranges from PX Mart were also found to contain cyromazine, acephate, and pyrazophos, which are not permitted to be detected.

Greenpeace had previously sampled produce at the same six supermarkets in December of last year and found that 74% of the produce contained pesticide residues. In February of this year, Greenpeace conducted another spot check and found that 6 of the supermarkets were selling produce containing reproductive-toxic pesticides; in addition, a total of eight produce items tested positive for more than 3 types of pesticides, indicating a very serious situation of pesticide mixing. Greenpeace agriculture project director Tsai Ssu-ting pointed out that even at low doses, the "cocktail effect" produced by mixing multiple pesticides can harm human health, and the risk may exceed that of poisoning from a single pesticide.

Greenpeace demanded that supermarkets immediately commit to phasing out five major categories of pesticides, including those listed as highly toxic by the Council of Agriculture, those listed as Class I and Class II toxic by the World Health Organization, those affecting the reproductive system, and those harmful to pollinating bees.

April 24, 2012: Greenpeace agriculture project director Tsai Ssu-ting being interviewed by the media

In response, the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine issued a press release in the evening, stating that the pesticide residue detection rate (55%) does not represent the non-compliance rate, and that after reviewing the published test results, only two items in this spot check actually exceeded the safety standards set by the Department of Health. The bureau stated that so-called highly toxic pesticides are not banned pesticides that may not be used, and that their registration requires safety and efficacy assessment procedures, with evaluation and phase-out work now being carried out step by step.

Regarding the "cocktail effect," the bureau responded that our country's procedures and practices for setting pesticide residue tolerance levels are similar to those of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), based on the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for a single pesticide and actual field residue data, and are regulated on a total-amount basis. If multiple pesticide residues on the same crop all comply with safety standards, there should be no safety concern.

Taiwan has set pesticide residue tolerance levels for fresh produce, with residue tolerance standards established separately according to different crops and different chemicals. In this Greenpeace spot check, the detection rate was 55%, and according to the standards set by the Department of Health, the actual non-compliance rate was about 5%.

Regarding food safety for the public, pesticide expert and former head of the residue control section at the Taiwan Agricultural Chemicals and Toxic Substances Research Institute, Weng Su-shen, once pointed out in an interview with NewsMarket that pesticides are chemical substances and do not withstand high temperatures or high pressure; as long as they are cooked, they will be destroyed by quick stir-frying over high heat, and the longer the cooking and the higher the temperature, the better the effect. However, the original fresh nutrients of the produce will also be sacrificed.

She suggested that after consumers buy produce, they should soak it in water for about 15 minutes, then take it out and rinse with clean water, which can remove surface pesticide residues, but it should not be soaked too long, lest nutrients and flavor be lost. If they want to remove pesticides remaining inside the vegetable, they can extend the cooking time; residual pesticides will decompose due to high temperature or dissipate with steam.

• Greenpeace press release
• Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine press release
• Don't be a sucker: buying an ozone machine to remove pesticides? Spend a lot of money, but the effect is the same as washing with water!
• A comprehensive look at produce pesticide safety (Part 1) (radio program "City and Countryside NewsMarket" interview with pesticide expert Weng Su-shen)
• A comprehensive look at produce pesticide safety (Part 2)