Re-testing by the toxicology lab found no parathion, and the source remains a mystery.

In response to the Taipei City Department of Health's July test results for pesticide residues in fresh fruits and vegetables, the Agricultural Chemicals and Toxic Substances Research Institute recently took 2-kilogram samples of lemons from farmers' fields, and none of them tested positive for parathion. This has been confirmed by the Kaohsiung City Government Agriculture Bureau and the institute. But as a result, the source of the parathion has once again hit a dead end. PX Mart stated that at the time of purchase, the goods were packed by Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation according to the specifications required by the store, and the source information was also provided by Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation.

Li Hongping, deputy director of the Agricultural Chemicals and Toxic Substances Research Institute, said that parathion may also have decreased in residue after two months, though it was not detected in the tests. He said that in the institute's many years of pesticide residue testing, there had been no parathion cases, and that it was treating this case with the utmost seriousness.

Chen Xiushan, assistant manager of PX Mart, said that the lemons purchased were packed by Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation according to the store's required specifications, for example about 6-8 lemons per 1-jin bag, and delivered directly to the store. When the Taipei City Government Department of Health said parathion had been detected, PX Mart directly used the information provided by Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation, "Qishan Farmers' Association 000XX Class 9XX," and did not know which farmer it was. It is understood that the detailed information obtained by the Taipei City Government Department of Health was provided by a specialist from Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation.

Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation said that on that day the lemons came from only one source, and the information it provided was indeed correct.

Regarding Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation's frequent supply problems, Chen Xiushan said that Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation is the only supplier it works with, so it is impossible to stop cooperating; it can only trace back to the source and stop cooperating with production and marketing classes that do not cooperate. "If farmers can use pesticides correctly, society would not need to pay so much cost."

Chen Xiushan said that after Greenpeace previously tested and found pesticide levels exceeding standards in products, under the contract Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation had to pay a fine; however, Taiwan has not banned the use of highly toxic pesticides, and it had once asked farmers not to use them, only to find that the supplier received a legal notice from the farmer, arguing that this request violated farmers' rights. As of press time, however, the reporter had not received a copy of the legal notice.

[Related report]59 fruits and vegetables sampled in Taipei, 9 found with pesticide residues; banned pesticide parathion found in lemons