Finland finds high level of pesticide contamination in foods

Finland finds high level of pesticide contamination in foods

Statistics from Finland indicate that a high level of plant pesticides in fruit, vegetables, cereals and processed foods continues to pose a problem for the EU's importers.

In 2004, Finland's food regulator found that about five per cent of such products had a higher level of pesticide residues that is allowed in the EU. The level is about the same as in previous years, the country's National Food Agency (NFA) said in publishing the statistics this week.

Last year 2,171 samples of products of vegetable origin were analysed for the presence of 199 pesticides. Of the samples, 1,584 were fresh and frozen
fruits and vegetables, 137 were cereals, and 387 were processed foods.

Products originating from outside the EU made up 43 per cent of the samples. The rest were from Finland and other EU member states.

Almost half of the samples contained pesticides residues. A total of 98 products out of the 2171 analysed were found to have residues over the allowable limits. A total of 60 of the products were from third countries, 36 were from other EU countries and two originated in Finland.

The total numbers include 63 enforcement samples collected as follow-ups on previous violations of the law.

Pesticides residues were found in 976 samples (45 per cent), but the maximum level was exceeded in 4.6 per cent of the samples. Two thirds of fruit samples, half of cereal samples, one-third of vegetable samples and one-fifth of samples of processed products contained detectable residues of pesticides.

About 19 per cent of products from Finland had detectable levels of pesticides. About 50 per cent of products from other EU states and 52 per cent of the samples from non-EU countries had detectable levels of pesticides.

With those statistics, it makes you wonder how much of that stuff makes it into the US food supply through importation.

God, is there nothing that is safe to eat?




[edit on 3-12-2005 by loam]

Originally posted by loam

God, is there nothing that is safe to eat?

Apparently not.

Now I'm going to look for your post about antibiotics in vegetables.

for your reading pleasure, the U.S. FDA Allowable defect levels in food.

For instance, peanut butter is not allowed to have an average of 1 or more rodent hairs per 100 grams.

Originally posted by HowardRoark
for your reading pleasure, the U.S. FDA Allowable defect levels in food.

For instance, peanut butter is not allowed to have an average of 1 or more rodent hairs per 100 grams.

So all this works out to what? Half a rodent hair, 3 cockroach legs, and a pinch of DDT per tablespoon? When the rules are actually enforced?

And you're saying this is good news?

Wow, like you said in another post soficrow, our food suply is contaminated. Seeing news like this all the time really makes me feel helpless when it comes to eating 'clean' food.

Originally posted by Umbrax

our food suply is contaminated. Seeing news like this all the time really makes me feel helpless when it comes to eating 'clean' food.

I see it like this Umbrax: You and me, we're tough. We can handle it.

But should we really let these jerks keep poisoning our kids?

Originally posted by soficrow
But should we really let these jerks keep poisoning our kids?

My greatest anger as well....

Originally posted by loam

With those statistics, it makes you wonder how much of that stuff makes it into the US food supply through importation.

God, is there nothing that is safe to eat?

[edit on 3-12-2005 by loam]

I would be willing to bet the US food supply is in even worse shape to begin with.

Originally posted by Relentless

Originally posted by loam

With those statistics, it makes you wonder how much of that stuff makes it into the US food supply through importation.

God, is there nothing that is safe to eat?

[edit on 3-12-2005 by loam]

I would be willing to bet the US food supply is in even worse shape to begin with.

Ditto relentless.

Yeah, wonder how much comes into real big nations, China for instace... I usually don't psot in this forum, but when I read "Finland", it sure made me think twise...

If we didn't spray our crops we would have no crops. That is a fact. Insects are getting more and more tolerant to pesticides every year. We have to use stronger sprays every time. At the same time we have to spray more and more because of globalization. Insects are being spread from their native habitat and eating everything.

I'm an exterminator. The insects I kill daily didn't even exist in my area 10 years ago.

Originally posted by IXRAZORXI321

I'm an exterminator. The insects I kill daily didn't even exist in my area 10 years ago.

And this doesn't tell you something? Like, maybe we're creating the monsters we're trying to kill?

FYI - crop rotation and mixed crops work to reduce pests. Monoculture attracts pests and requires the use of pesticides - pesticides linger in soil, get into groundwater, and disperse from there. They are contributing substantially to the ecological destruction of this world.

Neither pesticides nor monoculture serve much purpose except to bump and centralize profits.

Originally posted by soficrow
FYI - crop rotation and mixed crops work to reduce pests.

Theres always Living Biological Controls aswell. Some Farmers having been using things like Ladybugs they are infact quite the little predators of pest insects like aphids. There are over 900,000 known species of the insects that prey on other insects. That not even counting higher forms like birds and amphibians.

These methods cost more then just using chemicals and that cuts into the almighty profits. Chemical pesticide manufacturers would have you and your wallet believe that only they have the solutions to your pest control problems.

PESTICIDE is a term that is over used and very broad. If you go by the definition of what a PESTICIDE is then you are washing your dishes, body, clothes ,etc in PESTICIDES everyday.