UK group urges retailers to reduce pesticide levels
Subject: UK group urges retailers to reduce pesticide levels
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 10:24:29 -0500
From: Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization: Get Set Inc. (http://www.getipm.com/)
To: Paul Helliker <phelliker@cdpr.ca.gov>
Director, State
of California, Department of Pesticide Regulation
cc: Christine Whitman whitman.christine@epa.gov
Dear
Mr. Helliker, I thought you might like to read an article entitled: UK
group urges retailers to reduce pesticide levels - UK:
March 15, 2002
LONDON -
Exposing young children to pesticides in fruit, vegetables and popular nibbles
like crisps may cause them serious health problems in later life, a report
urging retailers to eliminate such residues said this week.
The report,
by environmental pressure group Friends of the Earth, coincides with the
release of government data on pesticide residues which showed that some of the
chemicals in food had exceeded the safety limits set for toddlers.
The group said that while
it agreed with World Health Organisation recommendations that children should
consume at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, this would
expose them to more pesticide in the name of healthy eating.
The report
said that babies and children are more exposed to pesticides in food because,
in proportion to their body weight, they eat a bigger proportion of food than
adults.
It added that
even at low levels, early exposure to hormone disrupting pesticides could lead
to serious health problems.
The group
said children living in agricultural areas around the world have been shown to
have pesticides in their bodies and links had been found to effects such as
birth defects and cancer.
"Retailers
have a responsibility to sell safe food. This includes making sure it does not
contain harmful pesticides. Infants need special protection from pesticide
exposure - the harm done early in life can have serious health consequences
later," Sandra Bell, the group's food and farming campaigner said.
"Retailers
should put be putting babies and children first by removing pesticides from
the food they eat," she added.
New
regulations are due to be introduced by the government in July, prohibiting
pesticide residues in processed baby food, but Friends of the Earth said the
same restrictions should apply to fresh fruit and vegetables to cover baby
food made at home.
Last year,
the Co-operative Group, a major farmer and retailer, and Marks & Spencer
PLC announced they were banning a range of pesticides and restricting the use
of others amid fears about their impact on health and the environment.
"Now its
time for supermarkets to deliver on their promises by prohibiting the use of
the most risky pesticides and helping the farmers that supply them to find
alternatives," Bell said.
"Retailers
should come clean with their customers by publishing the results of their
residue testing - so far only the Co-op and M&S have been honest enough to
do this," she said.
Story by
Veronica Brown - REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
Well
Mr. Helliker, the real issue on "honesty" and/or in finding
alternatives is with you; farmers will not be able to use any safe and far
more effective (unregistered) alternatives; if you continue to demand that
only your "registered" POISONS can be used to "protect"
our food.
Respectfully, Stephen L. Tvedten
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