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Brazil finds residues over MRLs in 2007
Apr. 29, 2008
Excessive pesticide residue levels were found in over 40% of samples of three crops in Brazil last year. Brazil’s pesticide residue analysis in foods programme, the Para, found that tomatoes, strawberries and lettuces in the market chain had the highest residue levels above the maximum residue limits (MRLs). The Para analysed 1,198 samples of nine foodstuffs, including: bananas, carrots, papayas and oranges. It found that 207 or 17.3% of the samples contained residues above MRLs.
Tomatoes had the highest proportion of excessive residue levels. Of the 123 analysed samples, some 55 (44.7%) had “unsatisfactory” results. Irregularities among tomatoes were the highest since 2002, according to Brazilian press reports. Another concern was the presence of residues of the banned organophosphate insecticide, monocrotophos, among the tomato samples, the national health surveillance agency, the Anvisa, says. Its use was prohibited in 2006, except via aerial or ground application for “industrial tomatoes”. However, the residues found did not exceed “accepted limits for human consumption”. Monocrotophos was also found in strawberries and lettuces. The finds have been reported to the police and the Ministry of Agriculture to investigate.
Of the other most offending foodstuffs, some 41 out of 94 analysed strawberries and 54 of the 135 lettuces had residues exceeding MRLs.
The most satisfactory results were those for potatoes and apples. Only two potato (1.4%) and four apple (2.9%) samples had residues exceeding MRLs. The residue levels in potatoes have improved dramatically since 2002, when 22.2% of samples were above MRLs, while those for apples have dropped from 5.3% of samples.
|
Brazil pesticide residues in fruit and vegetables 2007 | ||
|
Crop |
Number of analysed samples |
Exceed MRLs (share of samples %) |
|
Tomatoes |
123 |
55 (44.7) |
|
Strawberries |
94 |
41 (43.6) |
|
Lettuces |
135 |
54 (40.0) |
|
Papayas |
122 |
21 (17.2) |
|
Carrots |
151 |
15 (9.9) |
|
Oranges |
149 |
9 (6.0) |
|
Bananas |
139 |
6 (4.3) |
|
Apples |
138 |
4 (2.9) |
|
Potatoes |
147 |
2 (1.4) |
|
Total |
1,198 |
207 (17.3) |
Source: Anvisa.
The Para worked in partnership with Health Ministries of Brazilian states and took samples from points of sale, such as supermarkets. The programme was formed in 2001 as part of the Anvisa and was charged with protecting consumer and farm worker health. It covers 16 states and is expected to include all by next year, when it will add eight crops for analysis.
Source: Agrow
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