A new report has found traces of illegal pesticides on everyday fruit and vegetables sold at major Australian supermarkets.
Pesticide Action Australia independently lab-tested 78 fruits and vegetables from the three major Aussie supermarkets for pesticide residue and found at least a dozen samples – including a punnet of strawberries – containing almost 10 times the legal limit.
“Nearly half of those samples contained at least one PFAS pesticide residue,” said Eleanor Davis from Pesticide Action Australia.
“And over half of those samples contained a residue of a pesticide that’s not approved in the European Union.”
They samples were obtained from Australian-grown staples including apples, avocados, bananas and broccoli, among other produce.
Federal Senator David Pocock is launching a Senate inquiry into the use of the chemical Paraquat, which is banned in 70 countries.
“Not surprised, really. We are very loose here in Australia with the way that we regulate chemicals,” Pocock said.
“We have a whole bunch of chemicals that are banned in places like Europe that are still being applied to things that are showing up in the grocery aisle.”
The three major supermarkets have told 7News they maintain the highest food safety standards and conduct their own tests, however, Pesticide Action Australia representative Davis believes more can be done.
“We’re asking supermarkets and government to step up, to test more, to publish more,” Davis said.
AusVeg has reassured consumers that locally grown vegetables are safe, while Berries Australia said the residue found on strawberries poses no risk to human health.
Consumers are being urged to wash fresh produce before eating it, with Pocock saying they are pushing for action.
“I’m pushing for the government, for our regulators to take this more seriously so that Australians can have peace of mind when they’re putting food on the table for their kids,” Pocock said.
