Pesticides in Table Grapes

Background Paper (24/11/08)

Analysis of grapes purchased Reference Dose (ARfD) established by from 18 major food retailers the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment and the World Health revealed illegal, unauthorised Organisation. Ingesting pesticides and unsafe pesticides. Ninety above the ARfD even once can be nine percent of grapes tested acutely damaging to the health of young children. Procymidone is were contaminated. One third officially recognised by the EU as a of samples were classified as carcinogen and reproductive toxin, and ‘Not Recommended’ for has endocrine disrupting properties. consumers due to critical Six of the 124 grape samples (4.8%) levels of pesticide residues. contained pesticides at concentrations above EU maximum legal limits. Analysis of 124 grape samples These grapes were purchased from purchased from leading European , and in supermarkets and wholesalers in France, from Esselunga in , and France, Germany, Netherlands, Italy from Großmarkt Hamburg – the and Hungary found widespread wholesale fruit and vegetable market pesticide contamination. Over 99% of in Hamburg, Germany. grapes contained pesticides while 6.5 different pesticides were detected per Two samples of Italian-grown grapes sample. Twenty percent of grapes contained the banned insecticide contained ten or more pesticides. endosulfan. Use of endosulfan has been illegal since 31 December 2007 One third of grapes tested were following the announcement of an EU- classified as ‘Not Recommended’ (red wide ban in 2005. Both samples of rating) for consumers owing to critical affected grapes were purchased from levels of pesticide contamination, ALDI in France. according to evaluation protocols developed by Greenpeace. Such Comparison of grape samples grapes included samples purchased purchased from supermarkets from all countries included in the operating in more than one country analysis. Only one sample of grapes – found evidence of double standards. sold by in Germany – was While none of the samples from Metro awarded ‘Recommended’ (green) in Italy were assessed as ‘Not status under the same assessment Recommended’, 60% of samples criteria. taken at Metro in Germany were rated ‘red’. Similar differences were found Grapes bought from international food between Lidl in Germany, Netherlands wholesaler Metro in Germany were and France with zero red ratings and shown to contain the fungicide Lidl Italy with 40% and Hungary with ‘procymidone’ at double the Acute 20% red ratings. Meanwhile ALDI’s stores in France were found to sell Food retailers included by country grapes that the retailer’s own code of Samples % conduct would not permit for sale in Germany Total 35 28.2 Germany. Germany Aldi (North) 3 2.4 Aldi (South) 2 1.6 Pesticides included in the Greenpeace Germany Edeka 5 4.0 ‘Pesticide Blacklist’ were found in 115 Großmarkt Germany Hamburg 5 4.0 grape samples (92.7%). These Germany Lidl 5 4.0 pesticides have particularly hazardous Metro properties including links with cancer, Germany (Kaufhof) 3 2.4 infertility, nerve damage, disruptions to Germany Metro (Real) 2 1.6 the hormonal system or mutagenic REWE Germany () 5 4.0 effects. Tengelmann/ Germany Kaiser´s 5 4.0 Imported grapes were on average France Total 25 20.2 more contaminated than those grown France Aldi 5 4.0 in the European Union. Over 50% of France Auchan 5 4.0 grapes grown in Turkey received the France Carrefour 5 4.0 France Intermarché 5 4.0 ‘Not Recommended’ classification, France Lidl 5 4.0 while fewer than 20% of samples from Italy Total 24 15.3 Greece and Spain were given this red Italy Carrefour 5 4.0 rating. With 38% red ratings, grapes Italy 5 4.0 grown in Italy showed the worst Italy Esselunga 6 4.8 contamination from the European Italy Lidl 5 4.0 Italy Metro 3 2.4 producing countries. Netherlands Total 35 24.2 Netherlands C1000 5 4.0 Netherlands Coop 5 4.0 Netherlands Lidl 5 4.0 METHODOLOGY Super de Netherlands Boer 5 4.0 Between 6 October and 16 October, Netherlands Albert Heijn 5 4.0 Netherlands Plus 5 4.0 staff from five environmental Netherlands Spar 5 4.0 organizations purchased a total of 124 samples of table grapes from 18 Hungary Total 5 4.0 Hungary Lidl 5 4.0 supermarket chains and food All countries Total 124 100 wholesalers in Italy, France, the Netherlands, Hungary and Germany. Producer countries represented in the sample The organisations responsible for the All 124 samples of table grapes purchases were Legambiente (Italy), examined were grown under non- MDRGF (France), Milieudefensie organic farming protocols. Most (Netherlands), Levego Munkacsoport samples were from in Italy (62) or (Hungary) and Greenpeace Greece (34). Turkey was the major (Germany). The project was supported non-EU country of origin. by Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN Europe). Contact details for the Producer Samples % various organisations can be found at Brazil 2 1.6 the end of this background paper. France 9 7.3 In each of the five countries of purchase, samples were bought in a Greece 34 27.4 number of regions or towns. Each Italy 62 50.0 sample consisted of a minimum of 1 Spain 6 4.8 kg of grapes. South Africa 1 0.8 Turkey 9 7.3 Unknown 1 0.8

Laboratory Analysis samples contained high levels of In October 2008 an accredited residues and were given a red rating, German laboratory specialising in i.e. classified as ‘Not Recommended’. pesticide residue analysis was commissioned by the six One third of grapes were classified environmental organisations to test all as 'Not Recommended' the samples of grapes for approximately 300 different pesticide residues.

The Greenpeace evaluation system Not Recommended Caution The Greenpeace evaluation system Recommended classifies food samples as being either ‘Not Recommended’ to consumers due to high levels of pesticides (red Country of origin rating), ‘Caution’ contains pesticides Imported grapes were on average (yellow rating), or ‘Recommended’ to more contaminated than those grown consumers (green rating). The in the European Union. Over 50% of evaluation protocols assess the grapes grown in Turkey received the pesticides found in each food sample ‘Not Recommended’ classification, against maximum residue levels while fewer than 20% of samples from (MRLs), the Acute Reference Dose Greece and Spain were given this red (ARfD), and the Acceptable Daily rating. With 38% red ratings, grapes Intake (ADI), and takes account of grown in Italy showed the worst multiple toxicant exposure and the contamination from the European special sensitivity of children. producing countries. Grapes from Italy and Turkey also showed a higher number of pesticides per sample.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS Status of grape samples from Recommended Caution leading producers Not Recommended In total 123 grapes samples (99.2%) 100 were found to contain pesticides. On 90 average 6.5 pesticides were detected 80 per sample. Twenty percent of grapes 70 contained ten or more pesticides. One 60 50 sample bought at Intermarché in 40 percentage France topped the list with 16 different 30 pesticides. 20 10 0 The overall results using the Spain Greece France Italy Turkey Greenpeace evaluation system is as follows: Average number of pesticides per sample Not Recommended: 38 samples (30.7%) from leading producers

Caution: 85 samples (68.5%) 9 Recommended 1 sample (0.8%) 8

7 Only 1 sample of grapes could be 6 given a green rating (Recommended) 5 as they contained no pesticide 4 residues or the residue levels were 3 lower than 0.01 mg/kg (detection limit). 2 68.5% of the samples were given a 1 yellow rating as they contained 0 Spain Greece France Italy Turkey pesticide residues. 30.7% of the Breach of Acute Reference Dose endosulfan. Use of endosulfan has One grape sample purchased at Metro been illegal since 31 December 2007 in Germany exceeded the Acute following the announcement of an EU- Reference Dose (ARfD) established by wide ban in 2005. Both samples of the German Federal Institute for Risk affected grapes were purchased from Assessment (BfR) 1 and the World ALDI in France. Health Organization. These grapes had been grown in Turkey. New EU food standards On 1 September 2008 the European The ARfD is defined as the maximum Union introduced new legislation which amount of pesticides that can be substantially increased many of the ingested within one day or in a typical maximum residue limits (MRLs) for meal. It is set by the WHO and the BfR food products sold in the EU. 2 The respectively. To exceed the ARfD even results detailed above provide the first just once can acutely damage human opportunity to assess the impacts of health, particularly the health of new EU MRLs within the context of an children. Therefore, breaches of the independent food monitoring initiative. ARfD must absolutely be avoided. While only six samples of grapes breached MRLs at the time of The exhaustion of the Acute purchase in October 2008, 37 samples Reference Dose was calculated on the would have exceeded legal limits had basis of a standardized intake of 211.5 the grapes been purchased in 2005. g by a child weighing 16.15 kg. These These figures demonstrate the are the values used by the European dramatic relaxation in EU food Food Safety Authority (ESFA) and in standards witnessed in recent years. Germany by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) to calculate the ARfD. RECOMMENDATIONS

Breaches of maximum residue Consumers have a right to pesticide levels free foods. Retailers, politicians and Six of the 124 grape samples (4.8%) regulators have a social responsibility contained pesticides at concentrations to work towards this goal. above EU maximum legal limits. These grapes were purchased from Supermarkets should… Auchan, Carrefour and ALDI in In the immediate term, supermarkets France, from Esselunga in Italy, and should eliminate the most hazardous from Großmarkt Hamburg – the pesticides from use in food production wholesale fruit and vegetable market and avoid the contamination of food in Hamburg, Germany. items with multiple pesticides residues. Supermarkets should also make a long term commitment to eliminate all Pesticides above legal limits other pesticides from fruits and vegetables in less than 10 years by Retailer Pesticide Hazard % MRL introducing more stringent and ALDI (FR) Fenitrothion neurotoxin 5,900 transparent pesticide policies. ALDI (FR) Fenitrothion neurotoxin 3,900 Auchan (FR) Fenitrothion neurotoxin 3,800 Governments should… Carrefour (FR) Folpet carcinogen 120 Großmarkt, Imazalil likely 430 The EU and member state Hamburg (DE) carcinogen governments must ensure that highly Esselunga (IT) acrinathrin unclassified 380 hazardous pesticides such as carcinogenic, mutagenic, reprotoxic,

neurotoxic, immunotoxic or endocrine Unauthorised pesticides disrupting substances are not Two samples of Italian-grown grapes authorised for use in food production. contained the banned insecticide Pesticides that can not be monitored using routine laboratory analysis should also not be authorised. EU states should publish the full results of national residue monitoring programmes including the names of producers and supermarkets. All national governments should adopt pesticide use reduction programmes aimed at cutting pesticide use by 50% over the next ten years.

CONTACTS • Greenpeace e.V. (Germany) Manfred Krautter +49 (0) 40 30 618 358 [email protected] www.greenpeace.de/pestizide • Legambiente (Italy) Davide Sabbadin +39 (0)498 56 12 20 d.sabbadin@legambienteagricoltur a.it www.legambiente.eu • Levego Munkacsoport (Hungary) János Pál +36 (0)1 411 05 09 [email protected] www.levego.hu • MDRGF (France) François Veillerette +33 (0) 1 45 79 07 59 [email protected] www.mdrgf.org • Milieudefensie (Netherlands) René Houkema +31-(0) 20 550 7378 [email protected] www.milieudefensie.nl • Pesticide Action Network (Europe) Elliott Cannell +44 (0) 20 7065 0920 [email protected] www.pan-europe.info

1 www.bfr.bund.de/cm/218/zusammenhang_zwi schen_rueckstands_hoechstmengen_fuer_pfla nzenschutzmittel_in_lebensmitteln_und_akute m_risiko.pdf 2 PAN Europe: ‘New standards on pesticides violate food safety’ – 28 August 2008