Nearly one in two foods contains pesticide residues. Fruits and vegetables first and foremost, in addition to processed foods. Legambiente’s annual‘Stop Pesticides‘ report, produced this year together with Black Elk, a pioneer of organic food in Italy. (1)
Pesticide residues in food in Italy
Data collected in 2019 by bodies in charge of official control of residues of ‘plant protection’ products in food, as a result of analysis of (only) 5,835 samples, show that:
– 52% of foods are free of chemical residues,
– 46.8% of foods contain one or more molecules within the set limits,
– 1.2% of samples are irregular, i.e., outlawed, due to excessive residues and/or banned agrotoxics.
Cocktail effect in more than 1 in 4 foods
The cocktail effect is a cause for serious concern. More than one in four foods, 27.6 percent of the nearly 6,000 samples analyzed, reveal the presence of a plurality of pesticides, herbicides, and antifungals. Consumers of ‘conventional’ – i.e., non-organic – foods are therefore exposed to a risk of multiple toxicity (2,3,4).
‘The real problem is the multi-residue, which European legislation considers to be compliant if each individual residue level does not exceed the maximum allowable limit, although it has been known for years that interactions of multiple and different active ingredients with each other can cause additive or even synergistic effects to the detriment of the human body‘ (Legambiente, No Pesticides 2020 report).
Fruit, pesticide residues in 3 out of 4 samples
The primary carrier of agrotoxics in the diet is non-organic fruits. Nearly three out of four fruits contain pesticide residues. Analysis shows that:
– 70.2 percent, although considered ‘in compliance,’ have residues of one or more agrotoxics,
– 1.3% are irregular, by type or amount of residues. Apples stand out, with 1.8 percent of irregular samples,
– Only 28.5 percent of the fruit is free of residues.
5 fruits express the greatest amount of agrochemicals, most often in cocktail formula (i.e., multi-residue, a mix of different molecules):
– 89.2% grapes, including 77.8% in mix,
– pere 85.9%, including 73.6% in cocktails. Some pear samples show up to 11 residues simultaneously,
– peaches (83.5%), of which 67.9% had multiple residues,
– strawberries (78.7 percent), 62.7 percent with pesticide mixtures,
– apples (75.9%), more than half (54%) multi-residual.
Venom cocktails are also common in red grapefruit and goji berries, which themselves contain up to 10 residues.
Vegetables and poisons
Two extreme results emerge from analyses of vegetables. The favorable one, that is, a good amount of residue-free food (64.1%). The other worrisome, the highest number of irregularities (1.6 percent) is found in vegetables. Violations are concentrated in peppers (8.1 percent irregularities), stem vegetables (e.g., asparagus, celery, fennel, 6.3 percent irregular) and legumes (4.1 percent).
The highest amounts of pesticides were detected in:
– tomatoes (55.8%),
– peppers (58.1%),
– carrots (55.3%).
Processed foods
Among processed foods, however, pesticide residues, even in mixes, are most frequent on wine (57.3 percent) and whole grain products (55.7 percent).
The overall result, for the whole category of processed foods, is more favorable:
-61.5% without residue,
-20.9% multi-residue,
-15.7% with only one residual
-0.2% irregular.
Pesticide residues, what irregularities
Irregularity is related to exceeding the maximum permitted residue limits (54.4 percent of cases), the presence of impermissible substances (17.6 percent), or the occurrence of both violations (19.1 percent).
The substances in excessive doses most frequently detected in irregular samples are.
– the organophosphorus Chlorpyrifos, in 11% of cases, (5)
– the neonicotinoid Acetamiprid, in 8 percent of cases.
The poisons most present
The variety of poisons used in agriculture and residues in food is wide. Analysis finds the presence of more than 165 substances. Table grapes and tomatoes contain the most variety, 51 and 65 different mixtures, respectively. It is unlikely to find any trace of them in farm notebooks, but after all, as we have reported, agrotoxics are also smuggled in from Amazon.
There are 13 most widely used agrotoxics, mostly fungicides and insecticides. In descending order , Boscalid, Dimethomorph, Fludioxonil, Acetamiprid, Pyraclostrobin, Tebuconazole, Azoxystrobin, Metalaxyl, Methoxyfenozide, Chlorpyrifos, Imidacloprid, Pyrimiphos-methyl , and Metrafenone.
Glyphosate holds position. In addition to poisoning Italian waters-often exceeding permitted limits, as found by ISPRA in its Pesticides in Water report-glyphosate has been found in various food samples (in 6 percent of processed grains and 4 percent of cereals).
Pesticides and politics, words in vain
The European Commission, in the Farm to Fork Strategy, stated that it wants to achieve the drastic reduction–by 2030–of the use of pesticides and herbicides in agriculture (-50%), antibiotics in animal husbandry and aquaculture (-50%), and fertilizers (-20%). With the further goal of expanding organic crops to 25 percent of UAA (Utilized Agricultural Area).
Rambling words belied by facts. As has already been reported, the (non-)reform of the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) has preserved the bulk of public subsidies for industrial agriculture that is anything but green.
Italy, the urgency of a new NAP
Legambiente-as did Égalité, also representing the #NoPesticides group-reiterates the urgency of a new NAP (National Action Plan) for a significant reduction in the use of pesticides and other agrotoxics.
In fact, Directive 128/2009/EC required member states to adopt National Action Plans for the sustainable use of plant protection products. But Italy, after transposing the European prescription five years late (in 2014), has failed to dutifully update it.
‘As evidenced by the results of the data collected within this dossier, we are a long way from the targets set, and we therefore call for the new NAP to be adopted quickly and to be able to take decisive action on reducing the environmental and health risks related to the use of these substances.’ Legambiente emphasizes.
Marta Strinati and Dario Dongo
Notes
(1) Legambiente (2020). ‘No Pesticides’ report, https://www.legambiente.it/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/STOP-PESTICIDI-2020.pdf
(2) Alberto Mantovani. Toxic cocktails? Risk assessment of multiple exposures to endocrine disruptors. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 9/28/20, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/sicurezza/cocktail-tossici-valutazione-del-rischio-delle-esposizioni-multiple-a-interferenti-endocrini
(3) Marta Strinati. Pesticide cocktails cause toxicity, even at doses allowed in the EU. New study. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 10/24/20, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/sicurezza/i-cocktail-di-pesticidi-causano-tossicità-anche-alle-dosi-ammesse-in-ue-nuovo-studio
(4) Dario Dongo, Andrea Adelmo Della Penna. Glyphosate, endocrine disruption and cancers. New evidence. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 11/20/20, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/sicurezza/glifosato-interferenza-endocrina-e-tumori-nuove-evidenze
(5) Chlorpyrifos is the most recurrent pesticide in notifications to theRapid Alert System on Food and Feed (RASFF) for outlawed MRLs (Maximum Residue Levels) in 2019. V. https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/sicurezza/rapporto-annuale-rasff-2019-le-allerta-sulla-sicurezza-di-alimenti-mangimi-e-moca-in-ue
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
