ARTICLES on this matter have recently appeared in The Guardian newspaper:
Is Organic worth it?: www.guardian.co.uk/food/Story/O..1743666.00.html
And Choice magazine:
Pesticides in our fruit and veg www.choice.com.au

I report comments from both.

The conclusions reached are that although there are discrepancies in the evidence as to whether pesticide residues in food are bad for your health at the low permitted levels, the research is not conclusive.

Pesticides that were once thought safe have been subsequently banned, or their use restricted. Foetal toxicologist, Prof Vyayan Howard recently reported that pesticides even in minute quantities may be very damaging.

All foods sold in Australia must comply with the Food Standards Code (FSC), which defines maximum residue limits (MRL) for pesticides permitted in specific foods. The MRL is determined from a number of factors i.e. how much of the food is eaten, how toxic the pesticide is, how easily the food absorbs the pesticide.

In theory foods can’t be sold if they contain pesticides that haven’t been specifically approved for that food or if the level of pesticide exceeds the MRL.

But how well your food is being tested depends on where you live. Testing for pesticide residues is left mostly to the states and the ACT and Tasmania do no testing at all.

95% of imported fruit and vegies come into the country with no independent testing for pesticide residues. The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) is responsible for imports complying with FSC but they normally only test a small number of consignments, and then only for a limited range of pesticides.

So, if you concerned about pesticide residues in your fruit and veg:

• Peel and wash (doesn’t do anything for systemically absorbed pesticides and can lose nutrients in the peel)
• Throw away the outer leaves of leafy vegetables
• Cook (can break down some pesticide residues)
• Buy organic: tested Australian organic produce has been found to be either completely free of pesticides or containing residues at very low levels. A recent USA study confirmed that an organic diet substantially reduces children’s exposure to pesticides from food.

It may well be better to be safe than sorry when it comes to avoiding pesticides.

Dr Alison Bleaney is a GP at St Helens