Pesticide residues in New Zealand

Pesticide residues are of concern in New Zealand and foods are regularly checked to see if they are within set limits.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand develops the standards for levels of pesticide residues in foods through a consultation process and the New Zealand Food Safety Authority publishes the maximum limits of pesticide residues for foods produced in New Zealand.[1]

Pesticide residues tested in 1997 were generally low and thought to pose no detectable threat to health.[2] More recent research shows a link between pesticides and Parkinson's disease,[3] and on the foetus.[4]

The Soil & Health Association of New Zealand and the Pesticide Action Network Aotearoa New Zealand claim that the 2010 results are the worst ever. Some of the results include:[5]

  • Pesticide residues found in 94% of targeted fruit and vegetable samples
  • Prohibited endosulfan in 11 of 23 cucumber samples
  • Dangerous fungicide exceeding allowable levels in 9 out of 24 Pak choi samples
  • 18 different pesticides found among 24 grape samples

The Green Party would prefer to see the precautionary principle used for potentially hazardous chemicals, as practised in the European Union.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Food Standards". New Zealand Food Safety Authority. Retrieved 20 February 2009.
  2. ^ Taylor, Rowan; New Zealand (1997). The State of New Zealand's Environment 1997. Wellington, N.Z: Ministry for the Environment. ISBN 0-478-09000-5.
  3. ^ Ascherio A, Chen H, Weisskopf MG, O'Reilly E, McCullough ML, Calle EE, Schwarzschild MA, Thun MJ (2006). "Pesticide exposure and risk for Parkinson's disease". Annals of Neurology. 60 (2): 197–203. doi:10.1002/ana.20904. PMID 16802290. S2CID 1479583. Archived from the original on 4 June 2012. See also Pesticide exposure raises risk of Parkinson’s
  4. ^ BBC News. (8 February 2007), Pesticides. Retrieved 15 September 2007.
  5. ^ "Pesticide Residues in Food – Worst Ever". Soil & Health Association of New Zealand Inc. 28 June 2010. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
  6. ^ Delahunty, Catherine (29 July 2010). "Pesticides need modern assessment" (Press release). Green Party. Retrieved 29 July 2010.