Certain breakfast staples breach legal pesticide limits according to study
RUSKS for infants, an organic creamed porridge, a cereal bar and a host of other foods breached legal pesticide limits, a survey has found.
The Expert Committee on Pesticide Residues in Food found of the 1,085 samples from 25 different foods, 581 had residues and of these 41 samples contained residues over the Maximum Residue Level (MRL).
Some of the home-grown and imported food with residue levels above the MRL include aubergines, bananas, bread, broccoli, soft cheese and grapefruit. Some samples of organic potatoes, peppers, mushroom and an organic raspberry and apple soft oat bar were all found to contain pesticide residues.
No traces were found in British beef, milk and asparagus.
But the survey, carried out between October and December last year, stressed MRLs do take account of consumer safety and are set at levels below safety limits.