Residues in 40% Pesticide residues have been found in 40% of 41,000 fruit and vegetables sampled in a European Union survey. Excessive and therefore possibly unsafe levels were however found in a much lower proportion of the samples ­ 3%. About 13 % of the samples contained residues of more than one pesticide. In a parallel co-ordinated EU programme five fruit and vegetables were checked for seven commonly used pesticides and two groups of pesticides. Here lettuce was the product with the highest number of residues found, followed by grapes, strawberries, apples and tomatoes. "We will follow the development of pesticide residues very closely in the future. A recent Eurobarometer survey revealed that 'no pesticides' is the main criterion for European consumers to regard a product as safe ", said Emma Bonino, European Commissioner for Consumer Policy. "Therefore Member States must make sure that maximum residue levels are respected." MRLs are fixed for each pesticide and for each crop and must be toxicologically acceptable. "As far as imported non-veterinary products namely fruit and vegetables are concerned, it would be appropriate from an health point of view to introduce systematic health checks at the frontier to the EU, following the example of the veterinary sector ", Bonino said. Member state governments were blamed by Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler for lax administration of the rules on pesticide residues. "Member state authorities have a responsibility, indeed an obligation under EU law to check for pesticide residues in such a way as to give the maximum guarantees to consumers regarding the safety of food products. " Ends {{FRESH PRODUCE }}

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