Skip to main content
Home

Main navigation

  • Top stories
  • Health
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Weird
  • 1-1-2
Image
1024px-Fruit_&_vegs_assortment
Fruits and vegetables (Picture: Wikimedia Commons/Olearys) - Credit: Fruits and vegetables (Picture: Wikimedia Commons/Olearys)
Health
NVWA
pesticide
Nutrition Center
agriculture
fruits and vegetables
Saturday, 29 January 2022 - 13:20
Share this:
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • reddit

Harmful pesticides found in fruits and vegetables on Dutch supermarket shelves

Increasingly more fruits and vegetables on Dutch grocery store shelves have been sprayed with hazardous pesticides, a report by the Food and Good Safety Authority (NVWA) showed.

The NVWA investigated 55 pesticides that have been known to be harmful to people's health since a 2009 study. Scientists have linked the pesticides to Parkinson's, autism, fertility problems, and thyroid abnormalities. Notably, on pears, apples, strawberries and leek, the NVWA found in 2020 at least one of the 55 dangerous pesticides. Pesticide Action Network Netherlands (PAN NL) is particularly concerned about the effects of combining different pesticides on one product. "No one knows what the health effects are and what the substances exactly do in our body," Hans Muilerman from PAN NL told the AD.

"Things are going in the wrong direction," Muilerman said. The pesticide, Difenoconoazol, was found five times more often in 2020 compared to 2006. Muilerman noted that the agricultural sector has to transition to organic production to avoid pesticide residue continuing to be found on food products.

The nutrition centrum declared fruits and vegetables in the Netherlands safe for consumption. The Ministry of Health said that available research on the combination of pesticides does not raise safety concerns.

"The fact that you find a substance on a product does not say much about its risk," food safety expert Wieke van der Vossen told the AD. "That still means we should always be looking critically at the substances."

The Dutch government wants no more pesticide residue on fruits and vegetables by 2030.

Follow us:

Latest stories

  • Suspects in hate speech laser projections face community service for Breda attack
  • Romania detains 3 Dutch people for phishing scams; Fourth held in Enschede
  • Artificial den built for badgers where burrowing threatened railroad structure
  • IPCC: global warming "likely" to pass 1.5 degree mark, but there are bright spots
  • Netherlands announces first offshore green hydrogen factory
  • President Barack Obama coming to the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam in May

Top stories

  • IPCC: global warming "likely" to pass 1.5 degree mark, but there are bright spots
  • Russia’s Medvedev suggests possible rocket attack on ICC in The Hague
  • The Netherlands remains in 5th on World Happiness Report
  • Share of social housing rentals keeps falling despite gov't plans
  • BBB up to 17 seats in Senate, Coalition down to 22
  • Sint Maarten MP Brison suspected of corruption was released, remains suspect

© 2012-2023, NL Times, All rights reserved.

Footer menu

  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Partner content