Deadline for 320 pesticides
The European Commission has ordered the withdrawal of 320 pesticides by July 2003 and another 150 are expected to go on the black list, after tests showed that traces of pesticides above the permitted limit were found in 7 percent of fruit and vegetables in member states, and negligible or permissible amounts in 20 percent. In Greece, the corresponding figures were 6 percent and 30.2 percent. The limits are based on the assumed average daily consumption of fruit and vegetables. However, the average consumption of tomatoes, for example, would be far higher in Greece than in a country like Sweden. The Commission found that farmers did not generally adhere to the instructions for using most pesticides and used them indiscriminately. Although there is not much that can be done to avoid consuming traces of pesticides in food, all fruit and vegetables should be washed thoroughly, preference should be given to products in season and to organically grown food, which is subjected to more rigorous inspection.
