From Today Tonight site
THE HIDDEN CHEMICALS IN FRUIT AND VEGETABLES
Reporter: Helen Wellings
Broadcast Date: February 19, 2007
Fruit and vegetables should be good for us, full of vitamins, minerals and fibre, but a Today Tonight investigation found they often contain a host of other nasty and dangerous additions.
Most vegetables and fruit are given fertilizers and chemical sprays, herbicides, fungicides and pesticides to protect them from pests, fungus and weeds.
And then they are handled, sometimes washed and packed, before we buy them.
Australian regulatory authorities set strict standards for maximum pesticide residue levels and for pathogens, like the potentially fatal E.coli, which comes from human and animal waste.
But a lot of produce from developing countries like China doesn't have any legal restrictions on levels of pesticides and bacteria.
Today Tonight tested a range of popular fruit and vegetables from major supermarkets, Coles and Woolworths/Safeway and suburban greengrocers in Australian cities.
And we found that many of the chemicals, poisons and dangerous bacteria are still present when we eat these foods.
Our tests revealed frighteningly high levels of E.coli in salads.
The acceptable level is zero coliforms per gram, and the maximum level allowed is less than 10, yet one loose self-serve salad from a greengrocer - with no country of origin label - had 190 coliforms per gram.
Another, from the Woolworths/Safeway Gourmet range, had 800 coliforms per gram - that is 80 times more than the legal limit.
The Australian-grown salad was tested well before its use-by date, and was labelled "washed and ready to eat".
"They should be zero tolerance - no E.coli - and yet the tests showed an enormous amount of bacteria, coming from human waste or animal waste or contaminated by workers," explained food scientist Dr Geoff Skurray.
"It just shouldn't be on. It's a real health risk."
Several deaths and thousands of poisonings linked to pre-packed salads and baby spinach have sparked outrage in the United States.
In South Australia there have been 10 cases of severe E.coli believed to have been caused by imported fruit and vegetables.
Dr Skurray, from the University of Western Sydney, said: "Bacteria can easily get into the product because it has been handled by humans, and they may not have washed their hands.
"But it also can come from where they have grown because there could be sewerage or animal and human waste present as well."
Frances Warnock, from Fresh Produce Watch which helps monitor industry practices, said: "People need to be very careful about the way they handle loose leaf lettuce
"It is important they use good hygiene practices - I don't know anybody who washes their hands before buying those leaves, so they should use the tongs and they should keep their hands out of the product."
Woolworths told Today Tonight their food safety systems are rigorous, with limits of less than 10 coliforms per gram, and that packaged produce with levels of 800 coliforms had never been detected by the company or its suppliers.
While Australia has stringent standards when it comes to growing fruit and vegetables, in other countries, the industry is not so closely monitored.
"We've got health inspectors breathing down every shopkeeper's neck and yet we allow all these other contaminated vegetables into Australia,"
said Dr Skurray.
"We're stricter within Australia, but not strict on the imports."
The news on levels of pesticides, fungicides and herbicides was better - all the samples tested were below the legal maximum residue levels.
The tomatoes, baby corn, mushrooms and snow peas were found to contain no chemicals at all.
However, most of the peaches, mangoes, apples, herbs and some of the salads, we did detect small traces of chemical sprays, including organophosphates.
Eighty per cent of the mangoes we checked had between 10 and 50 per cent of the permitted maximum residue levels of pesticides.
All the peaches and apples tested had traces of chemicals - up to 50 per cent of allowable levels.
And Dr Skurray warns that even tiny traces have the potential to be harmful over time.
"It may be small levels of pesticide in the fruit but added up we will eat a whole lot day after day and accumulated, it could be a real health
risk.
"When they accumulate they not only can cause cancer but they can also cause reproductive problems and neurological problems."
Frances Warnock advises that to get rid of pesticides, all fruit and vegetables should be washed thoroughly in a colander under running water.
Nicks said:Not fruit but hows this:
Went for a trip to Tassie over Xmas.
Cold place but great scenary, fresh air and good fishing. Went to the local Jetties a few times and caught Squid and fish.
So, it was to my suprise that when I went to the Launcetson Coles to buy some more Squid to have enough to make up a BBQ that the Squid they were selling was imported from China! I was amazed. Here I was in Tassie, with Fishing a big industry and I had to buy squid from China??? Mind you I refused in disgust.
To Tasmania's credit, the shops at least have to specify where the product comes from. The reality is that Coles and Woolies are probably flogging this stuff off to us all over Australia because they can make an extra 1 cent margin or something. Shame on you Coles (and Woolies if you do this also). Selling Squid from China in Coles the Australian supermarket. Lower quality, not to mention probably old (would surely have been 2 months old by the time it reaches the supermarket for sale and full of preservative) and not promoting local produce from local suppliers.
CanOz said:Think about it, consumers demanding lower prices are the reason the Supermarkets stock the stuff.
They are forcing food producers out of business....no not Coles, or Woolies, YOU, and you and you, whoever buys the non local stuff thats who. Coles would not supply it unless thier was demand.
If you want local you pay for it, simple as that. Chinese is cheap as is thier labour.
I think we should have a local grocery store, selling local produce.
Thats certainly what the chinese are doing here. Theres not much imported stuff on the shelves, trust me!
Cheers,
CanOz said:Think about it, consumers demanding lower prices are the reason the Supermarkets stock the stuff.
CanOz said:"They are forcing food producers out of business....no not Coles, or Woolies, YOU, and you and you, whoever buys the non local stuff thats who. Coles would not supply it unless thier was demand."
The origin of food doesn't have to be labelled in the other states? It is here in Tassie and IMO that's a damn good thing to be doing.Nicks said:Not fruit but hows this:
Went for a trip to Tassie over Xmas.
Cold place but great scenary, fresh air and good fishing. Went to the local Jetties a few times and caught Squid and fish.
So, it was to my suprise that when I went to the Launcetson Coles to buy some more Squid to have enough to make up a BBQ that the Squid they were selling was imported from China! I was amazed. Here I was in Tassie, with Fishing a big industry and I had to buy squid from China??? Mind you I refused in disgust.
To Tasmania's credit, the shops at least have to specify where the product comes from. The reality is that Coles and Woolies are probably flogging this stuff off to us all over Australia because they can make an extra 1 cent margin or something.
Not even Aspirin in this greenie... not even alcohol now. Safe eating for those sharks, crocs, lions, scorpions, and worms.Garpal Gumnut said:Has anyone thought about the hidden chemicals in humans. There are antibiotics, blood pressure tablets, anticholesterol tablets, vitamins, stimulants, antidepressants, illicit substances , and numerous other additives, all polluting unsuspecting predators such as sharks, crocs, lions, scorpions, and worms.
This will lead to an inevitable knock on effect where our cabbages and brocolli will become unfit for our childrens' consumption, much to their delight.
Could we have a statement on this from our green members.
Garpal
Garpal Gumnut said:Has anyone thought about the hidden chemicals in humans. There are antibiotics, blood pressure tablets, anticholesterol tablets, vitamins, stimulants, antidepressants, illicit substances , and numerous other additives, all polluting unsuspecting predators such as sharks, crocs, lions, scorpions, and worms.
This will lead to an inevitable knock on effect where our cabbages and brocolli will become unfit for our childrens' consumption, much to their delight.
Could we have a statement on this from our green members.
Garpal
wayneL said:Interesting though. I used to make leather upholstery and we used to get returns where the colour was stripped out of the leather where the owners' hair and hands contacted.
This took some sleuthing but we eventually determined that in every case the owner was on heart pills.
Julia said:Re the original post on this thread, I refuse to be concerned about possibly consuming some micro amount of something nasty.
When I was a child my grandfather was known throughout the district for the wonderful fruit and vegetables he grew. The size, colour and flavour was amazing. That garden consisted of a greater proportion of animal manure than basic dirt.
My parents continued with the same principles but added pesticides as well to control the insects. We all ate richly from the crops.
We have all been healthy and never had any ill effects.
There is, in my view, far too much hysteria about the various possible sources of harm we can come to from whatever source. We have become a risk averse society and want to be kept safe from everything, however, remote the risk might be.
Don't worry so much and just enjoy the wonderful variety of food we have available.
Julia
CanOz said:And who is driving Woolies and Coles towards bigger profits? Who is demanding more revenue and profitable growth?
SHAREHOLDERS.
Julia said:Re the original post on this thread, I refuse to be concerned about possibly consuming some micro amount of something nasty.
When I was a child my grandfather was known throughout the district for the wonderful fruit and vegetables he grew. The size, colour and flavour was amazing. That garden consisted of a greater proportion of animal manure than basic dirt.
My parents continued with the same principles but added pesticides as well to control the insects. We all ate richly from the crops.
We have all been healthy and never had any ill effects.
There is, in my view, far too much hysteria about the various possible sources of harm we can come to from whatever source. We have become a risk averse society and want to be kept safe from everything, however, remote the risk might be.
Don't worry so much and just enjoy the wonderful variety of food we have available.
Julia
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?