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The NGO Future Generations, which regularly scrutinizes the presence of pesticides in fruits and vegetables intended for consumption, deplores the existence of residues in nearly two thirds of non-organic fruits, vegetables and cereals, a presence hitherto underestimated. according to her.
The NGO, which bases its report on data provided by the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF), praised the effort made by the institution to “move forward with transparency“, by providing for the year 2020 results on samples now clearly distinguished between organic plants and those “from agriculture using synthetic chemistry”.
The DGCCRF also publishes results not only on residues above the “quantization limit“, that is to say whose laboratories can give the concentration, but also those superior to the “limit of detection, but not quantified“.
“This now makes it possible to see more completely the presence of pesticide residues in foods of plant origin, which was previously underestimated”, says Future Generations.
Thus, according to the NGO’s analysis, which is based on DGCCRF data, 45.9% of all samples, organic and non-organic, reveal pesticide residues above the quantification limit. It is “on this single figure that the State usually communicated previously“, emphasizes Future Generations.
The spokesperson for the François Veillerette association was surprised during a press briefing that for two years “there is no government communication on these figures from the DGCCRF“.
The percentage rises to 54.5% when considering only non-organic products where residues above the quantification limit are detected, and to 63.1% for residues in non-organic products above the detection limit. The DGCCRF’s new working method does not currently allow these figures to be compared over time.
“The report is not about risk assessment“, also specified Mr. Veillerette, a complex process which would require knowing the exposure of the consumers. But “people want to eat foods that do not contain dangerous chemicals“, he adds.
Consequence of this investigation: Future Generations demands a “emergency plan to reduce the use of pesticides” and “increased support for organic farming“.
The NGO deplores in passing the postponement by the European Commission of the publication of the new regulation “on the sustainable use of pesticides”, under the “pressure”, according to it, of agricultural unions such as the FNSEA and the position of States like France”.