More than 50 dangerous pesticides found in British food

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More than 50 dangerous pesticides found in British food

Thu, 14 Apr 2005 10:47:26 +0100

 

 

 

More than 50 dangerous pesticides found in British food

Fears over Sudan 1 have been put in the shade by the discovery of even

more damaging residues in our diet

 

By Geoffrey Lean, Environment Editor

 

27 February 2005

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/story.jsp?story=615219

 

 

More than 50 dangerous pesticides contaminate Britain's food, official

tests reveal. All have been found to be poisonous or are suspected of

causing cancer or having " gender bender " effects by international

regulatory bodies.

 

The revelation - in a survey of official testing results - will heighten

concern about food contamination, after the withdrawal of more than 400

products contaminated with the prohibited dye Sudan 1 from shops and

supermarkets.

 

Concern over the dye, normally used to colour petrol, oils, waxes and

polishes, centres on its suspected role in causing cancer. But some of

the pesticides found in British fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy

products are internationally classified as even more likely to cause the

disease.

 

The survey - carried out by the UK branch of Pesticide Action Network

last December - examined the traces of pesticides found in food in tests

carried out by the official Pesticide Residues Committee.

 

The tests - undertaken in 2002 - found 80 pesticides in food ranging

from apples to aubergines, butter to bread, and chocolate to chicken

nuggets. The survey concluded that 52 of these " have been designated by

international authorities as having harmful effects on health " . These

included 33 identified by the World Health Organisation as acutely

toxic, and 28 listed by the WHO's International Agency for Research on

Cancer, the European Commission and the US Environmental Protection

Agency as suspected carcinogens.

 

Another 12 are suspected by a range of international authorities of

disrupting the hormone system, causing " gender bender " effects, cancers

and reproductive disorders. Three pesticides - chlorothalonil, lindane

and DDT - are identified as more likely to cause cancer than Sudan 1.

 

The Pesticide Residues Committee says that the levels of pesticides

found pose " no safety concerns for consumers " because almost all are

beneath the maximum residue levels laid down by law. But it admits these

levels are not set to protect health, but to check that farmers are

using the pesticides properly.

 

Many experts believe that there is no safe level for a cancer-causing

chemical, and research shows that babies and young children are

particularly at risk from low doses of common pesticides.

 

Meanwhile, Britain has been reprimanded by the European Commission and

EU countries for failing to give adequate warnings about the Sudan 1

crisis. They complain that the Food Standards Agency - which has come

under attack at home for its slow response to the crisis - flouted an

obligation to give full details of the products affected under the EU's

rapid alert system for contamination, and merely posted them on its

website.

 

A spokesman for Marcos Kyprianou, the Commissioner for Health and

Consumer Protection, said the countries were concerned that they " were

not given sufficient information to allow them to act most effectively "

in tracking down contaminated products imported from Britain.

 

Plus 10 alarming additives in everyday meals

 

Our diets are crammed with chemical colourings, flavourings and

sweeteners, says food writer Joanna Blythman. Although these additives

are perfectly legal, their effects can be hair-raising. Here she lists

10 of the worst offenders - along with the foods that contain them

 

Monosodium glutamate E621

 

What is it for? Adds flavour to over-processed food and allows producers

to skimp on natural ingredients.

 

What is it in? Chinese food, potato snacks, cup noodles, tinned meat

pie, tinned soup, lunchbox treats.

 

What's the problem? Some people's reactions include nausea, headache,

tiredness, respiratory problems and burning sensations.

 

Chemical colours including E102,Tartrazine, E104, Quinoline yellow,

E107, Yellow 2G.

 

What is it for? Bright colour.

 

What is it in? Glac & eacute; cherries, fizzy drinks, sweets, jellies,

tinned

fruit, farmed salmon, trout, sausages, red cheese, cooked meat, alco-pops.

 

What's the problem? Some provoke extreme reactions in children. Physical

symptoms include nausea, eczema and anaphylactic shock.

 

Calcium propionate E282

 

What is it for? Prolongs shelf-life of wheat products by inhibiting the

natural growth of mould.

 

What is it in? Bread, rolls, croissants, cakes.

 

What's the problem? Some children start climbing the walls as soon as

they encounter it. Linked with aggressive behaviour, hyperactivity and

sore stomachs.

 

Propyl gallate and gallates E 310-312

 

What is it for? Stops fats going rancid as quickly as normal and so

extends the shelf-life of foods.

 

What is it in? Salami, long-life meat products, frankfurters, tinned

soup, chewing gum.

 

What's the problem? Some authoritative studies on laboratory rats and

mice suggest that there may be a causal link with cancer.

 

Artificial and natural flavouring

 

What is it for? Fake flavour.

 

What is it in? Sweets, crisps, sweet drinks, herbal teas, cakes,

ready-basted meat, sausage, margarine, flavoured waters.

 

What's the problem? Some components in flavourings have been shown to

cause depression of the central nervous system, bronchial, eye or skin

irritations. Some are carcinogenic in animals.

 

Butylated hydroxyanisole E320 and Butylated hydroxytoluene E321

 

What is it for? Stops fats turning rancid.

 

What is it in? Breakfast cereal, chewing gum, crisps and potato snacks,

biscuits, oils and fats.

 

What's the problem? Most studies indicate it is safe but some show that

it causes cancer in rats.

 

Sulphur dioxide and other sulphites E220-28

 

What is it for? Stops the natural discolouration of foods and bacterial

growth.

 

What is it in? Dried fruits (vine fruits, stone fruits), soft drinks and

wine.

 

What's the problem? It destroys vitamin B1 in food and can cause extreme

reactions, from sneezing and runny eyes to wheezing, asthma and even

death.

 

Caffeine

 

What is it for? Mildly addictive so helps get buyers hooked on a product.

 

What is it in? Natural in coffee and tea but is added to colas and

chewing gum.

 

What's the problem? Too much caffeine means your body metabolises

calcium less well so increases risk of osteoporosis. Increases risk of

miscarriages and slows down foetal growth.

 

Hydrolysed vegetable protein (HVP)

 

What is it for? Gives savoury taste to over-processed food.

 

What is it in? Gravy, stock and sauce mixes, ready meals, tinned soup

and stew, vegetarian meat substitutes.

 

What's the problem? Components include MSG and amino acids from soy or

corn. Studies on baby animals link imbalance of these with brain damage.

 

Sweeteners (includingE953 Isomalt, E965 Maltitol)

 

What is it for? Low-calorie sweetness.

 

What is it in? Low-calorie food, drinks and desserts.

 

What's the problem? Linked with cancer in lab rats.

 

" Shopped: The Shocking Power of British Supermarkets " by Joanna

Blythman is published this month by Harper Perennial

 

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