Swisscofel: Greenpeace study is pure scaremongering
Last week, Greenpeace made a press release with the title "Pesticide cocktails found in apples". But the residues on the apples that were tested in Switzerland were all under the legal threshold.
According to his message, Swisscofel CEO Marc Wermelinger says that Greenpeace wants to plant fear and uncertainty among the consumers on purpose. He especially criticizes that in addition, they spread doubt regarding the governmental and private checks, as well as the safety of the fruit.
According to information released by Swisscofel, the trade industry in Switzerland alone has conducted over 1,500 laboratory analyses on domestic and imported fruit in the past 12 months. With the 120,000 tons of table apples that are consumed on a yearly basis, the legal threshold has been crossed only rarely, and in only 3 cases have more than 4 active substances been found. CEO Wermelinger is therefore convinced that table apples are very safe and healthy.
Swisscofel furthermore emphasizes that the smallest traces of residues can nowadays be found with modern analytical procedures. The legal maximum quantities have a safety factor of a hundred to a thousand, however.
Excessive residues are however never acceptable, says Swisscofel. To prevent this, they work closely together with the fruit producers and all partners of the grocery chain. Should it come to transgressions, measures will be taken and sanctions will be levied if need be.
Source: www.bauernzeitung.ch