An inspection team from the Danish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food found that approximately every fifth piece of imported fruit or vegetables from countries outside the European Union exceeded the limit of how much pesticide it can contain.
After a spot checking in Copenhagen’s International Airport of the imported fruit and vegetables the inspection team found illegal remnants of insect and fungus spray in 29 out of 128 tested pieces, Nordjyske newspaper reported.
It is especially products from Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam that showed too high levels of the illegal chemicals.
From the airport the fruit and vegetables are carried directly to the supermarkets’ shelves without being further controlled, and that is “completely unacceptable” if you ask Katrine Christensen Dumas from the Food Inspection team.
“From now on it will be a permanent part of the control to check all the goods in the airport,” Katrina Christensen Dumas said to ing.dk.
Usually a comprehensive control of fruit and vegetables has only been made, when the good were imported to wholesale stocks.
The vegetables with the over limit amount of pesticide are:
- Chinese spinach
- Scallion
- Water Mimosa
- Kayang leaves
- Rambutan
- Rose apples
- Coriander
- Red chilli
- Phak Phaeo
- Cabbage
- Aubergines
- Dill
- Garlic Leaves
- Mango
- Pennyworth leaves
- Wing beans
- Okra
- Papaya fruit
- La Tia Two
Some inspection body should be there to inspect the quality of imported products so health of people are not affected.