Soil Association are carrying out detailed research into pesticides
commonly encountered in non-organic fruit and vegetables. Their findings
will be published in a colour booklet entitled 'What's your poison?' to
be distributed widely.

S.A. quote the example of Aldicarb, a pesticide used on potatoes.
Aldicarb acts as a nerve poison and is classified by the World Health
Organisation as 'extremely hazardous'. A UK Govt. survey in 2003 found
that five percent of potato samples had detectable levels of Aldicarb
residues up to and in one case exceeding legal limits. This suggests
that last year 500,000 may have eaten potatoes containing residues of
Aldicarb that exceeded safety limits.

The UK Government's Food Standards Agency [FSA] are seeking ways to
minimise pesticide residues in food, but Govt. pesticide safety advisors
are playing down the dangers. Soil Association wish to press for more
positive Govt. action by means of their research and publicity.

Soil Association: www.soilassociation.org
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

"Alan Gould" wrote in message
...

Soil Association are carrying out detailed research into pesticides
commonly encountered in non-organic fruit and vegetables.

That's strange. To arrive at a balanced view, they also ought to carry out
detailed research into pesticides encountered in _organic_ fruit &
vegetables, too.

--
Anton

In article , anton
writes
Soil Association are carrying out detailed research into pesticides
commonly encountered in non-organic fruit and vegetables.

That's strange. To arrive at a balanced view, they also ought to carry out
detailed research into pesticides encountered in _organic_ fruit &
vegetables, too.

S.A. are doing that in respect of four pesticides which are allowable
for conversion and/or crisis purposes - what HDRA call 'qualified
approval'. Such produce cannot be sold for public consumption as
organic. The aim is to phase out their use completely and the current
research is designed to speed up that process.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

"Alan Gould" wrote in message
...
In article , anton
writes
Soil Association are carrying out detailed research into
pesticides
commonly encountered in non-organic fruit and vegetables.

That's strange. To arrive at a balanced view, they also ought to
carry out
detailed research into pesticides encountered in _organic_ fruit &
vegetables, too.

S.A. are doing that in respect of four pesticides which are
allowable
for conversion and/or crisis purposes - what HDRA call 'qualified
approval'. Such produce cannot be sold for public consumption as
organic. The aim is to phase out their use completely and the
current
research is designed to speed up that process.

That would go only part of the way towards meeting Anton's worry about
the methodology of the Soil Association's investigation.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

"Alan Gould" wrote in message
...

Soil Association are carrying out detailed research into pesticides
commonly encountered in non-organic fruit and vegetables. Their
findings
will be published in a colour booklet entitled 'What's your poison?'
to
be distributed widely.

S.A. quote the example of Aldicarb, a pesticide used on potatoes.
Aldicarb acts as a nerve poison and is classified by the World
Health
Organisation as 'extremely hazardous'. A UK Govt. survey in 2003
found
that five percent of potato samples had detectable levels of
Aldicarb
residues up to and in one case exceeding legal limits. This suggests
that last year 500,000 may have eaten potatoes containing residues
of
Aldicarb that exceeded safety limits.

The UK Government's Food Standards Agency [FSA] are seeking ways to
minimise pesticide residues in food, but Govt. pesticide safety
advisors
are playing down the dangers. Soil Association wish to press for
more
positive Govt. action by means of their research and publicity.

That is a laudable exercise on the part of the Soil Asssociation.
I support all efforts to make sure that the unwanted contaminants in
foodstuffs are kept within bounds.

Franz

Soil Association: www.soilassociation.org
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

"Alan Gould" wrote

Soil Association are carrying out detailed research into pesticides
commonly encountered in non-organic fruit and vegetables. Their findings
will be published in a colour booklet entitled 'What's your poison?' to
be distributed widely.

S.A. quote the example of Aldicarb, a pesticide used on potatoes.
Aldicarb acts as a nerve poison and is classified by the World Health
Organisation as 'extremely hazardous'. A UK Govt. survey in 2003 found
that five percent of potato samples had detectable levels of Aldicarb
residues up to and in one case exceeding legal limits. This suggests
that last year 500,000 may have eaten potatoes containing residues of
Aldicarb that exceeded safety limits.

The UK Government's Food Standards Agency [FSA] are seeking ways to
minimise pesticide residues in food, but Govt. pesticide safety advisors
are playing down the dangers. Soil Association wish to press for more
positive Govt. action by means of their research and publicity.

Soil Association: www.soilassociation.org
--

All very laudable I'm sure, however I still haven't got over the SA telling
me they considered it OK for organic crops to be grown right next to a busy
motorway/road.
Although I know most pollutants will be washed off in food preparation,
damned if I would want to eat anything grown in such a place let alone
expect it to be called organic. The soil would be full of heavy metals (
yes, even platinum from catalysts), tyre dust, hydrocarbons,
soot/particulates.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London


--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London