A recent story aired by "Today Tonight" revealed we might be getting more than we bargained for when it comes to our favourite brand of frozen mixed berries.
Brands under the microscope: “Creative Gourmet”, “Woolworths Select”, "Nanna's" and "Coles Fresh Frozen" products.
The findings? The following brands were found to contain traces of a number of fungicides and pesticides, some of which are banned here in Australia for agricultural use due to their carcinogenic (cancer causing) effects on the human body.
* Creative Gourmet berries were found to contain Carbaryl - "Carbaryl is a cholinesterase inhibitor and is toxic to humans". It is classified as a likely human carcinogen by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA.)
* Select Mixed berries were found to contain the chemical Pyraclostrobin- a suspected carcinogen. Select Raspberries were found to contain Iprodione which is considered a "likely" human carcinogen based on evidence of tumors in both sexes of mouse (liver) and in the male rat.
* Coles Raspberries were found to have traces of Difenoconazole - a suspected carcinogen and endocrine disruptor.
These fungicides are considered toxic to humans.
So how did these chemicals make their way into our food chain? Most of these berries are imported. As an example, Creative Gourmet import their berries from a variety of countries including Chile, Serbia, China and Poland. Why? The report interviewed an Australian farmer who said they just can't compete with the low costs from overseas.
In a separate report, a selection of peaches and berries that were imported from Chile were found to contain traces of DDT. DDT is one of the most dangerous pesticides that has ever been used on our food supply and as a result, has been banned in Australia for many years. DDT has been linked to the following:
- This chemical is likely to cause cancer.
- Reproductive effects have been observed in animals, including early onset of puberty in females, infertility, and sex reversal (fish). High DDE levels in mothers’ blood may also increase the likelihood of preterm birth and low birth weight.
- Changes in the normal levels of thyroid hormone.
- Chronic effects on liver, kidney, and nervous system (in laboratory animals).
- Laboratory tests of animals have shown evidence of birth defects (abnormal tail development) and other developmental effects (impaired learning in maze tests)
If you can find the spare coins, berries should always be organic varieties or pesticide free. Their soft permeable surface enables them to absorb high quantities of pesticides. If you can't afford organic, choose Australian producers in order to ensure you aren't ingesting any chemicals that are not permitted for use here in Australia.
info: http://www.anappleaday.net.au/
No comments:
Post a Comment