Healthy plants equal healthy food

Consumers may wonder, when they bite into a piece of fresh fruit or eat vegetables, what additional "ingredients" they might be about to swallow. The latest European Commission report on pesticides and foodstuffs should allay any concerns in the minds of those who value fresh, healthy quality products. Meanwhile, European Union policymakers are currently reviewing already stringent rules on the use of pesticides in food production to ensure they are strictly enforced.

Consumers do not need to be afraid of using pesticides on the food they eat. According to a report on monitoring programs implemented by European Union countries in 2001, most of the products we eat (fruits, vegetables, grains, and foods of animal and vegetable origin) that have been treated with pesticides do not carry residues at harmful levels. In fact, 96% of the samples tested by the national authorities and the European Union's Food and Veterinary Medical Office either contain no detectable residue at all, or contain quantities that are too minute to pose any risk.

European Union legislation on pesticides, or "plant protection products", strictly regulates which pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, etc. may be used and how. In 1991, the European Union decided that it would verify all products used in the member states and either authorize them for use throughout the European Union, or request that they be removed from the market, depending on the outcome of each evaluation.

There are also EU laws that limit the amount of plant protection products that may remain in fruits, vegetables, grains, and foods of animal and plant origin. These laws define so-called "maximum residue limits" which are established by assessing data on critical agricultural good practices (actual or proposed permitted uses) and data from specific residue experiments. It's actually much stricter than the toxic limits that scientists have set. To ensure that safe legal levels are respected, however, the European Union implements regular monitoring and reporting programs, such as those mentioned in the first paragraph.

Now, the European Commission is proposing to update some legislation related to the use of plant protection products in the European Union. Since 1991, it has become clear that the 2003 deadline for evaluating all substances used in plant protection products cannot be met. Therefore, the committee proposes to extend the deadline to 2008 and introduce "fast track" procedures for materials where the authorization or withdrawal decision is clear. With the European Union's new and independent European Food Safety Agency now operational, the European Food Safety Authority will be involved in reviewing assessments and recommending action. The committee is also evaluating "new" substances that have been on the market since the adoption of the 1991 rules.

So far, national authorities can set a residual limit for products marketed in their countries, if there is no limit to the European Union. However, national differences have caused minor trade disputes in the past because products manufactured in one European Union country cannot be sold in other countries with more stringent restrictions. This is contrary to the idea of ​​a single European market, in which goods and services move freely from one country to another.

Therefore, the European Commission suggested that product residues not inspected at the EU level should not exceed 0.01 milligrams per kilogram of food. With the completion of scientific assessments of the products, the European Union will place all legal limits in a single legislative text.

Therefore, as long as products that protect plants from disease and hungry bugs are used carefully and in compliance with the law, consumers can continue to enjoy an ample supply of nutritious foods without unwanted levels of chemicals.