Methodology

How PAN Europe tracked down EDCs in European food...

Identifying pesticides with endocrine disrupting properties

Given the fact that the EU does not currently have a list of specific criteria to define endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) for now, we had to set up our own list of endocrine disrupting pesticides. To do so, we combined all available sources, open literature -studies publishedby academia -and 'grey' literature – studies done in the process of pesticide evaluation.

For both sources, reviews are available and we chose to combine the following ones:

  • The KEMI List (2008): the Swedish Chemicals Agency has collected all cases on endocrine disrupting pesticides from the evaluation dossiers for pesticides. These dossiers are mainly based on mandatory safety testing of pesticides done by the industry themselves.
  • Mc Kinlay’s review of the scientific research on EDCs from open literature : 2008 : McKinlay, R., Plant, J.A., Bell, J.N.B., Voulvoulis, N. Endocrine disrupting pesticides: implications for risk assessment. Environment international 2008; 34(2):168-83.

Based on these sources, PAN identified as many as 43 different potential ED pesticides.

Collecting residues in European food items

With our new list of ED pesticides, we started looking for residues from these 43 pesticides in food items in the European Union. We based our research on the annual report from the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) [1] analysing food samples in the EU (including fruits, vegetables, cereals, milk and eggs). In total, 27 food items were assessed and the data could be used for our ranking of endocrine contaminated food. Out of the 43 endocrine disrupting pesticides, 30 were identified in European food.

Note : because the data did not seem plausible in the official online version, we sent a request to the EFSA for a complete review. It turned out that there were printing erros in the data and a new revised version was sent to us. We are happy to send a copy to interested readers.


[1] Report available online : European Food Safety Authority; 2009 EU Report on Pesticide Residues. EFSA Journal 2011; 9(11):2430. [226 pp.] doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2011.2430 . Available online: www.efsa.europa.eu/efsajournal

Presenting the results of long-term exposure to the consumers

Around half of our food is contaminated with pesticide residues, and 25 % of our food has even multiple pesticide residues, sometimes containing even more than 10 pesticides in one food sample. That is for one single portion. But what about the amount of pesticides residues ingested in the long run ?

The data shows that the consumption of some food items, like peppers, could lead to exposure in the long term to more than 20 different pesticides. Lettuce happens to be exposed to the highest level of endocrine disruptors. Given the exposure through many food items at the same time, exposure to mixtures is also very likely.

In order to inform consumers and give them a choice, we decided to set up a « ranking » of the 10 most « disrupting » food items; that is the 10 food items with the highest level of ED pesticides based on the “long-term” data of EFSA.

The complete explanation of our method is explained thoroughly in our consumer guide.

Our complete data with the list of all food commodities and their level of ED pesticides in details is accessible for the public here.

We hope that this will be a first step towards a new era of European agriculture, totally free of harmful pesticides.

Who are we ?

Pesticide Action Network (PAN) was founded in 1982 and is a network of over 600 non-governmental organisations, institutions and individuals in over 60 countries worldwide working to minimise the negative effects and replace the use of harmful pesticides with ecologically sound alternatives. Its projects and campaigns are coordinated by five autonomous Regional Centres.

PAN Europe is the regional centre in Europe. It was founded in 1987 and brings together consumer, public health, and environmental organisations, trades unions, women's groups and farmer associations from across 19 European countries.

We work to eliminate dependency on chemical pesticides and to support safe sustainable pest control methods. PAN Europe is committed to bringing about a substantial reduction in pesticide use throughout Europe. Pesticide (including biocides) reduction is a prerequisite for improvements of public and workers health, protection of the environment, and its strict implementation is in line with the precautionary principle.

PAN Europe's vision is of a world in which high agricultural productivity is achieved by truly sustainable agricultural production systems in which agrochemical inputs and environmental damage are minimised, and where local people control local production using local varieties.

For more info, visit our website: www.pan-europe.info

 

Pears

Number 8 : Pears

Number of potential different ED pesticides : 20

 

Pear  presents an average amount of pesticides EDCs found of  600 microgrammes per kilogramm which represents 20 times more than the  amount in one contraceptive pill.

 

To download the complete data for pears, click here.

ED pesticides residues identified by PAN Europe :

  1. Bifenthrin
  2. Captan
  3. Carbendazim and benomyl
  4. Chlorothalonil
  5. Chlorpyrifos-methyl
  6. Cypermethrin (sum)*
  7. Deltamethrin
  8. Dimethoate (sum)*
  9. Dithiocarbamates (mancozeb)**
  10. Fenbuconazole
  11. Fenoxycarb
  12. Flusilazole
  13. Iprodione
  14. Malathion (sum)*
  15. Methomyl and Thiodicarb
  16. Myclobutanil
  17. Pirimicarb (sum)*
  18. Pyrimethanil
  19. Tebuconazole
  20. Toclofos-methyl

* "Sum" means that EFSA calculated the sum of similarly acting chemicals.

** Here, the "sum" is the sum of the individual amounts of dithiocarbamate chemicals, including mancozeb.

To download the complete data for pears, click here.

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News


 

What’s in European fruits and vegetables? What do European consumers ingest everyday? What’s in our lettuce, tomatoes, table grappes?... To start with : there are about 30 endocrine disrupting pesticides. To find out more, read PAN Europe's new consumer guide:

View Consumer Guide

Or view the guide in English -UPDATED VERSION-,

Updated French, Spanish, German, PolishUpdated Dutch

and ITALIAN 

 

 Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) are on the loose today. They are used for the composition of most common products including pesticides that can be found in our food.

Despite alarming scientific evidence linking EDCs to severe chronic diseases, exposure to pesticides with endocrine disrupting properties remains disregarded by current regulations.  PAN Europe has decided to repair this by publishing this consumer guide with a special ranking of the 10 most "disrupting" food items in the European Union.

For instance Lettuce presents an average amount of pesticides EDCs found of 1300 microgrammes per kilogramm which represents 40 times more than the  amount in one contraceptive pill. In fact the total amount in a contraceptive pill is below 200 microgrammes. Therefore the average EDCamount in fruits and vegetables is everything but negligeable.

PAN Europe and its partners want to underline that the fruits and vegetables consumption is absolutely crucial for your health. But some are healthier than others.

For more information, download our consumer guide, access to our data and spread the word for a real policy change now!

Home - 150107


EDC Free – Stop hormone disrupting chemicals

Download EDCs Call for Action


News

PostCard FRONT II

 

What’s in European fruits and vegetables? What do European consumers ingest everyday? What’s in our lettuce, tomatoes, table grappes?... To start with : there are about 30 endocrine disrupting pesticides. To find out more, read PAN Europe's new consumer guide:

View Consumer Guide

Or view the guide in English -UPDATED VERSION-,

Updated French, Spanish, German, PolishUpdated Dutch

and ITALIAN 

 

 Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) are on the loose today. They are used for the composition of most common products including pesticides that can be found in our food.

Despite alarming scientific evidence linking EDCs to severe chronic diseases, exposure to pesticides with endocrine disrupting properties remains disregarded by current regulations.  PAN Europe has decided to repair this by publishing this consumer guide with a special ranking of the 10 most "disrupting" food items in the European Union.

For instance Lettuce presents an average amount of pesticides EDCs found of 1300 microgrammes per kilogramm which represents 40 times more than the  amount in one contraceptive pill. In fact the total amount in a contraceptive pill is below 200 microgrammes. Therefore the average EDCamount in fruits and vegetables is everything but negligeable.

PAN Europe and its partners want to underline that the fruits and vegetables consumption is absolutely crucial for your health. But some are healthier than others.

For more information, download our consumer guide, access to our data and spread the word for a real policy change now!