Guest guest Posted April 14, 2005 Report Share Posted April 14, 2005 More than 50 dangerous pesticides found in British food " Zeus " <info More than 50 dangerous pesticides found in British food Thu, 14 Apr 2005 10:47:26 +0100 More than 50 dangerous pesticides found in British food Fears over Sudan 1 have been put in the shade by the discovery of even more damaging residues in our diet By Geoffrey Lean, Environment Editor 27 February 2005 http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/story.jsp?story=615219 More than 50 dangerous pesticides contaminate Britain's food, official tests reveal. All have been found to be poisonous or are suspected of causing cancer or having " gender bender " effects by international regulatory bodies. The revelation - in a survey of official testing results - will heighten concern about food contamination, after the withdrawal of more than 400 products contaminated with the prohibited dye Sudan 1 from shops and supermarkets. Concern over the dye, normally used to colour petrol, oils, waxes and polishes, centres on its suspected role in causing cancer. But some of the pesticides found in British fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy products are internationally classified as even more likely to cause the disease. The survey - carried out by the UK branch of Pesticide Action Network last December - examined the traces of pesticides found in food in tests carried out by the official Pesticide Residues Committee. The tests - undertaken in 2002 - found 80 pesticides in food ranging from apples to aubergines, butter to bread, and chocolate to chicken nuggets. The survey concluded that 52 of these " have been designated by international authorities as having harmful effects on health " . These included 33 identified by the World Health Organisation as acutely toxic, and 28 listed by the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer, the European Commission and the US Environmental Protection Agency as suspected carcinogens. Another 12 are suspected by a range of international authorities of disrupting the hormone system, causing " gender bender " effects, cancers and reproductive disorders. Three pesticides - chlorothalonil, lindane and DDT - are identified as more likely to cause cancer than Sudan 1. The Pesticide Residues Committee says that the levels of pesticides found pose " no safety concerns for consumers " because almost all are beneath the maximum residue levels laid down by law. But it admits these levels are not set to protect health, but to check that farmers are using the pesticides properly. Many experts believe that there is no safe level for a cancer-causing chemical, and research shows that babies and young children are particularly at risk from low doses of common pesticides. Meanwhile, Britain has been reprimanded by the European Commission and EU countries for failing to give adequate warnings about the Sudan 1 crisis. They complain that the Food Standards Agency - which has come under attack at home for its slow response to the crisis - flouted an obligation to give full details of the products affected under the EU's rapid alert system for contamination, and merely posted them on its website. A spokesman for Marcos Kyprianou, the Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, said the countries were concerned that they " were not given sufficient information to allow them to act most effectively " in tracking down contaminated products imported from Britain. Plus 10 alarming additives in everyday meals Our diets are crammed with chemical colourings, flavourings and sweeteners, says food writer Joanna Blythman. Although these additives are perfectly legal, their effects can be hair-raising. Here she lists 10 of the worst offenders - along with the foods that contain them Monosodium glutamate E621 What is it for? Adds flavour to over-processed food and allows producers to skimp on natural ingredients. What is it in? Chinese food, potato snacks, cup noodles, tinned meat pie, tinned soup, lunchbox treats. What's the problem? Some people's reactions include nausea, headache, tiredness, respiratory problems and burning sensations. Chemical colours including E102,Tartrazine, E104, Quinoline yellow, E107, Yellow 2G. What is it for? Bright colour. What is it in? Glac & eacute; cherries, fizzy drinks, sweets, jellies, tinned fruit, farmed salmon, trout, sausages, red cheese, cooked meat, alco-pops. What's the problem? Some provoke extreme reactions in children. Physical symptoms include nausea, eczema and anaphylactic shock. Calcium propionate E282 What is it for? Prolongs shelf-life of wheat products by inhibiting the natural growth of mould. What is it in? Bread, rolls, croissants, cakes. What's the problem? Some children start climbing the walls as soon as they encounter it. Linked with aggressive behaviour, hyperactivity and sore stomachs. Propyl gallate and gallates E 310-312 What is it for? Stops fats going rancid as quickly as normal and so extends the shelf-life of foods. What is it in? Salami, long-life meat products, frankfurters, tinned soup, chewing gum. What's the problem? Some authoritative studies on laboratory rats and mice suggest that there may be a causal link with cancer. Artificial and natural flavouring What is it for? Fake flavour. What is it in? Sweets, crisps, sweet drinks, herbal teas, cakes, ready-basted meat, sausage, margarine, flavoured waters. What's the problem? Some components in flavourings have been shown to cause depression of the central nervous system, bronchial, eye or skin irritations. Some are carcinogenic in animals. Butylated hydroxyanisole E320 and Butylated hydroxytoluene E321 What is it for? Stops fats turning rancid. What is it in? Breakfast cereal, chewing gum, crisps and potato snacks, biscuits, oils and fats. What's the problem? Most studies indicate it is safe but some show that it causes cancer in rats. Sulphur dioxide and other sulphites E220-28 What is it for? Stops the natural discolouration of foods and bacterial growth. What is it in? Dried fruits (vine fruits, stone fruits), soft drinks and wine. What's the problem? It destroys vitamin B1 in food and can cause extreme reactions, from sneezing and runny eyes to wheezing, asthma and even death. Caffeine What is it for? Mildly addictive so helps get buyers hooked on a product. What is it in? Natural in coffee and tea but is added to colas and chewing gum. What's the problem? Too much caffeine means your body metabolises calcium less well so increases risk of osteoporosis. Increases risk of miscarriages and slows down foetal growth. Hydrolysed vegetable protein (HVP) What is it for? Gives savoury taste to over-processed food. What is it in? Gravy, stock and sauce mixes, ready meals, tinned soup and stew, vegetarian meat substitutes. What's the problem? Components include MSG and amino acids from soy or corn. Studies on baby animals link imbalance of these with brain damage. Sweeteners (includingE953 Isomalt, E965 Maltitol) What is it for? Low-calorie sweetness. What is it in? Low-calorie food, drinks and desserts. What's the problem? Linked with cancer in lab rats. " Shopped: The Shocking Power of British Supermarkets " by Joanna Blythman is published this month by Harper Perennial forwarded by Zeus Information Service Alternative Views on Health www.zeusinfoservice.com All information, data and material contained, presented or provided herein is for general information purposes only and is not to be construed as reflecting the knowledge or opinion of Zeus Information Service. Subscribe Free/Un: info Feel free to forward far and wide.... _____ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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