Pesticide levels in S'market produce

[Hyacinth]

an extract from my local Freecycle 'Cafe' forum:-

Hi
I'm not sure who to talk to about this and wondered if anyone can point
me to a site or body.
I have been trying to find out about pesticides etc in lettuce after we
consumed a lettuce yesterday and 3 of the family have been quite ill
afterwards. The lettuce is the common denominator. We had headaches,
nausea actual vomiting and stomach pains - also lots of burping!

I felt immedietly it was the lettuce as it started after I ate it, I
started burping lettuce! bizarre, and got worse everytime. I have felt
ill since yesterday and so have three of my children - one only had a
bad headache.
Is there any information about this? and is there anything we can do?

After talking to my sister she also had the same experience last week
and thought there were chemicals on it, she lives over 50 miles away but
bought hers from the same chain.

[Hyacinth]

[Hyacinth]

...and a reply..


There is a fair amount of information available on the Net.

http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/pesticides_still_in_appl
es.html

http://www.pan-uk.org/pestnews/pn53/pn53p21.htm

A quote from one source:

One lettuce sample contained inorganic bromide at levels 22 times
the safety level [2] for young children. The Pesticides Safety
Directorate stated that "It is unlikely that one occasional high
intake would produce any significant effect" but reported
that "initial signs/symptoms of high dose bromide consumption would
probably be headache, nausea and gastrointestinal disturbances".

[katynewbie]

 ???

Bromide? Is this a conspiracy to stop the country reproducing to reduce the prison/benefits population?

8)

[Curryandchips]

This is rapidly putting me off eating anything from a supermarket (note I didn't include drinking ... )

[Mrs Ava]

I guess if you have to buy veggies from a supermarket chain then you need to wash them very very well.  Of course, this doesn't help what has been absorbed into the plant.  Whilst you are worrying about your veggies, just think of all the hormones and antibiotics that are pumped into the meat we eat.  There is a lot to be said for growing your own....just wish I had the room for a couple of cows and a dozen sheep!

[robkb]

I guess if you have to buy veggies from a supermarket chain then you need to wash them very very well.  Of course, this doesn't help what has been absorbed into the plant.  Whilst you are worrying about your veggies, just think of all the hormones and antibiotics that are pumped into the meat we eat.  There is a lot to be said for growing your own....just wish I had the room for a couple of cows and a dozen sheep!

Very true, but these meaty nasties can be avoided by buying organic (if you can afford it...).

Cheers,
Rob ;)

[redimp]

or going veggie :)

[LILACSPLASH]

I HAD THE SAME WITH A PACK OF LITTLE JEMS. IF IT'S THE COOP THEY HAVE AN EXTREAMLY HELPFULL HELPLINE. HAVE A LOOK FOR A NUMBER. :-X

[Yellow Petals]

is a lot to be said for growing your own....just wish I had the room for a couple of cows and a dozen sheep!

Ah, but when push came to shove could you part with the little darlings a la Gordon Ramsey and his trip to the abattoir with 'Trinny & Susannah'?

[Mrs Ava]

Ah, YP, that I could.  We clean and eat enough game to be used to that.  Tis food, not pets.

[telboy]

I can't offer a website/body to read about pesticide/herbicide contamination of s/market produce but I know it is frightening. I understand the average lettuce is treated 8 times during the growth period.
30% of the treatment used on bananas penetrates into the fruit & it's getting worse as the worldwide banana Black Sigatoka desease becomes more difficult to treat. As there's only one commercial (Cavendish) variety of banana now, we could be devoid of the fruit or all become sickly from the overuse of the chemicals that try to treat it.

Have a nice day picking your allotment produce & benefit from knowing what/how you grew it.