Greenpeace Discovers Illegal Pesticide In German Produce

Berlin, Germany (AHN) - The international environment group Greenpeace International has found traces of 59 substances in fruits and vegetables harvested in Germany.

Use of these substances is illegal in Germany and the European Union. Three-quarters of the substances are harmful to humans and the environment based on data provided in 2006 by the German Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Food Safety.

Greenpeace chemical expert Manfred Krautter said, quoted by Spiegel, "In Germany farmers are spraying illegal and highly dangerous pesticides in unbelievable quantities... because they want to save money with the illegal agricultural poison."

As early as 2006 Greenpeace had already tagged Raiffeisen, Germany's largest agricultural trader, of selling toxic and banned pesticides. According to the "National Report on Food Monitoring" published by Germany in February 2008, in 6,750 cases the samples yielded amounts of specific pesticides over the legal standard. The infected produce from Germany includes fresh herbs, potatoes and raspberries.

The federal Ministry of Agriculture said it was aware of the use of illegal pesticides and is actively dealing with the problem.