Most of vegetables and fruits on sale in fresh and modern trade markets are laced with pesticide residues

[webfact]

Most of vegetables and fruits on sale in fresh and modern trade markets are laced with pesticide residues

 

 

BANGKOK: -- About 56 percent of fresh vegetables and fruits on sale in fresh markets, super markets and modern trade stores, including the so-called high-end gourmet markets are laced with chemical residues beyond acceptable standards, according to survey conducted by Thai-PAN, a pesticide alert network.

 

Thai-PAN coordinator Ms Prokchon Usap told the media on Thursday that the network collected 10 types of vegetables and six kinds of fruits which are popular among the consumers for tests to find out pesticide residues during August 23-29.

 

The ten types of vegetables include red chilli, kale, morning glory, lettuce, cabbage, cucumber, pea eggplant, tomato and basil. The six kinds of fruits are Sainampoeng orange, papaya, water melon, cantaloupe, guava and dragon fruit.

 

Altogether 158 samples of the six fruits and 10 vegetables were collected from three modern trade chain stores namely Big C, Macro and Tesco Lotus, three wholesale markets namely Talad Thai, Pathom Mongkol market in Nakhon Pathom and Srimuang market in Ratchaburi and several super markets where the fruits and vegetables are tagged with safety or organic labels such as Tops, Home Fresh Mart, Max Value, Villa Market, Lemon Farm, Golden Place and Foodland.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/vegetables-fruits-sale-fresh-modern-trade-markets-laced-pesticide-residues/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-10-07

[kannot]

I can well and truly believe this, the pesticide companies heavily  promote their products here, the local shops  selling the stuff are always having some "event" sponsored by them, they get many freebies  too, one owner told me she got 3 i phones for sales recently, and was making more than 200k a month profit on this crap.

Thais also dont mix   according to instructions , often think more is  better and they pump so  much crap on round here Im surprised anyone who eats it doesnt drop dead.

Some chemicals now simply wont work as they have overused them, glyphosate is  one

I grow  pineapples and we dont use anything, weed by hand, nope they arent as big as the other farmers pineapples but I know what Im getting, also grow  on a hill so no run off  from other peoples  land of their chemicals..15 rai

[jaltsc]

"About 56 percent of fresh vegetables and fruits...are laced with chemical residues beyond acceptable standards..."

 

There is more than just "residue" on fruits and vegetables. There is a thick coating. I live next to a number of fields used for growing rice and vegetables, including beans, garlic, morning glory, etc. Before anything is planted, the workers are spraying the fields to kill weeds. As soon as anything is planted, they are out there spraying again. They spray at least 2-3 times a week.  I would think that it is impossible to get organic produce in Thailand due  to overall soil contamination.  I grow some of my own  vegetables, and although I don't use any chemical fertilizer or sprays, I am sure that the soil in which I grow my produce in contaminated as a result of chemicals leaching  from the enjoining fields. 

 

I expect to see farmers stop using all those chemicals about the same time they stop their burning. . 

 

[Brer Fox]

This is old news but nothing is ever done about it. It has been reported a number of times before  but is seems the government's eyes are wide shut. It is also claimed that Organic certification for contaminated fruit and vegetables.readily can be purchased readily for a price from the relevant authorities Then everyone in the supply chain gets extra for  a so called premium product. Who isn't on the take in Thailand's bureaucracy?

Anyway it happens all over Asia not just Thailand; it's all about greed and making money.

[taichiplanet]

and? what is being done about it?   I know, a silly question!

 

Besides enforcing penalities and banning some products, a good start would be to educate the farmers on proper use of chemicals.

 

interesting info from another post:

Thailand is the 22nd largest contributor to carbon emissions globally and the 2nd largest consumer of artificial pesticides and fertilisers in Southeast Asia. “Thailand uses more pesticides than all of the United States,”

 

Edited October 7, 2016 by taichiplanet

[colinneil]

Yes and many ,market traders spray the veg with formydhide to keep it fresh longer.

That is why i grow my own, 100% organic, no chemical fertilizers, or fungisides etc.

 

[trogers]

Don't buy vegetables that have not been bitten by insects...

[fruitman]

That's why we buy imported vegy from Australia.

 

Thailand is soo far behind the rest of the world.

[OMGImInPattaya]

I always get a chuckle when I read posts from members about how "healthy" food is in Thailand compared to "back home." It seems they never see these kinds of articles, which have been ongoing for years.

[sirmud63]

40 minutes ago, jaltsc said:

"About 56 percent of fresh vegetables and fruits...are laced with chemical residues beyond acceptable standards..."

 

There is more than just "residue" on fruits and vegetables. There is a thick coating. I live next to a number of fields used for growing rice and vegetables, including beans, garlic, morning glory, etc. Before anything is planted, the workers are spraying the fields to kill weeds. As soon as anything is planted, they are out there spraying again. They spray at least 2-3 times a week.  I would think that it is impossible to get organic produce in Thailand due  to overall soil contamination.  I grow some of my own  vegetables, and although I don't use any chemical fertilizer or sprays, I am sure that the soil in which I grow my produce in contaminated as a result of chemicals leaching  from the enjoining fields. 

 

I expect to see farmers stop using all those chemicals about the same time they stop their burning. . 

 

yes your right . the multiple weekly spraying are likly to be foliour feeding tho ,they use seaweed solution alot . but , to the best of my knowedge there is no such thing as certified organic in thailand . for starters the land has to clear of any trace for 7 years before you can gain certification . i owned a restaurant in chiang mai ,and did alot of rechearch into this .

[geistfunke]

best is ALWAYS washing carefully, use ozon water, water with vinegar or citric acid to remove as much as possible

[klauskunkel]

Quote

Even fruits and vegetables certified by the Agriculture Ministry as safe are laced with pesticide residues, said Ms Prokchon.

I guess we all know what's likely to come next

[harrycallahan]

If only there was a simple accessible way to 'wash' the residue off the veges prior to consumption.

[Jing Joe]

55 minutes ago, trogers said:

Don't buy vegetables that have not been bitten by insects...

Yup Agree. Putting it another way ;     "if the bugs don't want it then you don't want it either".

Holes in vege. leaves are surely a GOOD sign.

Its easy to believe the popular theory that in many countries farmers (IF mixing ratios are even roughly adhered to) , they then "just add a bit more for luck".    "She'll be right mate" or  "mai pen rai."   Grow your own.

My wife on a recent holiday in Bkk helped mae set up her home vege garden and was astounded that the seeds germinated in 3 days.  I had suggested seedlings based on Oz experience but proved wrong. :-)

[UPDEHSOI]

2 hours ago, kannot said:

I can well and truly believe this, the pesticide companies heavily  promote their products here, the local shops  selling the stuff are always having some "event" sponsored by them, they get many freebies  too, one owner told me she got 3 i phones for sales recently, and was making more than 200k a month profit on this crap.

Thais also dont mix   according to instructions , often think more is  better and they pump so  much crap on round here Im surprised anyone who eats it doesnt drop dead.

Some chemicals now simply wont work as they have overused them, glyphosate is  one

I grow  pineapples and we dont use anything, weed by hand, nope they arent as big as the other farmers pineapples but I know what Im getting, also grow  on a hill so no run off  from other peoples  land of their chemicals..15 rai

Might be nice to use soma that 15 rai to grow some of yer own veggies. 'twould be very healthy living methinks.

[Deelectro]

This confirms it. This is not s safe place to raise kids

[UPDEHSOI]

1 hour ago, colinneil said:

Yes and many ,market traders spray the veg with formydhide to keep it fresh longer.

That is why i grow my own, 100% organic, no chemical fertilizers, or fungisides etc.

 

Good on ya there 'young feller.' Wish I was in a position to do the same.

[AlphMichaels]

One key here is the retail locations from which largest % of tests were conducted. Big box retailers Big C & Tesco..., Foodland could be the worst as a Thai-owned chain trying to compete..., time "from field to store" is a week minimum, and that's with regionally grown product, BEST case.  A well-known fact those providers are horrendous with pesticides.  Why you don't see any getting to western markets.  

 

But I'll take product from a local fresh Talad Sot or Na over these stores every time.   Buy local area (indigenous) grown veggies & fruits. Doesn't eliminate the issue but it's the better option.  If it's got a sticker on it, don't touch it.  Either way, wash your sh!$# well and that includes a light soapy solution if you're really concerned.  

 

Agree with another poster here..., [if the insects have taken a nibble], I also feel much better about it. 

[trogers]

6 minutes ago, Deelectro said:

This confirms it. This is not s safe place to raise kids

 

Your kids are safe. They have a natural defense mechanism. They don't like vegetables and fruits. Sugar is the killer.

[UPDEHSOI]

19 minutes ago, geistfunke said:

best is ALWAYS washing carefully, use ozon water, water with vinegar or citric acid to remove as much as possible

Soaking the veggies  ( and fruit ) in a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water for 5 to 15 minutes works somewhat also.

 

[Brer Fox]

1 hour ago, taichiplanet said:

and? what is being done about it?   I know, a silly question!

 

Besides enforcing penalities and banning some products, a good start would be to educate the farmers on proper use of chemicals.

 

interesting info from another post:

Thailand is the 22nd largest contributor to carbon emissions globally and the 2nd largest consumer of artificial pesticides and fertilisers in Southeast Asia. “Thailand uses more pesticides than all of the United States,”

 

Your comments about farmers being educated are well intentioned but sadly will have no impact. I doubt farmers are interested in being educated when their priority is making money even if the consequences of their actions are harmful to the consumers. The farmers don't care, the retailers don't care and it seems the government doesn't care (except for certification kick-backs). No surprises there.

[UPDEHSOI]

21 minutes ago, harrycallahan said:

If only there was a simple accessible way to 'wash' the residue off the veges prior to consumption.

We did a "before and after" test of soaking the veggies in a mixture of 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide and one gallon of filtered water, then rinsing them of. It works fairly well. ( depending on the type of pesticides used, of course )

[AlQaholic]

See this interesting report/summary......

 

https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php

[DrTuner]

Enjoy your wabbit food, maybe the ants will stop biting you after gathering enough poison in your body. I, on the other hand, will live forever on my red meat and antiobiotics diet.

[soalbundy]

23 minutes ago, UPDEHSOI said:

Soaking the veggies  ( and fruit ) in a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water for 5 to 15 minutes works somewhat also.

 

I always cook the veg twice, once bring it to the boil and let it simmer for a bit then throw away the water,wash off the veg and recook.

[Kerryd]

Well for starters you should always wash all your fruits and vegetables before using/eating them anyways !

 

Not just for the pesticide residue, but think about how many different people may have handle that stuff before you groped it and added it to your cart. Probably half a dozen people before it got to the market/store, and then all manner of people pawing everything at the store/market (not to mention the coughers/sneezers/nose pickers, etc, etc).

 

As for the pesticides themselves. What a lot of people are conned into thinking is that "organic" means NO pesticides used, which is a load of crap because if they didn't use something they wouldn't have any crops to sell.

What they do is use "organic" (natural) pesticides. Problem is, "organic" pesticides don't work as well so they often have to use more than if they used manufactured pesticides. (Organic pesticides are made from chemicals as well, something the pseudoscience nuts often like to overlook.)

 

"Organic Certification" involves more than just the use of pesticides and the requirements vary from country to country (for those countries that even have some form of "organic certification"). See here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_certification

 

(For Thailand you might find more information here: http://www.actorganic-cert.or.th/en or at the Ministry: http://www.acfs.go.th/)

 

From the US Department of Agriculture:

"The National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances identifies the synthetic substances that may be used and the nonsynthetic (natural) substances that may not be used in organic crop and livestock production. It also identifies a limited number of non-organic substances that may be used in or on processed organic products." http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=9874504b6f1025eb0e6b67cadf9d3b40&rgn=div6&view=text&node=7:3.1.1.9.32.7&idno=7

 

So even "organic" farms can use non-natural chemicals (and some "natural" ones are banned).

 

The myth of "no pesticides in organic farming".

https://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~lhom/organictext.html

http://www.colostate.edu/Dept/CoopExt/4dmg/VegFruit/organic.htm

https://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2015/12/07/myth-busting-on-pesticides-despite-demonization-organic-farmers-widely-use-them/

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/science-sushi/httpblogsscientificamericancomscience-sushi20110718mythbusting-101-organic-farming-conventional-agriculture/

https://www.thebalance.com/which-pesticides-can-be-used-for-organic-production-2538082

 

[trogers]

4 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

I always cook the veg twice, once bring it to the boil and let it simmer for a bit then throw away the water,wash off the veg and recook.

 

The goes the salad bar...

[Kabula]

 Most fruits and vegetables worldwide have pesticides, chemical toxins, and that's why for many years it's been recommended to wash them. 

 

It's best to remove the outer layer if possible.

[AlQaholic]

1 hour ago, taichiplanet said:

and? what is being done about it?   I know, a silly question!

 

Besides enforcing penalities and banning some products, a good start would be to educate the farmers on proper use of chemicals.

 

interesting info from another post:

Thailand is the 22nd largest contributor to carbon emissions globally and the 2nd largest consumer of artificial pesticides and fertilisers in Southeast Asia. “Thailand uses more pesticides than all of the United States,”

 

Just to put things in perspective.......:

Pesticide usage kg/ha for some countries:

Costa Rica 51.2 kg/ha

Netherlands 9.4 kg/ha

Denmark 1.4 kg/ha

Thailand 1.1 kg/ha

My quick search couldn't find data for USA, and some data (such as Thailand) may be unreliable....

http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/stats/Agriculture/Pesticide-use

 

Edited October 7, 2016 by AlQaholic

[boomerangutang]

Up here in Chiang Rai, I used to go to a roadside vege stall which claimed they were 'organic'. They would point to the large field behind - was where much of their produce was grown.  A bit later, while walking around the field, I noticed a man spraying chemicals.  Go figure.

 

I wash some veges with soap and water.  Maybe that's not good enough.  I scrape skin off of apples, which I never used to do.  Particularly fruit from China (apples, asian pears, etc) is probably heavily laden with toxic chemicals.  I grow about a fifth of my own food, so at least I know some of my diet is chemi-free.   I also have the only grapefruit in Thailand (plus, it's pink & seedless).  One of my avocado trees had about 500 fruit this year. They're smaller than store-bought, but bursting with flavor.  It's grown from seed.

Edited October 7, 2016 by boomerangutang