Pesticide residues committee publish 2008 annual report

Date:

24 September 2009

Release No:

E084:09

The Pesticide Residues Committee (PRC) publishes their 2008 annual report today. Key findings are that residues found this year are unlikely to affect people's health, even vulnerable groups such as older people and children.

Chairman of the PRC, Dr Ian Brown, said: "The results of the 2008 monitoring programme show we did not detect any pesticide residues in 53.8% of the food we sampled and 1.2% contained residues above the permitted maximum levels. We carried out full risk assessments of these cases, which included looking at the most vulnerable people such as children and the elderly. This year, as in all recent years, nearly all the residues we found were not likely to affect people's health. However, we must follow up any problems we identify to maintain the high standards of protection we currently have."

He added: "Since 2002 there has been a significant development in the scope of the testing programme. We can now look for more pesticides at much lower levels. Consequently, we have found more residues BUT not higher levels of non-compliance. The testing programme demonstrates that the vast majority of food available to UK consumers is compliant with pesticides legislation and is not likely to pose a risk to consumer health."

"I can understand that some people have concerns about pesticide residues in their food, but as a doctor I cannot overemphasise the importance of continuing to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Scientific evidence shows that the health benefits of this far outweigh any concerns about pesticide residues."

Tests for a wide range of pesticide residues were run on 4,129 samples of both imported and UK produced food. The samples were collected in 2008 from many sources including shops, markets, ports and wholesale suppliers.

Results are published every quarter and then summarised at the end of the year in this annual report.

As well as detailing the results of the monitoring programme the report provides information about the role of the independent committee and their work throughout 2008. The committee meet in York four times a year. Every year they hold an open meeting where members of the public join them to discuss pesticide residues in food.

The annual report and detailed quarterly reports are on the PRC website at http://www.pesticides.gov.uk/guidance/industries/pesticides/advisory-groups/PRiF/PRC-Pesticides-Residues-Commitee/PRC_Results_and_Reports/PRC_Reports_by_Year/pesticide-residues-committee-prc-reports-2008, and from the committee's secretariat based in York.

Notes to editors

1. The Pesticide Residues Committee advises Ministers, the Health and Safety Executive's Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
2. The committee is chaired by Dr Ian Brown (OBE BSc Agric, FRCP, FFOM), who is Director of Occupational Health at the University of Oxford and Honorary Consultant Physician in Occupational Medicine to Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust Department of Public Health.
3. The Annual Report covers the 2008 monitoring programme. It summarises the findings from 46 surveys involving fruit and vegetables, animal products, cereal products and some processed products like smoothies and infant food.
4. The membership and terms of reference of the PRC are included in the report as well as information about expenditure.
5. The Annual Report and detailed quarterly reports for 2008 are available on the PRC website http://www.pesticides.gov.uk/guidance/industries/pesticides/advisory-groups/PRiF/PRC-Pesticides-Residues-Commitee/PRC_Results_and_Reports/PRC_Reports_by_Year/pesticide-residues-committee-prc-reports-2008
6. The next PRC meeting on 21 October 2008, to be held in York and will be open to observers (although numbers are limited by the space available). If you would like to attend then register your interest with the secretariat (contact details above).

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