School Fruit and Vegetables With Pesticides

Yesterday, the annual report of the Pesticide Residues Committee looked at the government's fruit and vegetable scheme (free pieces of fruit or veg to all 4 year old to 6 year old children).

They looked at a sample of 138 apples, bananas, carrots, cucumbers, pears, strawberries, tomatoes and soft citrus fruits such as tangerines and satsumas. Pesticide traces above the "maximum residue levels" were only found in one apple. But, pesticide residues were found at lower levels in in 97 samples, including all the pears, soft citrus and strawberries. Nothing was found in carrots or cucumbers.

Now, 1 apple out of 138 fruits doesn't sound all that much, but the government's scheme amounted to 400m pieces of fruit and veg being issued in 2006. So, looking at only the apples (say, 1/10th of all the fruit and veg that year), that's 145 apples each month in Coventry being over the maximum levels, not to mention the other 70% of fruit which had lower levels of pesticide residues!

First thing, have your children ask for carrots or cucumbers. Second thing, we need to have all school fruit and veg be local and organic.