Dangerous Pesticides and PFAS Detected in Supermarket Tomatoes
· GıdaTarım
According to Greenpeace Turkey's analysis, 15% of tomato samples collected from major supermarkets contained chemicals violating regulations, and 70% had PFAS residues.
Pesticide and PFAS Danger in Supermarket Tomatoes
Greenpeace Turkey, within the scope of its 'What's Inside?' campaign, collected 20 tomato samples from A101, BİM, CarrefourSA, Migros, and ŞOK supermarkets in Istanbul's Sultanbeyli, Sancaktepe, Ataşehir, and Kadıköy districts. In analyses conducted at an internationally accredited laboratory, pesticides violating regulations were detected in three of the 20 tomatoes examined, or 15%. At least one substance containing PFAS was identified in 14 of the samples examined, or 70%, while seven samples contained more than three pesticides. Only one of the 20 collected samples showed no trace of pesticides.
Illegal Chemicals and Audit Contradiction
According to the analysis results, two of the three products found to be in violation of regulations contained active ingredients whose use in tomato cultivation is unlicensed. The fact that these samples were registered in the Hal Registration System with a 'good agriculture' logo revealed a contradiction in the audit mechanisms. Another sample examined contained the active ingredient Chlorfenapyr, which has been completely banned for agricultural use since December 31, 2010. Greenpeace Turkey Director Berkan Özyer emphasized that access to pesticide-free food is a fundamental right and stated that large chain supermarkets should have regular analysis infrastructure.
Pesticide Report Card of Chain Supermarkets Announced
Following the laboratory analyses, a report was prepared evaluating the chemical control policies of the retail chains. The non-governmental organization Greenpeace Turkey made the following statement on the matter:
"While ŞOK received a total of 30 points for partial pesticide analyses and legal limit-compliant pesticide use, Migros collected 20 points for legal limit-compliant pesticide use and pesticide-free product categories. A101, BİM, and CarrefourSA completed the tomato report card with no points. In the first Supermarket Report Card prepared according to this information, only one of the five chains (ŞOK) could receive a 'C' grade, while the other four remained in the 'D' band."