Pesticide testing

A report from the FSA and Bioforsk has found that84.2 per centof fruits and berries sampledin Norwegian stores as part of a new studycontained pesticide residues.

In a similar report carried outlast year, this figure was of 74.4 per cent, which means an increase of over 13 per centin one year, framtiden.no reported.

In vegetables, the average percentage of products where pesticide residues were found stood atat 58.1 per centof the 1,152 samples analysed in 2013, compared to the 55.1 per centof 2012 and 50.3 per centin 2011.

Pesticide residues were also found in organic products and baby food.

According to the report, Norwegian authorities approved salads that contained residues of 50 different pesticides; grapes and raisins with 41 different pesticides; tomatoes, 39; cherries 34, and strawberries 31. Peaches and nectarines contained 30.

The report also found that in449 samples of both Norwegian and imported products residues of more than one active ingredient were detected, while 137 different pesticides were detected in imported products, and 32 in Norwegian products.