Spanish authorities have warned that the supply of peppers from Almeria could be disrupted following the discovery of an unauthorised pesticide on crops.
The presence of methyl-isofenphos was first discovered on Almerian-grown peppers in Germany in late December.
A spokesman for the Spanish embassy said the detection came as a surprise to the country's health authorities, which were unaware of the substance's existence.
All suspected greenhouses have been closed and are being tested. So far, 47 have been sealed and only one positive case discovered.
Authorities are also requiring that all Almerian peppers destined for export have a certificate of negative results for methyl-isofenphos and other non-authorised products. This, they say, is delaying delivery and may affect some distributors and suppliers.
“At the present time, Almeria enjoys a high degree of development and professionalisation in the horticultural sector, with traceability systems and assurance programmes which have been in force for some time. However, given that methyl-isofenphos is a very little-known and hardly-used product, no specific testing was being carried out systematically,” the spokesman said.
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