In fruit, in compote, in dessert, the apple remains a flagship food appreciated by all. But aren't they safe for our health? Although a British study claims that eating an apple a day is very good for your health, we are not sure of the results over the years.
Greenpeace recently carried out research on the use of pesticides by European apple growers. And the least we can say is that the finding is alarming. Of 85 samples analyzed (36 taken from water and 49 from soil), from orchards in 12 European countries, 75% contained “residues of at least one of the 53 identified pesticides .
But the NGO does not stop there in its research since it explains that "70% of identified pesticides present a high overall toxicity for human health and wildlife ". It's worrying all the same, especially when we know that an American study affirms that pesticides could have a link with the onset of autism for a baby, during a woman's pregnancy.
Italian champions in the field
The report mainly points the finger at 5 countries that are major consumers of pesticides. And Italy is in the lead! The apples analyzed from this country show that the concentration of pesticides in the soil and in the water is the highest. Then we find France and Belgium, which use a lot of pesticides in the soil, and Poland and Slovakia, which prefer to put them in the water.
To stop this excess, Greenpeace calls on the States of the European Union to " gradually put an end to the use of synthetic chemical pesticides in agriculture .
The goal of the NGO is "to challenge the brands of large retailers to convince them to support farmers who work without pesticides.
The European Food Safety Authority has spoken out on the subject. In a press release published last March, the Authority explains that pesticides are present in half of the foodstuffs consumed in Europe but in legal quantities and without harmful effects on health.
So still craving an apple pie for dessert?
