The environmental group Greenpeace in Greece, after testing 24 samples of apples, pears, carrots, zucchinis, potatoes, onions and bananas, randomly selected from grocery stores and supermarkets in various parts of Athens has found 27 chemical substances, including some considered toxic, in the products.
Fifteen of the products were Greek, while nine were imported, it was reported. Some of the substances are banned in the European Union and considered to be hazardous to health, and the aquatic environment.
They include Linuron, a herbicide whose ingestion may cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, as well as Imazalil, a pesticide identified as likely being carcinogenic and is banned in Greece. The active substance Thiacloprid, which was found in apples and pears tested, is suspected of carcinogenesis, while a cocktail of chemicals with three to nine different active substances per sample was discovered.
According to Greenpeace, some of the pesticides that have been considered dangerous are still distributed illegally in the market and are used by producers. Many of the samples are imported in Greece from non-EU countries, where the use of these substances is not banned.
The EU bans the use of a toxic substance but allows importing products on which the substance is used, as Greenpeace reports. Every country has the possibility to temporarily allow the use of the banned substance.
A chemical considered dangerous can be distributed in derogation in the market for 120 days. After a substance is banned, the companies have permission to distribute it for two more years until the stocks are over. Greenpeace called for closer monitoring by the government.
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