Toxic pesticides found in Chinese herbs sold in Canada

Toxic pesticides found in Chinese herbs sold in Canada
2 July 2013 (Vancouver) – A Greenpeace investigation has revealed that traditional Chinese
herbal products sold in Canada are laced with a toxic cocktail of pesticide residues, many of
which exceed levels considered safe by the European Commission.
In seven samples collected at stores in Toronto and Vancouver, eight of 47 pesticides found are
classified as “extremely” or “highly” hazardous by the World Health Organization. The pesticides,
including Carbofuran (Sum) and Ethoprophos, exceeded safety levels set by the European
Commission, by as many as eight times. One package of honeysuckle from China contained
residues from an alarming 24 pesticide chemicals.
The samples were collected by Greenpeace Canada and tested by an independent lab in China
as part of an international investigation published today by Greenpeace East Asia. Similar
samples from the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Italy and The Netherlands showed that
consumers in these markets are also being exposed to hazardous pesticides.
"These results are truly shocking and highlight the urgent need to end the use of chemicals in
agriculture," said Éric Darier, a senior agriculture campaigner for Greenpeace International
based in Montreal. "We call on the Canadian government to enact policies to promote ecological
farming over pesticide-intensive, industrial agriculture. Meanwhile, stores and wholesalers
should scrutinize the food products they import, distribute and sell to customers.”
It is important to note that the official Maximum Residue Levels from the EU or Canada are no
real guarantee of safety and do not consider the “cocktail effects” of pesticide exposure. In
addition, long-term exposure to pesticide residues in food may cause the toxic chemicals to
accumulate inside the body. Chronic pesticide poisoning may lead to learning difficulties,
hormone disruption and reproductive abnormalities.
The Chinese herbal products collected in Canada were: honeysuckle, san qi powder, Chinese
date, chrysanthemum, dried lily bulb, rosebud and wolfberry.