Alarming study: 600 pesticides discovered in Austria's grain products!

Alarming study: 600 pesticides discovered in Austria's grain products!

In today's agriculture, pesticides are a necessary tool, but their residues in food are increasingly concerned. According to a study by Global 2000 and AK OÖ, residues of around 600 different pesticides in frequently consumed grain products were detected in Austria. It is particularly alarming that 98 of the pesticides found containing questionable PFAS chemicals that are considered to be harmful to the environment. These chemicals are hardly degradable and accumulate in the environment, which represents long -term risks for humans and nature. The environmental chemist Helmut Burtscher damage warns of the high TFA (trifluoraceta) in foods such as bread and pasta that significantly exceed the limit.

In Austria, 590 plant protection products for grain such as wheat, rye or spelled are currently approved. These means protect harvesting pests and diseases, but the problem of the PFAS residues cannot be ignored. The increasing occurrence of these substances is a danger to the biological diversity, since they can also accumulate via the food chain. A survey showed that in the period from 2011 to 2021 the proportion of PFAs in the total pesticide burden in the EU almost tripled.

Pfas residues in food

The effects of Pfas pesticides are alarming: around 15 % of the fruit and vegetables grown in the EU have pesticide residues of PFAS. The increase in Austria is particularly dramatic, since the proportion of PFAS-polluted fruit is now 25 %. Strawberries with a load of 70 %are particularly affected, followed by cucumbers (39 %) and apples (38 %). These figures come from comprehensive EU pesticide monitoring and illustrate the urgency of the problem.

need for action and claims

With understandable measures, such as an EU-wide ban on over 10,000 PFAS chemicals, as well as the demand for a comprehensive information by the Chamber of Agriculture, the long-term goal of banning PFAs from food production could be achieved. The European Green Deal of the EU provides for a step -by -case ban on Pfas, which is only a first step in the right direction.

These challenges in agriculture and food production require urgent and coordinated measures at European level. The safety and health of the population and the protection of our environment must be a priority.

For further information and details on the problem of the PFAS residues, we refer to the original reports from , Environmental Federal Agency and OTS