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After an accurate analysis of European apple orchards, carried out on 85 samples collected, in which 53 different pesticides were found, with Italy occupying the highest place for the number of residues in the soil, here is another analysis on apples purchased in supermarkets in 11 European countries, including Italy. New alert: no less than 83% of apples produced in conventional agriculture are contaminated with pesticide residues and, as if that were not enough, in 60% of the samples analyzed, two or more chemicals were found. More than half of the pesticides found on apples have been shown to have toxic effects on aquatic organisms such as fish, but also on bees and other beneficial insects.

Additionally, many of these chemicals are bioaccumulative (i.e., once released into the environment, they break down very slowly and can move up the food chain, accumulating in a wide variety of organisms). organisms, thereby managing to damage the entire ecosystem), they also have several negative impacts on reproduction and other dangerous properties. About 126 apple samples were analyzed, including 109 from conventional production and the rest from organic cultivation (which showed no trace of pesticides). The apples were bought from 23 supermarket chains and then analyzed in the laboratory to be able to detect the presence of the multi-residue pesticide.

At least one pesticide residue was present in most of these purchased apples, while three pesticide residues were found in the same fruit in a sample purchased from a well-known supermarket. The most frequently encountered pesticides are fungicides, insecticides and acaricides. The substance most often found is THPI, but two pesticides not authorized in the European Union have also been found, such as diphenylamine and ethirimol. As we know, from the fields to the plate, chemical pesticides are a fairly frequent presence in our food, even if all the residues identified are, fortunately, within the limits set by the regulations.

The variety of chemicals that have been found means that in conventional agriculture it is very common to spray apple orchards with multiple applications of various pesticides. All this, added to the ignorance of the negative impacts of the pesticide mixture on the environment and on our health, is however a source of great concern. However, analyzes on European samples have made it possible to identify 39 different types of pesticides, which are very persistent and also particularly harmful to human health. Only 17% of conventional apples tested were found to be completely free of detectable residues. The fruits analyzed were produced in different European countries and then sold in supermarkets in their respective countries of origin.