Fruits exported by Brazil carry pesticides banned in Europe to German tables

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Germany is consuming pesticides banned in the country through food imported from Brazil. Tests conducted by independent German laboratories at the request of Greenpeace, with 70 Brazilian fruits, detected at least 11 substances banned for use in the European Union.

In total, 35 different pesticides were found in Brazilian fruits, such as mango, papaya, lemon and fig, sold in the German cities of Hamburg, Cologne, Leipzig and Stuttgart. Of these, 21 belong to the group of Highly Hazardous Pesticides, a classification created by the United Nations Food and AgToolsriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Despite the ban on their use in European soil, many of these pesticides are produced by companies based in European countries, such as German BASF and Bayer, and then exported to Brazil. According to Greenpeace, in early 2020 these two companies accounted for 12% of the production of pesticides approved in Brazil.

Marina Lacôrte, spokesperson for Greenpeace Brazil’s Agriculture and Food campaign, therefore advocates that not only the use but also the production of these substances be banned in European territory. “If the government establishes that Germans cannot ingest this substance, why shouldn’t there be legislation banning their production?” she asks. “Why can’t a European child consume certain pesticides and Brazilian children can?”

Lacôrte’s questions are raised at a crucial time for both Brazil and European countries, since agricultural exports are one of the key elements of the trade agreement between the European Union and MERCOSUR. The treaty still needs to be ratified by all countries involved, but France in particular has been resistant, demanding protection clauses for its agricultural products and a commitment to deforestation by the Brazilian government, one of the weak points of the Bolsonaro government.

On the other hand, France leads the ranking of European countries exporting pesticides to MERCOSUR, followed by Great Britain, Germany, Belgium and Spain, according to the environmental NGO. Faced with the impasse, environmentalists are calling for the European Union to be “consistent” and not ratify the agreement, which could potentially lead to cheaper pesticides through tax exemptions and “significantly increase the sale and use of European agricultural poisons.”

Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, responsible for controlling above-limit pesticide residues and in food for export, said in a statement that “just as Brazil allows the use of some pesticides not registered in Europe, the opposite is also true. There are pesticides registered in Europe that are not allowed in Brazilian territory,” it says, failing to mention which. According to the body, “this difference stems from the differences in crops, climate and pests that infest the crops in each part of the globe,” says the portfolio. “Pesticides are therefore registered and used according to national needs.”

In the study, 64% of Brazilian fruits were found to have some pesticide residue. Papaya was the champion, showing up to 9 different substances in a single fruit, in what the NGO classifies as a “true pesticide cocktail.” Between 2017 and 2020, Brazil accounted for 77% of papaya imported by Germany. Greenpeace claims to have notified the German government of the results.

The test was conducted between the second half of April and early May this year. According to the report, only 11 of the 70 fruit samples were pesticide free. The Ministry of Agriculture says that the fact that these foods have entered foreign territory “demonstrates that the limits found are below those internationally considered safe by the authorities of the importing country or by CODEX Alimentarius [collection of internationally recognized standards on food safety] (FAO/WHO)”. The Brazilian government also says that “the products produced and traded by Brazil are safe for human consumption.”

Last year, Brazil set a record in the approval of new pesticides. In 2020 alone, 321 substances were authorized, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, 59% more than in 2019, when 202 pesticides were cleared according to the agency. These registrations have been growing year after year, but the government minimizes the rise in approvals and says that “97% of registered products are generic, that is, they were already available on the market under other trade names.”

To be registered in Brazil, a pesticide needs to undergo three instances: the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) evaluates and classifies the toxicological properties of pesticides. The agency’s evaluation considers both the impact of the applicators’ exposure and the risks of residues that could eventually be found in processed food. Next, IBAMA (Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) performs an environmental evaluation of the substances, establishing their classifications as to their potential danger to the environment. And then the Ministry of Agriculture evaluates the agronomic efficiency of pesticides. It is also the Ministry that grants the chemical’s registration, after receiving favorable opinions from health and environmental agencies.

Headed by Minister Tereza Cristina, the body further clarified that “there is a downward trend in the average volume of pesticides applied per treated area.” According to the note, in 2020 there was a reduction of 0.1% in the amount of kilograms per hectare. In 2019 and 2018, again in comparison with previous years, there was also a record drop, on average, of 1.1% and 0.5%, respectively.

Poison in the package

The residues of pesticides hazardous to health are not only found in natural foods, such as fruits, vegetables and legumes. The Brazilian Consumer Defense Institute (IDEC) has recently released a study pointing to the presence of these substances in ultra-processed foods. Cereals, snacks, cookies, soy drinks, breads, and cakes of different brands contained the substances in their composition. Even the controversial glyphosate, one of the most widely used herbicides in Brazil – and banned in Europe – and classified as “potentially carcinogenic” by WHO, was found in some foods.

In all, IDEC analyzed 27 products, divided into 8 categories. Of these, 6 presented pesticide residues. The foods where pesticides were detected are Naturis soy drink (Batavo); Nesfit breakfast cereal (Nestlé); Baconzitos and Torcida savory snacks (both from Pepsico); Pullman bagels (Bimbo), Wickbold, Panco, and Seven Boys (from Wickbold); cream crackers Marilan, Triunfo (Arcor), Vitarela and Zabet (both by M Dias Branco); sandwich cookies Bono and Negresco (Nestlé), Oreo and Trakinas (Mondeléz).

IDEC states that it has notified manufacturers about the residues found in their products. The companies that replied to the Institute stated that they follow good practices from their raw material suppliers, or that the amount of substances is within limits. However, there is no regulation on the maximum limits of pesticides in ultra-processed foods, since ANVISA monitors these substances only in natural foods.

Lactails, responsible for Batavo, said that it had not been notified of IDEC’s study. In a note, the company also stated that all its raw materials “are controlled and monitored through external reports and strictly comply with the Brazilian legislation,” and that “the company has a strict policy in choosing its raw material suppliers, approving only those that comply with all legal and food safety requirements.”

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