Scary: The Vegetables You're Eating Are Contaminated with Dangerous Carcinogens

A report by the State Comptroller, retired judge Yosef Shapira, released yesterday (Tuesday), revealed that the public continues to be exposed to forbidden pesticides that, heaven forbid, could cause cancer through the consumption of fruits and vegetables, despite these substances being banned or restricted in use in Europe and the United States.

Laboratory tests show that the vegetables imported to the country contain toxic pesticides that are banned for use in Israel and dangerous fecal bacteria.

The Comptroller's examination and his team's findings present a worrying state of affairs, showing that the State of Israel lags behind most Western countries in terms of standards and regulated use of pesticides and sprays, and under the current conduct, the public is exposed to serious health and sanitation risks.

The report further states that the Plant Protection and Inspection Services unit at the Ministry of Agriculture does not carry out proper supervision of the farmers' work, but only samples the products that reach them.

Just a few months ago, Channel 2 News exposed the dangerous substances found in peppers from Jordan, and now Channel 2 News reveals: eggplants imported from Gaza were sprayed with a carcinogenic pesticide, completely banned from use in Israel and Europe.

Further severe findings:

Cucumbers from Jordan and peppers from Gaza with organophosphorus pesticide residues, substances that harm the nervous system and are also banned from use in Israel and many other countries; also pears from Spain in which four different banned substances were discovered and severe deviations of up to 20 times the standard in the use of permitted substances.

"The use of pesticides in agriculture is considered a common method used by farmers in Israel and abroad to protect their crops from pests," explains Comptroller Shapira in the report. Due to the toxicity of these hazardous substances, it is desirable that at the marketing stage to the consumer, no pesticide residues remain on the fruit or vegetable. Examinations conducted by the Ministries of Agriculture and Health in 2015 indicate that in 13% of the types of fruits and vegetables tested, irregular pesticide residues were found, in a third to more than half of the samples.

"If the survey findings represent the situation in the markets, then the Israeli consumer is significantly exposed to plant-based food with abnormal amounts of pesticides," clarifies the Comptroller. "The findings that show the rates of residue level irregularities in vegetables and fruits cannot be accepted.

Response from the Ministry of Agriculture: "The Ministry of Agriculture is currently promoting a change in the policy of pesticide use in fruits and vegetables for the sake of protecting public health, thereby completing the supervision and advancement of the issue of reducing pesticide use. In light of the claim that protecting the health of the Israeli consumer is no different from protecting the health of the European consumer, and in light of the ongoing need to balance between protecting public health and the economic implications of these decisions on agricultural production, it is clear to all that regulations accepted by the European Union can and should also apply to the public in Israel.

"Within this framework, the ministry is examining the possibility of recommending to the inter-ministerial committee, in which the Ministries of Agriculture, Health, Environmental Protection, and Economy participate, to approve the use of pesticides permitted in Europe based on the licensing process conducted in Europe, without the need for the current licensing process for pesticides in Israel. The goal of such a recommendation is to provide farmers with immediate pest control solutions to replace substances that are to be phased out and banned in the European Union. This move is a direct continuation of a similar project initiated by the ministry several years ago, in which a reassessment was conducted for a large number of pesticides. In this context, the ministry canceled the registration of about 40% of all active substances.

"Additionally, the ministry is examining the possibility of recommending to the inter-ministerial committee with the participation of the Ministries of Agriculture and Health to amend the regulations on permissible pesticide residues according to international standards, in accordance with standards in Western countries, and to correct the current situation so that permissible residues in Israel will conform to the levels allowed in target markets. Regarding the delay in implementing the revision plan, although public health regulations were approved during the previous Knesset's term, due to the dissolution of the government, the regulations were not signed by the ministers. As a result, the ministry was forced to wait for the approval of the new Knesset and the approval of the government.

"Regarding the regulations for anchoring requirements of quality and safety of plant products marketed to the local consumer, intended to ensure quality and safe-to-eat agricultural produce for the consumer in Israel, they are in the final stage of approval by the Ministry of Justice. Moreover, the ministry agrees with the Comptroller that a sample survey is not an adequate substitute for field supervision, which requires many personnel standards. However, unfortunately, the decision to increase the number of standards is no longer in the hands of the ministry personnel. Furthermore, based on a Supreme Court ruling, supervision and enforcement activity is a clear governmental activity, and such cannot be transferred for execution via outsourcing. Therefore, the ministry's hands are tied, and it uses the sample survey as a temporary solution.

"Besides this, the Ministry of Agriculture thanks the Comptroller for his critique regarding supervision and promotion of the reduction of pesticide use. Upon receiving the draft report, thorough work was done in the ministry to understand the gaps and means for implementing the desired solutions. These solutions are currently being promoted as part of the work plans of the ministry's units. The ministry will study the points raised by the Comptroller and use them to advance the issue for the benefit of the entire public in Israel."