Contaminated Produce: Excessive Pesticides Found in Local Tomatoes and Parsley
The Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources has released the analysis results of plant protection products found in both imported and domestic produce. Between May 31 and June 6, it was discovered that certain products exceeded the allowable limits.
Domestic tomatoes owned by Muharrem Bilsin were found to have above-limit plant protection products, while parsley owned by Nihat Aydın contained non-recommended plant protection products. Additionally, imported apples and peanuts were also found to have over-limit plant protection products during the analysis.
Out of the 34 imported products tested, 32 were clean while 2 samples contained over-limit plant protection products. The company responsible for the tainted apples has agreed to destroy them, while the peanuts will be returned to their origin.
In regards to local products, 5 out of 7 samples were clean. However, the harvest of Muharrem Bilsin’s tomatoes has been halted until further laboratory analysis due to the presence of over-limit plant protection products. Nihat Aydın’s parsley, containing non-recommended plant protection products, has been destroyed.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources is taking necessary steps to ensure the safety of consumers and the environment by monitoring and regulating the use of plant protection products in agricultural practices.
