A medical researcher at a leading Thai university has warned that some fruit and vegetables in Thailand contain high levels of pesticides. The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives have singled out six items containing high levels of chemical residue.

The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives on Monday reported the results of research on chemical residue on 48 kinds of fruit and vegetables. Six fruit and vegetables had high levels of chemical residue – chilli, tomato, long bean, egg plant and Chinese kale. However, the ministries reported that if consumers eat less than 400 grams per day it would not be harmful.

Everyday items with low levels of residue included guava, mangosteen, asparagus, Chinese cabbage, common bean and corn. Side-effects from eating fruit or vegetables carrying heavy doses of chemical residue can be headaches and nausea.

Dr Teerawat Hemachuta, the head of the Information Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases at Chulalongkorn University, said that 60% of the chemical residue found on fruit and vegetables cannot be washed off, while only 10% of the 280 types of pesticides registered in Thailand can be detected in a laboratory.

Source: atimes.com