The European Union's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (Rasff) has launched a new alert after detecting residues of the pesticide chlorpyrifos above permitted levels in melons from Morocco.
In an analysis carried out at a border control, it was observed that the affected fruits exceeded the maximum permitted level of 0.01 mg/kg – ppm of this substance. This notification refers to a “potentially serious” risk.
Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide widely used to control agricultural pests, especially in soybean, corn, wheat and sunflower crops. It acts by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase and causing poisoning due to collapse of the insect's nervous system.
In 2019, the EFSA expressed concern about the possible genotoxic and neurological effects that ingesting this pesticide through food could have on children. At the time, he stated that no safe exposure level (or toxicological reference value) could be established for the substance. Its use is not allowed in the European Union since 2020.
FACUA-Consumers in Action has criticized the limited information published by the European Commission, because it sows suspicion on all melons from Morocco. No details are given about the producing company or the area of the country in which they were grown.
"This makes it impossible for consumers to check if they have purchased or consumed any of the alerted products," they declare. The agency requests changes to the Rasff information protocols, so that they offer more data on the dangerous products detected.
Last summer another similar alert regarding some watermelons from Morocco was widely covered in the media. In this case, high levels of an unauthorized pesticide, methomyl, were detected and the risk level was categorized as "serious."
The affected batch, which was marketed in Catalonia, contained remains of this insecticide at levels that exceeded 25 times the maximum residue limit allowed in European legislation, according to the analysis of an External Health control at the Almería border point.
The state services lately notified the Public Health Agency of Catalonia of the detection of the shipment of watermelons, as deduced from the reconstruction of the events offered by the Health Department. The alert was given 11 days after the merchandise was distributed.
When the inspectors went to the large market and other distribution points, the batch had already been distributed. At the time the customers were informed, they stated that they no longer had the product in question.
