2.4% of Leafy Wrap Vegetables Distributed in Gyeonggi-do Exceed Residual Pesticide Limits

A researcher from the Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment is conducting a residual pesticide test on collected vegetables.

The Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment announced on the 31st that it collected 339 samples of leafy vegetables distributed within the province from June to July and conducted residual pesticide tests. As a result, 8 cases (2.4% of the total) were found to exceed the standard limits for residual pesticides, leading to seizure and disposal, and administrative actions were requested.

The Institute previously tested 15 popular agricultural products, including lettuce, chicory, and perilla leaves, collected from four public agricultural and marine product wholesale markets in Suwon, Guri, Anyang, and Ansan, as well as from large retail stores such as department stores and hypermarkets.

The test results showed that out of 339 leafy vegetable samples, 8 cases (2.4%) exceeded the allowable residual pesticide limits, which is about half the rate compared to last year (4.7%).

The non-compliant items included 3 cases of crown daisy (ssukgat), 2 cases of lettuce, 2 cases of Swiss chard (geundae), and 1 case of perilla leaves (deulkkatnip). Notably, perilla leaves contained 4.39 mg/kg of phorate (an insecticide), which is approximately 87 times higher than the allowable limit of 0.05 mg/kg. Lettuce samples showed 0.84 mg/kg of tebuconazole (a fungicide) against the standard of 0.05 mg/kg, and crown daisy samples contained 0.14 mg/kg of phenthoate (an insecticide) compared to the limit of 0.05 mg/kg.

Other non-compliant items detected pesticide residues ranging from 0.03 to 0.89 mg/kg, exceeding the minimum allowable limit of 0.01 mg/kg.

The Institute notified relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and local governments, about the seizure and disposal of the non-compliant agricultural products. The distribution of these products was completely blocked through prompt measures such as shipment suspension and legal action.

Park Yong-bae, Director of the Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment, stated, "The Agricultural Product Safety Keeper project, which the Institute has been promoting since this year, selects customized themes by season and timing to monitor residual pesticides in agricultural products, thereby helping ensure the safe distribution of agricultural products." He added, "We will continue to promote related information so that residents of Gyeonggi-do can consume safer agricultural products."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.