The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (SFVS) supplies a wide range of fruit and vegetables to primary school children. Residues found are within European legal levels and the committee has looked carefully at the results and are satisfied in all cases the presence of the residues is unlikely to have an effect on health..
Chairman of the PRC, Dr Ian Brown, said: "These results should provide reassurance that the food supplied to schools as part of this scheme continues to be safe. I can understand that some people have concerns about pesticide residues in their food, but as a doctor I cannot over-emphasise the importance of continuing to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Scientific evidence shows that the health benefits for children and young people far outweigh any concerns about pesticide residues."
The Pesticide Residues Committee is an independent body which advises the Government, the Food Standards Agency and the Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD). Since 1 January 2005 the Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD) has been contracted by the Department of Health to undertake pesticide residue monitoring of produce supplied under the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme.
CRD has requested that the PRC consider the results and examine the risk assessments from this monitoring.
The MRL is the maximum concentration of a pesticide residue - expressed as milligrams per kilogram, or parts per million - legally permitted in or on our food and animal feeds. The levels are not safety limits, but are set at levels, which protect the consumer. They are primarily a check that good agricultural practice is being followed, and an MRL exceedance does not automatically imply a risk to health.
