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Under Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN), an umbrella
association of the concerned action groups in Austria, France and Germany,
said it had discovered substantial evidence of contamination by studying
40 sample bottles of wines purchased in EU.
The wines tested were Australian (1), Austrian (10),
Chilean (1), French (13), Italian (3), German (10), Portuguese (1) and
South African (1) and also included six wines produced by organic processing.
The non-organic bottles of wine contained on average
traces of four pesticides; one revealed even 10 different pesticides.
The analysis revealed 24 specific pesticide contaminants, including 5
it said, were classified by the European Union as being carcinogenic or
otherwise harmful for health.
The study did not specify at what level the substances
are harmful to health.
"Many grape farmers are abandoning traditional methods of pest control
in favour of using hazardous synthetic pesticides," says Elliott
Cannell of PAN Europe. "This trend has a direct impact on the quality
of European wines." The presence of pesticides in European wines
is a growing problem, he adds.
Despite accounting for only 3.5 per cent of the EU's
agricultural area, grapes receive around 15 per cent of synthetic pesticides
applied to major crops, according to EU data.
However, the users disagree with the findings of the
study. Responding to the report, the European Crop Protection Association
(ECPA), which represents pesticide manufacturers, highlighted that all
the residues found were authorised for use in the EU. In addition, ECPA
underlined that the levels of residue were found "in such minute
quantities" that they "are not even remotely close to any level
of concern".
ECPA compares the proportion to the part per billion
(ppb) level or the equivalent of "one drop of water in an Olympic-sized
swimming pool". The association also expressed regret that the PAN
report did not test other elements such as copper or sulphur used in organic
viticulture.
"Drinking wine poses no health risk for European
consumers with respect to pesticide residues. Both the use of pesticides
and monitoring of residues are very carefully controlled by independent
scientists. Maximum residue levels are set well below levels that could
cause a risk to humans, to build in a substantial safety margin,"
said ECPA Director General Friedhelm Schmider.
Of the six organic wines tested, only one contained
traces of pesticides, at low levels and probably because of such chemicals
in neighbouring vineyard soil.
Despite claims of ECPA, it might be environmentally
correct to drink wines made in organic farms, results of the study indicate.
There are naturally no comparable reports in India at the moment and it
would be interesting to find someone who can study and rate the wines
being produced in India and whether we should also not be thinking in
terms of organic farming.
Incidentally the agriculture ministers of 27 members
of the EU are set to debate the matter in April and are expected to reach
a political agreement by 19 May 2008.
Subhash Arora
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