I have read Sarah Jane Meli's clinical answer to the letter written by Greta Rapinett. However, this reply does not fully address Ms Rapinett's concern.

Random sampling of fruit and vegetables cannot take place on produce in the field but must be taken at the point of sale either at the wholesale market or at the retail outlets. Upon application, pesticides start to decompose and what is desired is that the level of decomposition of pesticides would have reached a level whereby any traces, if any, of pesticides left on the produce put up for sale is considered safe for human consumption. If pesticides are applied by the grower as recommended on the label, that is at the appropriate rate and frequency on the approved produce, and the appropriate post-harvest interval (the time between the last application and harvesting) is observed there should be no danger to the consumer.

As it takes a few days before the results from the accredited lab are available, it is not feasible to withhold the produce from being placed on the market. What is vital is that appropriate follow-up action is taken following any results that exceed or approximate the maximum residue levels (MRLs) or any residues found of a pesticide on a crop for which that pesticide was not authorised. Action consists in tracing the grower of the sample and going through an investigation so as to find out what went wrong and why the grower is not adhering to good plant protection practice.

It would eliminate Ms Meli's and the public's worries if the appropriate authority confirms that the above is taking place.

EC Regulation 396 of 2005 is directly applicable to all member states so that there should be uniformity in all EU countries. Findings of residues in crops are published by all member states. It is also to be noted that in Malta less pesticides are applied by local growers than in other European states.

MRLs are usually set at the level of analytical determination and are just a legal standard. One must not infer that pesticide residues found in a crop, which slightly exceed the relevant MRLs, are by themselves necessarily toxic to consumers.

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