Dublin lettuce crop destroyed following failed pesticide test

Department of Agriculture officers have begun destroying a lettuce crop on a north county Dublin farm after it was found to contain well over the acceptable maximum level of pesticide residue. It is believed to be the first time a home-grown vegetable crop has been destroyed in such circumstances.

The action is being seen as a serious warning to farmers about overuse of pesticides.

Destruction of the lettuce crop began yesterday. Further glasshouses in the same compound will be investigated today and more lettuce is expected to be destroyed. Prosecution is being considered against the farm, which is located in the Rush/Lusk area.

Standard testing of the lettuce showed that the pesticide residue exceeded the Maximum Recommended Level. The MRL is the maximum concentration of a pesticide residue which is legally permitted in and on food for human consumption and on animal feeds. It is understood that the farm in question had not used excessive pesticide in the past.

The tests were part of a standard procedure carried out by the Department, which had been in contact with the Food Safety Authority about the crops. When the crop samples were analysed in the Department's laboratories they were found to contain well in excess of the acceptable limit. It was unclear last night which pesticide was used.

"We were left with no choice basically but to destroy the lettuce," a Department spokesman said.

The Department issues a pesticide warning every three months, which details the results of tests for pesticide residues in Irish food. In the past, the main problem with pesticide residues has been with imported exotic fruits. In these cases, products are taken off the market and importers are warned against using fruit from the same source.

The Department spokesman said that pesticides had a very important role in food production and in preserving food. However, an excessive level of residue on food, prolonged over a series of months, could be "deleterious to health", he said.