Party for the Animals asks questions about agricultural toxins in cereals
A French study has shown that all non-organic cereals contain high levels of toxic pesticides. The Party for the Animals feels it is unacceptable that customers should ingest agricultural toxins via their supposedly healthy breakfasts. Esther Ouwehand has questioned the Dutch State Secretary for Economic Affairs about this issue in the Lower House.
French organisation Générations Futures has analysed twenty different kinds of cereal for the presence of agricultural toxins. The five that were organic were found to be free from any pesticides. However, the non-organic cereals contained traces of no less than 141 different agricultural toxins, some in concentrations exceeding the concentrations laid down in EU standards by a factor of 300.
Moreover, 81 types of pesticides found in the cereals are presumed to have endocrine disrupting properties. Of all cereal types that were examined in the French study, four are also available in Dutch supermarkets, thereby exposing Dutch consumers to unacceptable health risks.
The Party for the Animals has requested clarification from the Dutch State Secretary for Economic Affairs Van Dam. MP Esther Ouwehand wants the Dutch government to have all cereals in the Netherlands analysed for the presence of pesticides. Esther Ouwehand: “Citizens assume they are having a healthy breakfast by eating cereal, but actually run the considerable risk of ingesting agricultural toxins – very unhealthy indeed! The government must take measures against this.”
The Party for the Animals has been advocating toxin-free agriculture for years in order to protect people, animals and nature. Esther Ouwehand wants to know what measures State Secretary Van Dam will take to phase out the use of agricultural toxins as soon as possible.