Attention Mango Maniacs... Pesticide Residue in Philippine Mangoes 21 Times Above Standard

Distribution Blocked Upon Nonconformity Determination

Residue pesticides up to 21 times the standard level were detected in mangoes from the Philippines.

The Gangwon-do Health and Environment Research Institute recently collected 20 samples of imported fruits distributed within the province and investigated the safety of pesticide residues. They announced that in one sample of Philippine mango, pesticide residues containing insecticide components (metominostrobin, profenofos, pentaeth) were detected at levels 4 to 21 times higher than the standard. The remaining 19 samples met the standards.

[Image source=Pixabay]

The institute plans to strengthen safety management of imported fruits by collecting representative domestic stored fruits (apples, pears, persimmons) and imported fruits (mangoes, bananas, avocados, etc.) distributed in large supermarkets within the province until November, conducting tests for pesticide residues and other harmful substances. This decision was made considering that imported fruits account for 30% of the fruit consumption market in Korea and that preservatives or insecticides are likely used due to long-distance transportation and storage.

Agricultural products that fail the inspection will be immediately registered in the "Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's Emergency Notification System for Non-compliance" and notified to the relevant city or county to block distribution.

Shin In-cheol, the director of the research institute, said, "We will strengthen safety management of pesticide residues in imported fruits, whose consumption is rapidly increasing, to create a distribution environment for agricultural products that consumers can trust and consume with peace of mind."