Watchdog Warns Of Pesticides In Some Dried Fruit

Tests of dried fruit products on sale in Hong Kong have found that more than 40 percent contained at least three types of pesticides which could pose health risks, the Consumer Council said on Monday.

Pesticide residues were found in two-thirds of the 31 dried fruit samples, including three that were said to be organic.

While the amount of pesticide detected in the samples did not exceed levels permitted in Hong Kong, the watchdog's spokesperson, Nora Tam, warned that these substances may still cause health risks.

"At the moment, the pesticides residual level is lower than the standard, therefore it should not cause any significant or important health risk problems... But unfortunately, a lot of these fruit contain more than one type of pesticide... Some samples even have 10 or more types. At the moment nobody knows what is the additive effect or the synergistic effect," she said.