Beware of Pesticides in Fruit Import

Beware of Pesticides in Fruit Import

Food Safety and Nutrition Experts Faculty of Human Ecology, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) Prof Ahmad Sulaeman remind people to be wary of imported fruits. He considered, the risk of imported fruits contain pesticides that can affect health, especially the development of reproductive organs.

"The price of imported fruit sold in supermarkets Indonesia sometimes cheaper than the price in its home country. This of course makes us wonder as well ask, why the fruit can be sold at a low price?," said by ulaeman as quoted Antara in Bogor on Wednesday (16 / 5/2012).

He explained further about the suspicions on these imported fruits. He argues, a fruit terminal in the "Rotterdam Holland" which covers almost the same as the Soekarno-Hatta airport in Cengkareng there are cold storage as a place to store the fruit. Fruit, he said, there are storage reaches the age of two years, and the youngest is six months.

In order to bear fruit in cold temperatures, not dry and wrinkled, he said, then coated with wax rind. In the candle, also added a fungicide, so that the fruit is not moldy. According to him, the results of various studies show that regular fungicide Vinclozolin added is the kind that are the same anti-androgenic in nature such as DDT (Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane).

Anti-androgenic, said Sulaeman, can cause sterility effect, in insects. He explained as is know DDT was OLD insecticide who had praised to the skies for his services in the response to a variety of insect-borne disease vectors.

"But now the use of DDT in many countries around the world especially in North America, Western Europe and also in Indonesia have been banned,"

he said.

According Sulaeman, various studies showed that consumption of food containing pesticide residues, although low in the womb can lead to poorer demaskulinisasi, which interfere with the development of reproductive organs. Therefore, not surprisingly, is now widely found in cases of dual gender or transgender.

Sulaeman argues, the increasing number of cases of genital double today is the impact of the first green revolution. These conditions not only in Indonesia, but also occur in some countries.

Exposure to pesticides of fruit could also threaten the children. Ahmad explained, one study that compared the Mexican state of children who used to consume organic food (without chemicals) and non-organic (pesticide spraying). The result, he said, children are exposed to pesticides are not always able to draw even a simple line drawing. Conversely, children who used to consume organic foods mentioned are able to draw well.

Then, some of the possible risk of disease also develops in children born from mothers exposed to pesticides, such as leukemia and diseases including autism. To that end, he appealed to people to switch back to local fruits like mangosteen, bisbul, jackfruit and many more.

"Unfortunately, our fruit markets especially in supermarkets, is still dominated by imported fruit,"

he said.

Of the 225 types of fruits, and vegetables sold in supermarkets, said Sulaeman, 60-80 percent is imported fruit.

Therefore, he stressed again that: fresh fruit fans need to be extra vigilant, especially lovers of imported fruits such as grapes, pears and apples. "Especially if there is a promo imported fruit with a very low price," he said.