Chinese herbal medicines contain pesticide residue, tests reveal

Popular herbal products imported from China show traces of highly hazardous pesticides, Greenpeace report says
Chinese herbal medicine
Chinese herbal medicine samples tested by Greenpeace contained a residue of a 'synthetic cocktail of pesticides'. Photograph: Antonio Olmos







The presence of pesticide residues in what should be natural Chinese herbs should not be seen as an isolated case, but as "another example of the failure of chemical-intensive agriculture in China and around the world," the report said.

Greenpeace called for a switch to more ecologically-friendly farming to protect human health and the environment, including natural resources such as water supplies and beneficial insects such as bees.

The green group warned long-term exposure to pesticide residues can have health impacts, such as reproductive abnormalities, while acute exposure to the chemicals can lead to poisoning of farm workers.

Commenting on the findings from Greenpeace East Asia, Dr Doug Parr, chief scientist with Greenpeace UK, said: "The toxic chemicals found in these products pose a real health risk to consumers.

"People who use these products do so hoping to ease medical conditions and improve their health - they will be shocked to learn that along with natural herbs they have been taking, they are exposing themselves to a synthetic cocktail of potentially dangerous pesticides.

"The UK Government and the EU must improve their testing regime for products imported from China as a matter of urgency so that users of these remedies know that they are safe."