Chinese-grown Shine Muscat grapes contaminated with dangerous chemicals

Shine Muscat grapes imported from China have been found to be heavily laced with dangerous chemicals, including chlorpyrifos, the Thai Pesticides Alert Network (Thai-Pan) and the Foundation for Consumers announced today.

The two consumer protection organisations recently conducted laboratory tests on 24 samples of the juicy and popular grapes purchased from retail outlets, vendors and wet markets. Nine samples were imported from China while the remaining 15 samples were imported from unknown sources.

Prokchon U-sap of Thai-Pan said the tests show that 23 of the 24 samples were found to be excessively laced with dangerous chemicals, with one sample containing chlorpyrifos, which is banned in Thailand, and 22 others were contaminated by 14 chemical residues.

She said that several of the dangerous chemicals found are not included in the list of dangerous chemicals in Thailand and, therefore, their safety effects have not been assessed, adding that many of the chemicals are systemic pesticides, which is absorbed into the grapes, making them appear fresh for a prolonged period.

The chemicals found in the grapes include Bifenazate, Dinotefuran, Fluopyram, Boscalid, Fluopicolide, Pyrimethanil, Ametoctradin, Tetraconazole, Ethirimol, Metrafenone, Fludioxonil, Bupirimate, Isopyrazam, Oxathiapiprolin, Biphenyl and Cyazofamid.

Prokchon said that systemic pesticide cannot be easily removed from the grapes by washing in water.

She said that importers of and traders in Shine Muscat grapes should be more responsible for the safety of consumers, by conducting random tests on the fruit to determine whether the amount of chemicals exceeds safety levels, by removing potentially harmful grapes from their shelves, by clearly specifying the origin of the grapes and, if possible, banning the import of the grapes found to be heavily laced with dangerous chemicals.

Shine Muscat grapes from China are cheaper than those imported from Japan or South Korea and, therefore, are popular among Thai consumers.