Study: Pesticides found in wine

A European environmental group said pesticides used on grapes were found in 35 of the 40 bottles of wine they tested.

Pesticide Action Network Europe, working with groups on Austria, France and Germany, said a study found pesticides in all the conventional wines, and a low level of pesticide residues in one of six organic wines. The analysis revealed 24 different pesticide contaminants in the wines.

On average, each wine sample contained more than four pesticides, although one bottle had 10.

"The presence of pesticides in European wines is a growing problem," Elliott Cannell of PAN Europe said in a statement. "Many grape farmers are abandoning traditional methods of pest control in favor of using hazardous synthetic pesticides."

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

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Posted by drknowledge 04/05/08 12:48

Rank: 5/5 after 1 vote

Grape farmers and wine-makers are under considerable pressure to make wines competitive in an international market. Given that the word "organic" does not appear on the vast majority of wines, it's not surprising that there may be as many pesticides in wines as legally allowed. Consumers are asking for organic food faster than farmers can convert their farms, at the moment. What this article may be indicating is that there is also a growing need for organic wines.