Smuggled vegetables from China test positive for pesticides, heavy metals

Several tons of smuggled produce from China have tested positive for lead and E.coli contamination.

According to a ''24 Oras Weekend'' report by Bernadette Reyes on Saturday, the vegetables, seized from a warehouse in Navotas City in August, had no sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance.

“Hindi ito dumaan sa tamang proseso kaya hindi natin alam kung paano siya pinroduce or kung saan siya galing talaga,” said Bureau of Plant Industry Plant Product Safety Division chief William Mugot.

(These didn’t go through the right process, so we don’t know how they were produced or where they really came from.)

Further testing of the produce showed that it was contaminated with pesticides and heavy metals, which are dangerous to the consumer’s health.

Carrots were found with lead past the maximum limit, while tomatoes and onions were found to have high traces of E.coli, which indicate possible contamination from human or animal excrement.

“Kalimitan, 'yung heavy metals tulad ng lead ay nakukuha natin sa lupa or doon sa mga fertilizer. Kung mayroong contamination ng heavy metals 'yung fertilizer, pwede din magcontribute doon or kahit na 'yung environment mismo [kagaya] 'yung mga planta,” added Mugot.

(Usually, heavy metals like lead come from the soil or from fertilizers. If the fertilizer is contaminated with heavy metals, it can contribute to that or even the environment [such as] plants.)

The BPI advised consumers to thoroughly wash their vegetables before cooking to remove traces of pesticides and heavy metals.

“Mas mabuti na hindi natin tangkilikin 'yung mga smuggled na commodities kasi hindi talaga natin alam [kung] paano ‘yun pinroseso, paano ‘yun pinroduce, at tsaka walang assurance from exporting country ‘yun,” Mugot said.

(It would be better for us not to buy smuggled commodities because we really do not know how it was processed or produced, and there is also no assurance from the exporting country.) — Jiselle Anne Casucian/VBL, GMA Integrated News