VEGETABLES are not just expensive nowadays even as the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) warned the public to be cautious because of results which showed agricultural yields from China as contaminated with lead and e-coli.
According to the bureau, 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 BPI-Plant Product Safety Division chief William Mugot who claimed that further testing of the produce showed that it was contaminated with pesticides and heavy metals which may prove detrimental for consumers.
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,” he added.
This comes as BPI urged households to buy local agricultural products.
“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.” (ANGEL F.JOSE)
