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Pesticides and coffee

  • 21-07-2010 1:54pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 37,485 ✭✭✭✭


    So I was reading an article about organics in general and whether or not they're worth it and the article said "some things", but it did say that if you were only going to buy one thing organic that coffee should be it. I was a bit surprised but I read on. The reasoning was that harmful pesticides that are banned in the west are in some cases not banned in coffee growing countries.

    Time for some investigation says I, so I came across this article.

    Anyone ever heard anything along these lines? At the very least it sounds logical enough.


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 37,485 ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    42 views and not a single reply? You're all very shy.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,464 ✭✭✭snollup


    Am quite fussy about the coffee I've been buying of late, has all been from Has Bean for the last few months except for the very odd bag. I would have hoped that as most of Has Beans beans (bit of a mouth full there) are coming directly from small farms that there fairly ok. That said, never really given it that much thought.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,158 ✭✭✭✭Berty


    Im going to be meeting somebody in early August who is more or less an authority on Coffee and its properties, construction, origins, flavours etc etc

    I will certainly ask for their opinion.

    I would have been under the impression or illusion that if the product is claimed to be organic then, whether or not it is banned here or in the country of origin, then if it says Organic then it is Organic.

    Possibly the question is then "Is this our opinion of Organic and do the Coffee growers have another understanding of Organic"

    Although I would be confident that, my employer to say the least, is the one who sets the standards to the farmers(for our products) and would not buy their products if it does not pass our standards at minimum.

    Like I said, I will ask the question in a few weeks and update here.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 37,485 ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    Oh I believe that if it says organic that it's organic. It's the stuff that doesn't say that I'm concerned about. :) I placed an order with hasbean yesterday as I was running out. I'm sampling all their Biodynamic / organic stuff with this coming order. :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,389 ✭✭✭FTGFOP


    Don't all food imports get tested at some stage? Surely they test coffee/tea for safe levels of pesticides. I hope so anyway!


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 105 ✭✭leopardus


    I generally don't bother with organic food, but do try to get organic coffee and peanut butter. Peanuts are often grown in rotation with cotton; where pretty nasty and persistent chemicals can be used.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,871 ✭✭✭Corsendonk


    Yes food stuffs get tested on a regular basis by the Dept of Agriculture, that includes organic food stuffs. In actually fact Organics have a higher level of failure as there are no Minimun Residue Levels allowed. Usually they would pick specific food groups to test based on risk assessments and case history of specific countries. So if a country has a poor history of pesticide control they will flag produce from that country for inspection. Its actually a good common sense approach as testing is rather expensive and time consuming. EHOs also carry out sampling at retail.

    Europe Union operates a rapid alert so where a problem is identified with a food product/stuff in a member state this is communicated to the relative food safety authoriaties in each member state with the relative info so they can ensure that they can withdraw effected product from sale. Its a really good system and like all good things about the EU very poorly advertised. I have posted the link below so you can read about the system, see recent alerts and find out how you can subcribe to the alert system.

    http://www.fsai.ie/news_centre/alerts.html


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