Nestlé baby food products and other foodstuff found to contain traces of agrotoxic substances  

In the midst of all the toasting and fireworks of the holidays, the news almost went by unnoticed. It all started last Dec. 27, when the consumer protection group Liga Ciudadana de Consumidores released the findings of a lab study conducted in Chile on five baby foods (fruit purées), revealing that three of the products tested contained traces of agrotoxic substances. The study also detected similar components in an asparagus soup mix distributed under the “Golden Years” label as part of the Health Ministry’s senior citizens nutrition program, and in an orange juice product.

The study,¹ conducted by Cecilia Castillo,² measured pesticide residues in processed foods made with fruits, vegetables, garden greens, and/or cereals. The samples were obtained from a supermarket in Santiago,³ refrigerated and taken directly to the laboratory duly sealed and numbered, as per a strict protocol. The products were then tested for pesticide content at Laboratorio Andes Control, which delivered its findings on Dec. 17.

Alarming findings

Of the five samples of baby food tested, three (Gerber-Nestlé prune purée, Nestlé fruit medley purée, and Nestlé peach purée) contained traces of Iprodione, a toxic fungicide used in agriculture. This substance is classified as a category 3 carcinogen under European Union (EU) regulations. This category is given to substances that may pose a risk to humans owing to their possible carcinogenic effects, but which as yet have not been adequately assessed due to lack of conclusive evidence. Iprodione causes hormonal disorders and affects the liver, suprarenal glands, testes, ovaries, prostate, kidneys, and seminal vesicles.

The values found in the prune and peach purées were 0.04 mg/kg and 0.08 mg/kg, respectively, thus exceeding the maximum limits set by EU regulations for agrotoxic substance residues in food. The fruit medley purée has the EU maximum limit for pesticide residues in baby food (0.01 mg/kg), which also coincides with this method’s detection limit.

The results also reveal traces of the agriculture-grade insecticide Carbaryl in an orange juice marketed by the company Watt’s. The concentration level of the residue found in this product is at the detection limit for this pesticide (0.01 mg/kg). Carbaryl is a highly toxic product that can cause peripheral neuropathies, nerve degeneration, and arm and leg paralysis. It causes kidney toxicity and possibly aplastic anemia and male and female fertility problems. It has been linked to the development of brain tumors in children and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Another product tested was the Crema Años Dorados Espárrago, a creamed asparagus soup mix distributed by the Health Ministry under the National Supplementary Food Program for the Elderly (PACAM), which also revealed traces of agrotoxic substances.

Sound suggestions

Based on this data, Liga Ciudadana recommended that the manufacturers of the food products containing hazardous substances voluntarily remove the products in question from the market. The consumer protection group also asked the Health Ministry to demand that, failing voluntary removal, the companies withdraw their products, and to suspend the distribution of contaminated food delivered through its supplementary food programs. In addition, it made an urgent call for health authorities to screen food products more rigorously for pesticide residues, especially food products meant for children, pregnant women, and the elderly.

Moreover, Omar Pérez Santiago, executive secretary and project coordinator at Liga Ciudadana, called on Health Minister Jaime Mañalich to urgently and systematically monitor agrotoxic substance residues. According to Pérez, health authorities should be checking for compliance with agrotoxic substance use regulations and guaranteeing that children’s foods do not exceed maximum residue limits of agrotoxic substances. “The health of the population comes first,” he said. “Our study only tested a sample of these purées. It’s the responsibility of the health to monitor these products to determine the levels of residue present in them, and make sure that they are safe for child consumption.”

A deplorable charade

This gave way to a deplorable and revealing charade played out in the news, which we summarize below.

And to top it all off…

But there was one final incident that just took the cake, or shall we say ‘took the purée.’

In Chile there is an organization called Acción RSE, founded in May 2000 by representatives of the business community with the goal of furthering corporate social responsibility in companies operating in the country. It is also a representative of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). In its website, Acción RSE claims that it “sees corporate social responsibility as a vital business approach for companies to attain medium- and long-term sustainability and competitiveness, harmoniously integrating respect for ethical values, individuals, the community and the environment.”⁵

Last December, a few days prior to the agrotoxic residue scandal, Acción RSE partially renewed its board, and one of the new directors elected was Fernando del Solar, CEO of Nestlé Chile. The importance that Nestlé places on the values that Acción RSE claims to defend is evident in the fact that del Solar did not even have the decency to take a leave of absence from the association’s board until the purée affair was resolved and the responsibility of the company he heads was determined.