Coalition scrapped pesticide monitoring program that found residues 90 times the limit on strawberries

The pilot program that ran in 2013 was cancelled by then agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce and the results never released

A pilot program to monitor pesticides in Australian fruit and vegetables was halted by the Abbott government despite it revealing residues up to 90 times the permitted maximum levels in strawberries.

The research also found levels of pesticides in some peach and apricot samples were “unacceptable from an acute or short-term dietary risk perspective”, meaning eating affected fruit could pose a health risk.

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