The Consumers' Foundation yesterday said that more than 90 percent of betel nuts wrapped in betel leaves contain pesticide residue exceeding legal amounts.
Betel nuts wrapped in a betel leaf is popular among betel nut chewers because the leaf gives off a unique scent that many customers find complements the betel nut. However, the consumer rights watchdog said that its recent inspection of 15 types of betel leaves nationwide showed that only one passed the test for pesticide residue.
The other 14 were found to contain traces of fungicides difenoconazole and prochloraz, fenpropathrin (mite repellent), acephate and dozens of other types of pesticide at illegally high amounts.
The foundation said that two of the leaf samples tested positive for at least seven types of pesticides, while the rest contained residues of one to five types of pesticides.
“Because betel nut chewers cannot see or taste the pesticides, they could be consuming high amounts of the toxins without knowing,” said Yu Kai-hsiung (游開雄), publisher of the foundation's Consumer Reports Magazine.
Yu said that as regulations governing the legal amounts of pesticide residue in agricultural products do not include betel leaves, betel growers who produce betel leaves containing excessive amounts of pesticide are taking advantage of a legal loophole.
The foundation urged authorities to set standards that would cap the pesticide residue for betel leaves, as well as step up inspection efforts to better protect the rights and health of consumers.
The foundation also warned that chewing betel nuts has been shown to increase the risk of oral cancer, because the high pH content of the betel nut could cause cancer to develop in the lining of the mouth.
Coupled with potential toxins consumed when chewing betel leafs that contain pesticide residue, the health risks posed could be even higher, the foundation said.
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