The prevalence of pesticide mixtures in wine has tripled since 2016

The official data from the UK Government’s testing programme compiled and analysed by PAN UK, reveals residues of 19 different pesticides in the 72 wine samples tested, an increase from 16 in 2016.

Excessive pesticide use in wine production not only jeopardizes the well-being of British consumers but also poses risks to individuals residing and working in wine-producing regions.

A study conducted in France and published in October 2023 revealed an elevated risk of leukaemia among children living in close proximity to densely planted vineyards.

Likewise, a 2006 Canadian study highlighted an increased susceptibility to illnesses among workers in the wine industry due to exposure to elevated pesticide levels used in vineyards.

Organic wine is made using only organically certified grapes, grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides and artificial fertilisers.

Source:

1. Pesticide residues in food: results of monitoring programme https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/pesticide-residues-in-food-results-of-monitoring-programme

2. Pesticide mixtures in wine more than treble since 2016 https://www.pan-uk.org/multiple-pesticide-residues-in-wine/

3. Report on the pesticide residues monitoring programme: Results of Quarter 4 2022 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65202e7b244f8e00138e71bc/prif-monitoring-report-quarter-4-2022.pdf

4. Report on the pesticide residues monitoring programme: Results of Quarter 4 2022: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a750e77e5274a59fa7170eb/pesticide-residues-quarter4-2016-report.pdf

5. Association between Residential Proximity to Viticultural Areas and Childhood Acute Leukemia Risk in Mainland France: GEOCAP Case-Control Study, 2006-2013 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37850750/

6. BC Medical Journal: Occupational health risks of wine industry workers  https://bcmj.org/articles/occupational-health-risks-wine-industry-workers