The European Food Safety System recently detected a high level of prohibited pesticides in fresh peppers originating from Albania during an import attempt into Slovenia. The pesticides identified were pirimiphos-methyl and formate, both of which are banned within the European Union and several other countries. The detected concentration of pirimiphos-methyl in the peppers was 44 times above the EU's permissible level, while formate levels were found to be ten times higher than allowed.
An Italian company responsible for distributing these Albanian peppers intended to market them in Slovenia and Croatia. However, it remains unclear if the contaminated peppers reached the markets in Serbia or Croatia, as reported by Croatian media. The health risks associated with the consumption of these peppers are considered serious, given that pirimiphos-methyl and formate can inhibit human cholinesterase enzyme activity. This inhibition can lead to overstimulation of the nervous system, potentially causing nausea, dizziness, confusion, and in severe cases, respiratory paralysis and death. The European authorities have yet to disclose the measures taken following the discovery of the contaminated pepper samples, including whether the shipment was destroyed or returned to the distributor.
Source: Soboden Pecat