Greenpeace Finds Pesticide Violations in 3 of 20 Turkish Supermarket Tomato Samples
Greenpeace Türkiye says laboratory tests found noncompliant pesticide use in 3 of 20 tomato samples bought from five major supermarket chains in Istanbul. Fourteen samples contained at least one pesticide associated with PFAS, while only one sample had no detectable pesticide residue.
Tests cover five major retail chains
Greenpeace Türkiye says independent laboratory testing identified pesticide use that did not comply with Turkish rules in 3 of 20 tomato samples purchased from major supermarket chains in Istanbul. The samples were bought in July from branches of A101, BİM, CarrefourSA, Migros and ŞOK in the districts of Ataşehir, Kadıköy, Sancaktepe and Sultanbeyli, according to Evrensel. They were analyzed by an internationally accredited laboratory as part of Greenpeace’s “Market Pesticide Scorecard” project.
The findings represent a limited sample commissioned by Greenpeace rather than a comprehensive regulatory survey. Even so, they raise questions for retailers and suppliers because the 3 noncompliant samples accounted for 15% of the tomatoes tested. Two contained active substances not authorized for use on tomatoes. Greenpeace said those two products were displayed with a “good agricultural practices” logo, based on information shown in Turkey’s Wholesale Market Registration System.
Banned active substance detected
The third noncompliant sample, purchased from an A101 branch in Ataşehir, contained Chlorfenapyr, Evrensel reported. Greenpeace said the active substance has been completely prohibited in Türkiye since December 31, 2010. A CarrefourSA sample contained Pirimiphos-methyl, which the organization classified as unauthorized for tomatoes.
The tests also found more than three pesticide active substances in 7 of the 20 samples. Evrensel reported that A101 samples contained between one and six substances, with six detected in a tomato bought in Kadıköy. BİM samples contained between one and three, while CarrefourSA samples contained between three and four. Three of the four Migros samples contained between two and four substances; the fourth was the only tomato in the entire study with no detected pesticide residue. All four ŞOK samples contained residues, with between three and five substances, although Greenpeace reported no regulatory violation among them.
Gerçek Haberci and Son Dakika reported that 14 samples, or 70%, contained at least one pesticide involving per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS. Greenpeace characterized these substances as a potential risk to children’s health. The presence of a residue does not itself establish that a legal maximum residue limit was exceeded; the organization separately classified 3 samples as noncompliant.
Retail oversight moves into focus
Greenpeace has asked organized retailers to provide full supply-chain transparency, standardize independent laboratory controls and publish test results. It also proposed that retailers tolerate no more than three pesticide active substances in a product, even when individual residues are below legal limits, and set their internal maximum residue limits 20% below government thresholds. Its proposals also include incentives, agricultural-engineer support, premiums and fair contracts for farmers shifting toward pesticide-free and ecological production.
The organization compared its results with Agriculture and Forestry Ministry data cited by Greenpeace Türkiye Director Berkan Özyer. Those data showed 6,369 noncompliant samples among 246,946 tests covering 55 products during 2021-2023, equivalent to about 2.6%, according to Evrensel. Özyer said the disclosed ministry data did not cover every requested year or identify the affected products, pesticides and scale of exceedances. For growers, retailers and produce suppliers, the new findings increase pressure for traceability and testing from field to shelf, particularly where products carry quality claims such as “good agricultural practices.”
