Health minister, Elena Salgado, has reassured the public that there are no health risks associated with the consumption of peppers contaminated with the illegal pesticide Irofem Fosmetil.

Earlier yesterday, the Health ministry issued a general alert after being advised by the German government that traces of the illegal pesticide had been detected in analyses carried out on samples from nine batches of more than 4,000kg peppers produced in Almería.

These have now been tracked down to ten installations that will be subjected to more vigorous inspection over the course of the next few days.

If the use of the illegal pesticide is confirmed, the regional government is empowered to close down the installations for at least a month and fine the owners up to a maximum of €120,000.

Despite speculation to the contrary throughout the course of yesterday, trading of Almería-produced peppers, of which 2,000 batches a day are exported, was not suspended.

Health ministry issues poisoned pepper alert
By: thinkSPAIN
Thursday, December 28, 2006

The Heath and Consumer Affairs ministry informed the regional government of Andalucia first thing this morning that it has issued a health alert after it was detected that batches of peppers grown in Almeria had been contaminated with illegal pesticides.

The news was confirmed later by provincial Agriculture councillor for Almeria, Juan Deus, who has a meeting later this morning with his departmental experts to decide how best to tackle the situation.

Notwithstanding, it is expected that Health department inspectors will be visiting the companies involved in the handling and despatch of the infected vegetables as well as the plastic tunnels where they were cultivated, over the next few days.

For their part, representatives of the Farmers' Organisation, COAG, have requested an urgent meeting with the Agriculture ministry to clarify the exact consequences of the alert announced this morning, which seems to imply a complete ban on the sale of Spanish-produced peppers irrespective of where they were grown.