Strawberries and the hype over unsafe food

A strawberry growers' association in Changfeng county, Anhui province, along with similar associations, is reportedly planning to file a lawsuit against China Central Television, because its report has caused huge losses to the strawberry industry. In Changfeng alone, farmers have suffered a loss of more than 150 million yuan ($24.17 million).

According to the CCTV report, eight samples of strawberries purchased randomly in Beijing contained excessive amounts of acetochlor, a herbicide that can be carcinogenic if consumed in large amounts.

Agricultural experts, however, say herbicides like acetochlor are hardly used by in China's strawberry fields. Chinese farmers generally grow strawberries using the plasticulture system: they form raised beds, fumigate and cover them with plastic sheets to prevent weed growth, and plant the plants through holes punched in the covering with irrigation tubes running underneath. The absence of weeds minimizes the use of herbicides.