By Richard Torné
The Junta de Andalucía has opened disciplinary proceedings against an agricultural firm in Almería after two export shipments of tomatoes to Holland were found to contain traces of a banned pesticide.
The shipments, which contained ethephon, a plant growth regulator banned in tomatoes in Spain, were seized on April 28 by the Dutch authorities, who also alerted the European Food Safety Authority.
The regional government released a statement shortly afterwards, saying tests carried out on tomatoes from the affected firm in two separate greenhouses backed the Dutch findings.
It said the tomatoes in one batch exceeded maximum residue levels (MRL) of the pesticide.
The Junta has not however revealed the name of the agricultural firm under investigation.
